1. Leviticus 18:23 (ESV)
  2. Exposition

What is the prohibition of verse 23?

Leviticus 18:23 (ESV)

23 And you shall not lie with any animal and so make yourself unclean with it, neither shall any woman give herself to an animal to lie with it: it is perversion.

The final sexual prohibition pertains to bestiality. This sexual activity is strictly prohibited in Scripture and carries the death penalty (Exodus 22:19; Leviticus 20:15–16; Deuteronomy 27:21). The practice of bestiality appears to have been generally accepted in the ancient Near East. It had both a magical and religious background among the surrounding nations. The Old Testament, however, allows for no exceptions.