You: this is obviously addressed to the males among the Israelites. Consequently the word male later in the verse is to be translated “another man.”

Lie with … as with a woman: the idea of sexual relations between two men may be very difficult to express in some cultures, but the addition in Hebrew of the words as with a woman indicates that it may have also been difficult for the Israelites. The verb “to sleep with” is a more general term for sexual relations, and the addition of the comparison with sleeping with a woman makes the meaning clear.

An abomination: see the discussion under “wickedness” in verse 17. Good News Translation renders this dynamically with the phrase “God hates that.”

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René and Ellington, John. A Handbook on Leviticus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1990. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .