Another way of wording the first part of this verse is “If you have had intercourse with any woman, you must not also have intercourse with her daughter or her granddaughter.” The idea is that by having intercourse with a woman, the man becomes her near relative. Therefore it would be unacceptable to have intercourse also with her child or her grandchild.

Take her son’s daughter: the expression “to take a woman” is sometimes used to mean “marry,” but in this context the emphasis is clearly on the actual sex act. Consequently it is taken as another synonym for “to have intercourse.”

They are your near kinswomen: the textual problems in this part of the verse are considerable. The Hebrew literally has “they are flesh,” which seems to indicate that they are related to each other. This is the text that seems to be followed by New Jerusalem Bible, An American Translation and Bible en français courant. A slight change in the final consonant makes the text read “they are your flesh,” meaning your near kinswomen. This is the reading found in the ancient Greek translation and is followed by Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, and Moffatt. Still other versions change the vowels to read “they are her flesh.” Compare New International Version “they are her close relatives,” and New English Bible “they are her blood relations.” This last interpretation is also accepted by New American Bible and Traduction oecuménique de la Bible. In addition, it is the recommended reading of HOTTP and should probably be followed in the receptor-language translation.

It is wickedness: this is a kind of summary statement emphasizing the evil of any such action. The term translated here as wickedness is a very general one which is also found in 19.29 and 20.14 and about twenty times in the rest of the Old Testament. It is used to describe any kind of morally unacceptable or detestable action. In verses 22 and 23 there are two other Hebrew terms which are also quite general in meaning. The first, translated as “an abomination” in Revised Standard Version, is quite frequent in the Old Testament. The second is rarer and is translated “perversion.” The precise difference between these three terms is very hard to distinguish, and in the context of this chapter, they may be seen as almost synonymous. If three synonymous terms are available in the receptor language, they should be used here and in verses 22 and 23. In any case, the translation of the three terms should be considered together.

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René and Ellington, John. A Handbook on Leviticus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1990. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .