UTN uW Translation Notes:

Leviticus 18 Chapter Introduction

Structure and Formatting

This chapter contains Yahweh’s laws about forbidden sexual relationships. The structure of this chapter is as follows:

1. Introduction: Following Yahweh’s laws (18:1–5)
2. Laws about forbidden sexual relationships (18:6–23)
   1. Relationships with close relatives (18:6–18)
   2. Other forbidden sexual acts (18:19–23)
3. Warning about these sins (18:24–30)

Religious and Cultural Concepts in This Chapter

Sexual purity

This chapter teaches that:

• Sexual relationships must only be between a husband and wife
• Certain relatives cannot marry or have sexual relations
• These rules were different from other nations’ practices
• Breaking these rules made people and the land unclean

Punishment for disobedience

The chapter warns about serious consequences:

• People who break these rules must leave the community
• The land itself will reject people who do these things
• God removed previous nations for these practices
• Israel must be different from other nations

Clean and unclean

The chapter talks about:

• Actions that make people unclean
• How these sins affect the whole land
• Why God’s people must stay pure
• The difference between God’s people and other nations

Translation Issues in This Chapter

Euphemisms for sexual relations

This chapter uses polite ways to talk about sexual matters:

• “Uncover nakedness” means “have sexual relations with”
• “Approach a woman” means “have sexual relations with her”
• “Lie with” means “have sexual relations with”

Your language may have its own polite ways to talk about these things. Use words that your community would consider respectful and appropriate for public reading.

Family relationship terms

The chapter uses many words for family relationships that might need explanation:

• “Father’s wife” could mean a stepmother
• “Sister” could mean a half-sister or stepsister
• “Daughter-in-law” means your son’s wife
• “Your brother’s wife” means your sister-in-law

Metaphors and figures of speech

The chapter uses several word pictures that might be hard to translate:

• “Walk in their statutes” means “follow their rules”
• “The land vomited out its inhabitants” means “God forced the people to leave the land”
• “Cut off from their people” means “removed from the community”

(See: purify)