This rule does not appear elsewhere in Deuteronomy; see Lev 18.23; 20.15. In cultures where people may occasionally lie with animals to keep warm, a literal translation of lies with will convey the wrong meaning. The curse in this verse is directed against “sexual relations with an animal.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .