Leviticus 20:19 (WEB)

Passage

“‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, nor of your father’s sister; for he has made his close relative naked. They shall bear their iniquity.

Nearby Context

Leviticus 20:17 “‘If a man takes his sister, his father’s daughter, or his mother’s daughter, and sees her nakedness, and she sees his nakedness; it is a shameful thing. They shall be cut off in the sight of the children of their people. He has uncovered his sister’s nakedness. He shall bear his iniquity.

Leviticus 20:18 “‘If a man lies with a woman having her monthly period, and uncovers her nakedness; he has made naked her fountain, and she has uncovered the fountain of her blood. Both of them shall be cut off from among their people.

Leviticus 20:19 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, nor of your father’s sister; for he has made his close relative naked. They shall bear their iniquity.

Leviticus 20:20 If a man lies with his uncle’s wife, he has uncovered his uncle’s nakedness. They shall bear their sin. They shall die childless.

Leviticus 20:21 “‘If a man takes his brother’s wife, it is an impurity. He has uncovered his brother’s nakedness. They shall be childless.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "shall", "uncover", "nakedness", "mother", "sister", "father", and "close". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "shall" and "uncover", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 18's "If a man lies with a woman..." into verse 20's "If a man lies with his uncle...", so "shall" and "uncover" belong inside that flow. In Leviticus context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "shall" and "uncover" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.