Leviticus 18:6 is God’s command that the Israelites must not have sexual relations with any close blood relative. The phrase “to uncover their nakedness” is the Hebrew idiom for sexual intercourse, so the verse forbids incest and sets a boundary around the family. God spoke these words to Moses, who passed them on to the people of Israel as they were preparing to enter the land of Canaan.
“‘None of you shall approach any close relatives, to uncover their nakedness: I am the LORD.
Leviticus 18:6 (WEB)
What Leviticus 18:6 Means
The opening word “None” is firm and universal. No one in the community is exempt, whatever their status, and the command is directed at all of them together. “Approach any close relatives” describes the nearest circle of family, the people you live closest to and rely on most. The verse then names the act it forbids using a figure of speech that the ancient reader would have understood immediately: uncovering nakedness refers to sexual relations, not simply to being seen unclothed.
The verse ends with “I am the LORD,” which ties the rule to God’s own character and authority rather than to custom alone. The command is not a suggestion about social comfort. It belongs to a covenant relationship in which God defines holiness and calls his people to live differently from the surrounding nations. The verse does not spell out every penalty or every case, but it sets a clear and unambiguous line.
The Context of Leviticus 18:6
Leviticus is a book of law and worship given to Israel after the exodus from Egypt, traditionally attributed to Moses. Chapter 18 opens by warning the people not to copy the practices of Egypt, where they had lived, or of Canaan, where they are going. Verses 3 through 5 set that contrast, and then verse 6 begins a list of specific prohibitions that runs through verse 18. The verses that follow name particular relatives, from mothers and fathers to sisters and aunts.
Read in that setting, Leviticus 18:6 is less a standalone rule than the opening of a careful catalogue. It shows that the family is a sacred trust, and that God’s people are to honor the lines of kinship he has given. The statement “I am the LORD your God” in verse 4 frames all of it, so the reader sees the boundaries as an expression of who God is and how he wants his people to belong to him.
Key Phrases in Leviticus 18:6
1 Corinthians 6:18
Flee sexual immorality! “Every sin that a man does is outside the body,” but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.
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Paul urges believers to flee sexual immorality, showing that sexual sin wounds the body and the person in a way other sins do not. Read alongside Leviticus 18:6, it deepens the sense that God guards sexual intimacy as something sacred and protective.
Ephesians 5:3
But sexual immorality, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be mentioned among you, as becomes saints…
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Paul calls the people of God to put aside sexual immorality and every kind of impurity. This connects with Leviticus 18:6 by showing that the New Testament continues the same concern for holiness in sexual life, a concern rooted in God’s own character.
A Short Prayer From Leviticus 18:6
Lord, you are holy, and you have given us families as gifts to be honored and protected. Where we have strayed from your boundaries, forgive us, and where others have harmed us in the name of love, give us courage to speak and healing to recover. Help us to respect the people closest to us and to guard their dignity with our words and our choices. Shape our homes into places of safety, and give us wisdom to act rightly whenever we see something that threatens the trust you have placed in us. Amen.
