אִ֥ישׁ אִישׁ֙ אֶל־כָּל־שְׁאֵ֣ר בְּשָׂר֔וֹ לֹ֥א תִקְרְב֖וּ לְגַלּ֣וֹת עֶרְוָ֑ה אֲנִ֖י יְהוָֽה׃ (ס)

Any man of you shall not approach his kin to uncover nakedness, to engage in sexual relations; I am the Lord. This general declaration serves to underline the basic principle of this passage that sexual relations with all close blood relatives are prohibited.

עֶרְוַ֥ת אָבִ֛יךָ וְעֶרְוַ֥ת אִמְּךָ֖ לֹ֣א תְגַלֵּ֑ה אִמְּךָ֣ הִ֔וא לֹ֥א תְגַלֶּ֖ה עֶרְוָתָֽהּ׃ (ס)

The nakedness of your father and the nakedness of your mother you shall not uncover. She is your mother; you shall not uncover her nakedness. In practically all societies, sexual relations between a mother and son are proscribed. Although this prohibition applies directly to a mother, in any normal family the shame and embarrassment caused by such an act would impact both parents. Consequently, the verse first mentions both the father and mother.

עֶרְוַ֥ת אֵֽשֶׁת־אָבִ֖יךָ לֹ֣א תְגַלֵּ֑ה עֶרְוַ֥ת אָבִ֖יךָ הִֽוא׃ (ס)

The nakedness of your father’s wife, even if she is not your mother, you shall not uncover; it is your father’s nakedness [ erva ]. The narrow meaning of the word erva is nakedness, as it has been explained here, or it can specifically refer to the sexual organs. However, it can also be used in the sense of shame or embarrassment. Consequently, one possible interpretation of this verse is that sexual relations with one’s father’s wife would cause the father shame and embarrassment.

עֶרְוַ֨ת אֲחֽוֹתְךָ֤ בַת־אָבִ֙יךָ֙ א֣וֹ בַת־אִמֶּ֔ךָ מוֹלֶ֣דֶת בַּ֔יִת א֖וֹ מוֹלֶ֣דֶת ח֑וּץ לֹ֥א תְגַלֶּ֖ה עֶרְוָתָֽן׃ (ס)

The nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father or the daughter of your mother, and all the more so if she is the daughter of both your father and your mother, although this case is not explicitly mentioned in the verse, whether she is born into the household or born outside of wedlock, you shall not uncover their nakedness, as they are your relatives.

עֶרְוַ֤ת בַּת־בִּנְךָ֙ א֣וֹ בַֽת־בִּתְּךָ֔ לֹ֥א תְגַלֶּ֖ה עֶרְוָתָ֑ן כִּ֥י עֶרְוָתְךָ֖ הֵֽנָּה׃ (ס)

The nakedness of the daughter of your son, or of the daughter of your daughter, and certainly of your daughter herself, although she is not mentioned in the verse, you shall not uncover their nakedness, for it is your nakedness. One’s relationship with one’s own children is even closer than one's relationship with other relatives; sexual relations with one’s child would constitute the parent’s own personal nakedness or shame.

עֶרְוַ֨ת בַּת־אֵ֤שֶׁת אָבִ֙יךָ֙ מוֹלֶ֣דֶת אָבִ֔יךָ אֲחוֹתְךָ֖ הִ֑וא לֹ֥א תְגַלֶּ֖ה עֶרְוָתָֽהּ׃ (ס)

The nakedness of the daughter of your father’s wife, who was born to your father and not necessarily to your mother, she is your sister; therefore, you shall not uncover her nakedness. There is overlap between this verse and the prohibition of verse 9. Consequently, sexual relations with the daughter of one’s father who is also the daughter of the father’s wife is prohibited by two commandments. However, if one does not share either parent with the daughter of his father’s wife, he is not considered her relative at all, and she is not forbidden to him. Indeed, there are historical precedents of men marrying their stepsisters.

עֶרְוַ֥ת אֲחוֹת־אָבִ֖יךָ לֹ֣א תְגַלֵּ֑ה שְׁאֵ֥ר אָבִ֖יךָ הִֽוא׃ (ס)

The nakedness of your father’s sister you shall not uncover; she is your father’s kin, or flesh.

עֶרְוַ֥ת אֲחֽוֹת־אִמְּךָ֖ לֹ֣א תְגַלֵּ֑ה כִּֽי־שְׁאֵ֥ר אִמְּךָ֖ הִֽוא׃ (ס)

The nakedness of your mother’s sister you shall not uncover, as she is your mother’s kin.

עֶרְוַ֥ת אֲחִֽי־אָבִ֖יךָ לֹ֣א תְגַלֵּ֑ה אֶל־אִשְׁתּוֹ֙ לֹ֣א תִקְרָ֔ב דֹּדָֽתְךָ֖ הִֽוא׃ (ס)

The aunts mentioned in the previous two verses are blood relatives from the side of each parent. This verse adds that even an aunt who is not a blood relative is prohibited. The nakedness of your father’s brother you shall not uncover; you shall not approach his wife; she is your aunt. Since she is married to your uncle, she should be considered as much your aunt as the sister of your father or mother.

