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Leviticus 18:17
Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, neither shalt thou take her son's daughter, or her daughter's daughter, to uncover her nakedness;for theyare her near kinswomen: itis wickedness.

Deuteronomy 27:23
Cursedbe he that lieth with his mother in law. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Amos 2:7
That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto thesame maid, to profane my holy name:

burnt

Leviticus 21:9
And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.

Joshua 7:15,25
And it shall be,that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel…

it is depraved.
The term "depraved" indicates a moral corruption or perversion. In the context of Leviticus, this word underscores the severity of the offense in the eyes of God. The use of such strong language highlights the importance of adhering to God's commandments and the consequences of deviating from them. This reflects the broader biblical theme of holiness, where God's people are called to be set apart and to live according to His statutes.

Both he and they must be burned in the fire,
The prescribed punishment of being "burned in the fire" signifies the gravity of the sin and serves as a deterrent to others. In the ancient Near Eastern context, such severe penalties were not uncommon for serious offenses. This punishment also reflects the principle of purging evil from the community, a recurring theme in the Old Testament. The act of burning may symbolize the complete eradication of sin, ensuring that the community remains pure and undefiled.

so that there will be no depravity among you.
This concluding phrase emphasizes the communal aspect of the law. The goal is to prevent the spread of moral corruption within the Israelite community. By enforcing strict penalties, the law aims to uphold the holiness and integrity of God's people. This reflects the covenant relationship between God and Israel, where obedience to His laws is paramount. The phrase also connects to the broader biblical narrative of God's desire for His people to be a holy nation, distinct from the surrounding cultures.

“If a man marries both a woman and her mother, it is depraved.” (Leviticus 20:14a)

• Scripture identifies this union as incestuous (seeLeviticus 18:17;Deuteronomy 27:23).

• Marriage was intended to reflect God’s order—one man, one woman (Genesis 2:24;Matthew 19:4-6). Crossing generational lines within the same family blurs those boundaries and corrupts the picture of covenant fidelity.

• The word “depraved” underscores moral perversion, showing that such a relationship is not a minor misstep but a direct assault on God’s design.

• By naming the sin, God protects vulnerable family members from exploitation (cf.1 Corinthians 5:1, where Paul condemns a similar incestuous situation).

• “Depraved” conveys extreme moral corruption (Romans 1:28-32).

• This warning served as a fence around Israel’s holiness; the same principle applies today as believers are called to flee sexual immorality (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5).

• The seriousness of the label confronts any attempt to normalize such unions in culture, reminding us that God, not society, defines purity (Hebrews 13:4).

“Both he and they must be burned in the fire.” (Leviticus 20:14b)

• The prescribed penalty was capital punishment, underscoring the gravity of the sin (compareLeviticus 20:10; 21:9).

• Fire symbolized complete removal of evil from the community (Joshua 7:25-26).

• Under the New Covenant, Christ has borne the penalty for sin (Galatians 3:13), yet the church still practices disciplinary separation to preserve holiness (1 Corinthians 5:5, 13).

• This verse reminds us that God’s justice is uncompromising, while His mercy in Christ is equally real (Romans 3:23-26).

• The ultimate goal is communal purity—“so that there will be no depravity among you.”

• Israel was called to be distinct from surrounding nations (Exodus 19:5-6;1 Peter 2:9).

• Removing the offense kept sin from spreading like leaven (Galatians 5:9).

• Today, believers heed the same principle by upholding biblical standards and restoring the fallen through repentance and accountability (James 5:19-20;Galatians 6:1).

Leviticus 20:14 confronts an incestuous union, labels it “depraved,” assigns a severe penalty, and explains the purpose: preserving covenant holiness. While Christ’s atoning work removes the need for civil execution within the church, the passage still warns us to honor God’s design for family, uphold moral boundaries, and guard the community of faith from corruption.

They shall be burnt with fire.--This, as we have seen, is the second of the four modes of capital punishment. (SeeLeviticus 20:2.) In the following ten cases those guilty of the sins specified suffered this punishment: (1) the unchaste high priest's daughter (Leviticus 21:9); (2) he who had commerce with his daughter; (3)or with his daughter's daughter; (4) or with his son's daughter; (5) or with his wife's daughter; (6) or with her daughter's daughter; (7) or with her son's daughter; (8) or with his mother-in-law; (9) or with the mother of his mother-in-law; and (10), or with the mother of his father-in-law. It will thus be seen that with the exception of the high priest's daughter this death was only inflicted for incest. As the Bible nowhere states the precise mode in which this kind of death is to be carried out, the authorities during the second Temple maintained that it must be executed in such a manner as to leave the body externally un changed by the flames, because, when God himself inflicted this punishment, the dead bodies of Nadab and Abihu were in a perfect state of preservation. (SeeLeviticus 10:2.) To effect this the criminal was put into dung up to his knees, a soft cloth containing a hard one was then tied around his throat, while the two witnesses who had secured his sentence drew tighter by the two cords till the criminal opened his mouth, when molten lead was poured down his throat, thus burning him to death. Hence the ancient Chaldee Version renders it here, "they shall be burnt with fire, with melted lead in their mouth."

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