How we cite our quotes: (Chapter:Verse)
Quote #7
If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall be put to death. The man who lies with his father's wife has uncovered his father's nakedness; both of them shall be put to death; their blood is upon them. (NRSV 20:9-10)
And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. (KJV 20:9-10)
In biblical law, there's just one essential ingredient for adultery: a woman who is married or engaged to another man. Sleep with her and you're toast. Sex with a woman who is wholly unattached—no problem, at least for the guy.
Once again, it's not just about sex. Having sex with another man's wife is a form of theft that can also tear the social fabric. Just like Israel had a contract with God, marriage was a contract with substantial economic consequences. Not only could adultery interfere directly with the husband's property interest, but it could also lead to him giving cash and an inheritance to a child not his own.
All in all, not cool.
Quote #8
If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall be put to death; their blood is upon them. If a man takes a wife and her mother also, it is depravity; they shall be burned to death, both he and they, that there may be no depravity among you. (NRSV 20:13-14)
If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. And if a man take a wife and her mother, it is wickedness: they shall be burnt with fire, both he and they; that there be no wickedness among you. (KJV 20:13-14)
Lying with a man as with a woman—whatever that means—is punishable by death. The same goes for having sex with a wife and her mom. If the death penalty in Leviticus 20:13 is a biblical basis for making gay sex illegal in America today, is the same true for other sex acts with the death penalty in this chapter?
Quote #9
If a man lies with a woman having her sickness and uncovers her nakedness, he has laid bare her flow and she has laid bare her flow of blood; both of them shall be cut off from their people. (NRSV 20:18)
And if a man shall lie with a woman having her sickness, and shall uncover her nakedness; he hath discovered her fountain, and she hath uncovered the fountain of her blood: and both of them shall be cut off from among their people. (KJV 20:18)
This verse says that a man and woman who have sex while she's having her period shall be cut off from the community. Leviticus 15:24 states that this makes the man unclean for seven days, while the woman remains unclean until the eighth day after her blood has stopped flowing. Either way, they shouldn't expect to be invited to any neighborhood parties.