עֶרְוַ֥ת כַּלָּֽתְךָ֖ לֹ֣א תְגַלֵּ֑ה אֵ֤שֶׁת בִּנְךָ֙ הִ֔וא לֹ֥א תְגַלֶּ֖ה עֶרְוָתָֽהּ׃ (ס)

The Torah lists further prohibitions involving relatives through marriage. The nakedness of your daughter-in-law you shall not uncover; she is your son’s wife. Therefore, you shall not uncover her nakedness.

עֶרְוַ֥ת אֵֽשֶׁת־אָחִ֖יךָ לֹ֣א תְגַלֵּ֑ה עֶרְוַ֥ת אָחִ֖יךָ הִֽוא׃ (ס)

The nakedness of your brother’s wife you shall not uncover; it is your brother’s nakedness.

עֶרְוַ֥ת אִשָּׁ֛ה וּבִתָּ֖הּ לֹ֣א תְגַלֵּ֑ה אֶֽת־בַּת־בְּנָ֞הּ וְאֶת־בַּת־בִּתָּ֗הּ לֹ֤א תִקַּח֙ לְגַלּ֣וֹת עֶרְוָתָ֔הּ שַׁאֲרָ֥ה הֵ֖נָּה זִמָּ֥ה הִֽוא

The list of forbidden relations began with close blood relatives, e.g., parents, children, and siblings, before continuing with those who are relatives through marriage. In contrast, the next two prohibitions do not involve a familial relationship between the man and woman but rather focus on a preexisting relationship with a female relative of the woman. The nakedness of a woman and her daughter you shall not uncover. It is prohibited for a man to have relations with a mother and her daughter. This applies not only to her actual daughter, as even her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter you shall not take to uncover her nakedness. They are kin; it is lewdness [ zima ]. Alternatively, zima means the thought process of sinners and is similar to the word mezima , plot. Although a man is permitted to wed either woman, he may not marry one of them once he has already been married to the other. Such a marriage would ruin the mother-daughter relationship. An additional negative consequence of such a marriage is that the husband is more liable to think of one woman while he is with the other, as there is often a resemblance between mother and daughter.

וְאִשָּׁ֥ה אֶל־אֲחֹתָ֖הּ לֹ֣א תִקָּ֑ח לִצְרֹ֗ר לְגַלּ֧וֹת עֶרְוָתָ֛הּ עָלֶ֖יהָ בְּחַיֶּֽיהָ׃

Similarly, a woman with her sister you shall not take to be rivals to uncover her nakedness through her in her lifetime. It is prohibited to marry two sisters. The verse clearly states that a man may not marry his wife’s sister if his wife is still alive, even if she is no longer his wife and he has divorced her. The prohibition against marrying two sisters is similar to the prohibition against marrying a mother and her daughter. However, the permissibility of marrying the sister of one’s wife after the wife’s death is a unique feature of this case that does not apply to the prohibition of marrying a mother and her daughter or to any of the other forbidden relations. The prohibition is in effect only during the lifetime of the sister one marries first.

וְאֶל־אִשָּׁ֖ה בְּנִדַּ֣ת טֻמְאָתָ֑הּ לֹ֣א תִקְרַ֔ב לְגַלּ֖וֹת עֶרְוָתָֽהּ׃

The following forbidden sexual relationships are not prohibited due to familial connections of any kind between the participants. To a woman in her state of menstrual impurity you shall not approach to uncover her nakedness. It is prohibited to engage in sexual relations with a woman when she is in a state of menstrual impurity. Furthermore, one may not even approach to uncover her nakedness, which is a broader prohibition than refraining from actual sexual relations. It is prohibited for a man to engage in all forms of close contact with a woman in a state of menstrual impurity, and it makes no difference whether she is not related to him or if she is his own wife.

וְאֶל־אֵ֙שֶׁת֙ עֲמִֽיתְךָ֔ לֹא־תִתֵּ֥ן שְׁכָבְתְּךָ֖ לְזָ֑רַע לְטָמְאָה־בָֽהּ׃

And with the wife of your counterpart, another Jewish man, you shall not engage in sexual relations, to defile yourself with her.

וּמִֽזַּרְעֲךָ֥ לֹא־תִתֵּ֖ן לְהַעֲבִ֣יר לַמֹּ֑לֶךְ וְלֹ֧א תְחַלֵּ֛ל אֶת־שֵׁ֥ם אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃

The Torah now turns to a different type of prohibition: You shall not give from your offspring to pass him as a symbolic or an actual offering to Molekh, which is the name of a particular idol or cult that was widespread at the time. And you shall not profane the name of your God; I am the Lord. According to the alternative opinion that Molekh is not the name of any particular idol, this might mean that one may not worship God by sacrificing children, as in the Molekh ritual, since this is a degenerate practice that profanes the name of God. This interpretation also fits the verses in Deuteronomy that discuss the topic of burning one’s sons or daughters.