And if a man shall lie with a woman having her sickness, and shall uncover her nakedness; he hath discovered her fountain, and she hath uncovered the fountain of her blood: and both of them shall be cut off from among their people.

LEVITICUS 20:18KJV
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Leviticus 20:18 (KJV)

What does Leviticus 20:18 mean?

Leviticus 20:18 says that if a man has sexual relations with a woman during her menstrual period, both people have broken a boundary set by God and must be separated from their community. This verse treats the act as a serious violation of ritual and moral law in ancient Israel.

In this part of Leviticus, God is speaking to the Israelites through Moses, giving detailed laws about sexual conduct and ritual purity. The verse uses strong language about "uncovering nakedness" and "discovering her fountain" to describe the act, highlighting its seriousness in the context of Israelite law. The command to "cut off" both people shows that this was not just a private matter but one with consequences for their place in the community.

The Hebrew behind Leviticus 20:18

  • "sickness" (נִדָּה, nidah): This word refers specifically to a woman's menstrual impurity, not just general illness. The law is about ritual impurity, not physical sickness.
  • "uncover" (גָּלָה, galah) and "nakedness" (עֶרְוָה, ervah): These words together are a common biblical way of describing sexual relations, especially those considered forbidden.
  • "fountain" (מָקוֹר, maqor): This word literally means a spring or source, here referring to the source of menstrual blood. The metaphor emphasizes the idea of ritual impurity.
  • "cut off" (כָּרַת, karat): This phrase means to be separated or excluded from the people, which could mean exile, social shunning, or sometimes even death, depending on the context.

Why Leviticus 20:18 matters

  • Leviticus 20:18 clarifies that some laws in the Old Testament were about ritual purity, not just morality, which helps explain why the consequences are so severe.
  • The verse shows how ancient Israelite law connected physical acts to the health and holiness of the whole community, not just the individuals involved.
  • Understanding the specific language and imagery helps modern readers see the seriousness with which these boundaries were treated in ancient Israel, even if the cultural context is very different today.

Where else these words appear

“sickness” Hebrew H1739 · used in 5 verses

  • Leviticus 15:33 And of her that is sick of her flowers, and of him that hath an issue, of the man, and of the woman, and of him that lieth with her that is unclean.
  • Isaiah 30:22 Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence.
  • Lamentations 1:13 From above hath he sent fire into my bones, and it prevaileth against them: he hath spread a net for my feet, he hath turned me back: he hath made me desolate and faint all the day.

“discovered” Hebrew H6168 · used in 14 verses

  • Genesis 24:20 And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.
  • Psalms 137:7 Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof.
  • Isaiah 32:15 Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest.

“fountain” Hebrew H4726 · used in 17 verses

  • Leviticus 12:7 Who shall offer it before the LORD, and make an atonement for her; and she shall be cleansed from the issue of her blood. This is the law for her that hath born a male or a female.
  • Proverbs 13:14 The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.
  • Jeremiah 2:13 For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

“nakedness” Hebrew H6172 · used in 40 verses

  • Genesis 9:22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.
  • Leviticus 18:13 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister: for she is thy mother's near kinswoman.
  • Deuteronomy 24:1 When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.