complete verse (Leviticus 20:19)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Leviticus 20:19:

  • Kupsabiny: “Do not sleep with the sister to your mother or of your father because by that act/then/at that point you have misused the relationship. Then you (plur.) have brought death to yourselves.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “It is not OK for anyone to have intercourse with the elder or younger sisters of his mother or father. By this one’s close relative is caused to feel shame. And both of them will be guilty.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “If a man has-sexual-intercourse with his aunt, he has-put- his aunt -to-shame. The two of them are-to-answer-for what they have-done.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “‘o not have sex with the sister of either your father or your mother, because that would be disgracing someone who is a close relative. And you and the woman must both be punished.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Leviticus 20:19

Uncover the nakedness: see verse 17 and 18.6.

Your mother’s sister or of your father’s sister: in English it is easy to translate all this by the single word “aunt,” but in other languages two separate terms must be used for maternal aunt and paternal aunt. However, in still other cases a more literal rendering will be appropriate.

For that is to make naked one’s near kin: the word rendered near kin in Revised Standard Version is literally “flesh.” See 18.6. This entire expression may be left implicit, as in Good News Translation.

They shall bear their iniquity: or “suffer the consequences.” The word iniquity is the same term found in 5.1; 18.25; and elsewhere. In other contexts the meaning is more general, but the context here makes it possible to translate it “incest,” as in Good News Translation.

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 .