Leviticus 18:7 forbids a son or daughter from uncovering the nakedness of their father or mother, which in this context means entering into sexual relations with a parent. The verse also makes clear that the parent in question is your own mother, so the prohibition is not open to excuse or reinterpretation. It was spoken by the LORD to Moses, who passed the instruction to the people of Israel as part of a larger body of laws about holiness and sexual conduct.
“‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, nor the nakedness of your mother: she is your mother. You shall not uncover her nakedness.
Leviticus 18:7 (WEB)
What Leviticus 18:7 Means
The phrase “uncover the nakedness” is a common Hebrew idiom for sexual intercourse, not a reference to physical exposure. When the verse says “your father” and “your mother,” it names the closest family bonds a person has, and it forbids any sexual act that would violate that bond. The second sentence, “she is your mother,” removes any doubt about who is meant and explains why the act is wrong: it would be a violation of the mother-child relationship itself.
The verse is a prohibition, not a promise, so it does not describe God’s blessing on a family or guarantee outcomes for those who keep it. What it does is set a boundary that protects the most basic human relationships. Read this way, the verse tells you where God draws the line around family, and it leaves the tender, protective love that families are meant to show intact.
The Context of Leviticus 18:7
Leviticus is traditionally attributed to Moses and was given to the Israelites during their time at Sinai, as they were being formed into a nation set apart for the LORD. Chapter 18 opens with a call to keep God’s statutes and not to live as the nations of Egypt and Canaan lived. Verses 4 and 5 make the purpose plain: the people are to keep God’s ordinances so that they may live in them, which places this law within the larger calling to holiness.
Verses 6 through 10 form a series of prohibitions on close relatives, moving from parents to a father’s wife, a sister, and then granddaughters. Seeing verse 7 in that sequence shows that it is the first of several boundaries around the family, and that its clear wording was meant to establish the principle for all the cases that follow.
Key Phrases in Leviticus 18:7
Exodus 20:12
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the LORD your God gives you.
(WEB)
This commandment instructs children to honor their father and mother and promises a long life in the land. Read alongside Leviticus 18:7, it shows that the same parental bond which the sexual prohibition protects is also the object of positive honor.
Ephesians 6:1-3
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with a promise: 3 “that it may be well with you, and you may live long on the earth.”
(WEB)
Paul restates the call for children to obey and honor their parents in the context of life in Christ. It helps you see the honor commanded in the Law carried forward into the New Testament, where family relationships are shaped by love and respect.
A Short Prayer From Leviticus 18:7
Lord, you made the family as a place of love, protection, and trust, and you call us to guard those bonds with purity and honor. Thank you for drawing clear lines that keep us safe and help us grow in holiness. Where our families have been wounded or confused, bring healing and restore what was meant to be good. Give us wisdom to honor our parents and to protect the relationships you have entrusted to us, and let our lives reflect your faithful care. Amen.
