What Does Leviticus 20:16 Mean in the King James?

And if a woman approach unto any beast, and lie down thereto, thou shalt kill the woman, and the beast: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

Leviticus 20:16 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

This verse in the Selah Decoded Version

THE KEY

The Hebrew moves from a verb of killing to a doubled death formula, making the sentence’s violence explicit in two different ways.

THE MEANING

This sentence confronts you with the ordered deaths of both the woman and the beast, then places their blood upon them. It leaves the violence unsoftened and gives no explanation for it within the verse.

THE ROOT

מוֹת יוּמָתוּ

môt yûmātû

GROWS FROM

מות

to die; death

“surely be put to death” in this verse is môt yûmātû. The phrase repeats the root: ⁨מוֹת⁩ (môt) is followed by ⁨יוּמָתוּ⁩ (yûmātû), intensifying the death sentence. English conveys that emphasis with “surely,” while Hebrew makes it audible through the doubled root.

ALSO GROWS

māvet: death

מָוֶת

This noun grows from the same root and makes the sentence’s central outcome explicit.

mēt: dead

מֵת

This form names the resulting state, extending the same root from dying to the condition the sentence imposes.

תִּקְרַב

tiqrav

GROWS FROM

קרב

to draw near; approach

Here the verb describes physical approach to a beast; the same root also carries the idea of nearness and bringing something near. That wider family shows the concrete force of “approach” without changing or spiritualizing what the sentence names.

ALSO GROWS

qarov: near; close

קָרוֹב

It shares the root’s sense of nearness, showing that the verse’s verb belongs to a wider language of drawing close.

qorbān: a drawing near; offering

קָרְבָּן

This branch uses the same root for something brought near, revealing the root’s broader sense of approach.

THE PATTERN

These texts name the consequence of violence in the same breath as the violent act.

Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

Genesis 9:6 · KJVBloodshed and its consequence are stated together, without leaving the outcome implicit.

He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.

Exodus 21:12 · KJVThe act that causes death is joined directly to the sentence of death.

Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.

Matthew 26:52 · KJVThe taking up of the sword and the consequence of perishing are held together in one sentence.

THE THREAD

Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely be put to death.

Exodus 22:19 · KJV

This verse uses the same doubled ⁨מות⁩ formula, ⁨מוֹת יוּמָת⁩ (môt yûmāt), “shall surely be put to death.” The shared wording reveals the repeated death-root in the sentence applied to both cases.

Read the SDV Bible.

Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.

Get Selah Verse

The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.

Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us