complete verse (Leviticus 20:18)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Leviticus 20:18:

  • Kupsabiny: “If a man has slept with a woman in her days of the month (her period), both of them shall break off from their people because they did not keep to the ritual of cleanness.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “’If anyone has intercourse with a woman who is menstruating, he has exposed the source of her flow, and she has also uncovered it. the two of them must be expelled from their own people. ” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “If a man lies-down-beside/(has-sexual-relations-with) a woman during her monthly- period, and the woman allows/agrees-to it, you (plur.) are- no-longer -to-consider the two of them a member of you (plur.).” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kutu: “If a man sleeps with a woman at the time of her period, they should be separated, because that man who touched the menstruation of that woman and the menstruation of that woman has been revealed.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • English: “‘If a man has sex with a woman during her monthly menstrual period, they have both revealed why she was bleeding, so both of them must not be allowed to associate with my people any more.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Leviticus 20:18

Having her sickness: this is not the same expression as used in 18.19, but the meaning is identical, and so it may be translated the same.

He has made naked her fountain, and she has uncovered the fountain of her blood: the word fountain is used here to describe the menstrual flow of a woman during her monthly period. New Jerusalem Bible and New International Version speak of the “source” of her flow. New English Bible translates “exposed her discharge.” Good News Translation leaves this implicit, but the two expressions may be translated as a single phrase, “they have uncovered the place of her flow of blood.” It would clearly be a mistake to translate this expression literally in most languages.

Cut off …: see verse 3 and 7.20.

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 .