Leviticus 18:11

Leviticus 18:11

The nakedness of thy father's wife's daughter, begotten of thy father, she is thy sister, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.

a. NLT: “Do not have sexual relations with your stepsister, the daughter of any of your father’s wives, for she is your sister.

b. NIV: “ ‘Do not have sexual relations with the daughter of your father’s wife, born to your father; she is your sister.

c. Amplified Bible: You must not have intercourse with your father’s wife’s daughter; begotten by your father, she is your sister; you shall not uncover her nakedness.

d. Septuagint: Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of the daughter of thy father's wife; she is thy sister by the same father: thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.

e. Stone Edition Torah/Writings/Prophets: The nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter who was born to your father, she is your sister; you shall not uncover her nakedness

This appears to be a repeat of Leviticus 18:9, so the notes from Leviticus 18:9 are repeated.

1. “The nakedness of thy father's wife's daughter, begotten of thy father, she is thy sister…”

a. nakedness [6172 * ‘ervah][Strong: nudity, literally (especially the pudenda) or figuratively (disgrace, blemish):--nakedness, shame, unclean(-ness).][AMG Complete Word Study Dictionary Old Testament: A feminine noun expressing nakedness. This word scan pertain to physical nakedness of a man or woman (Genesis9:22, 23; Exodus 20:26)…When used with the verb galah (1540), meaning to uncover or remove, and ra’ah (7200), meaning to see, one finds a common euphemism for sexual relations.]

b. father [1 * ‘ab][Strong: a primitive word; father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application):--chief, (fore-)father(-less), X patrimony, principal. Compare names in "Abi-".]

c. wife [802 * ‘ishshah][Strong: irregular plural, nashiym {naw-sheem'}; a woman (used in the same wide sense as 582):--(adulter)ess, each, every, female, X many, + none, one, + together, wife, woman.]

d. daughter [1323 * bath] [Strong: from 1129 (as feminine of 1121); a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively):--apple (of the eye), branch, company, daughter, X first, X old, + owl, town, village.]

e. begotten [4138 * mowledeth] [Strong: from 3205; nativity (plural birth-place); by implication, lineage, native country; also offspring, family:--begotten, born, issue, kindred, native(-ity).]

f. father [1 * ‘ab] See above.

g. sister [269 * ‘achowth][Strong:  a sister (used very widely (like 250), literally and figuratively):--(an-)other, sister, together.]

1). This of course is a half-sister born to your father but from a different wife other than your mother. Abraham’s marriage to Sarah would be an example of this type of marriage that would be forbidden by this commandment. Some commentators believe that Abraham was given a divine sanction by God, but I just believe that God before the giving of the Law allowed many of these marriages in order to insure population growth after Creation and the flood of Noah.

a). Genesis 11:29 And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah.

b). Genesis 20:12, 13 And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.

13 And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.

2). Another example would be the circumstances surrounding the entrapment and rape of Tamar by Amnon, both children of David by different wives. In this incident Amnon was completely in the wrong, his feelings of affection and lust were condemned in the Law. Tamar was completely innocent. David’s failure to correctly address this crime fueled a civil war within the family.

a). 2 Samuel 13:1-29.

2. “…thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.”

a. uncover [1540 * galah][Strong; a primitive root; to denude (especially in a disgraceful sense); by implication, to exile (captives being usually stripped); figuratively, to reveal:--+ advertise, appear, bewray, bring, (carry, lead, go) captive (into captivity), depart, disclose, discover, exile, be gone, open, X plainly, publish, remove, reveal, X shamelessly, shew, X surely, tell, uncover.] .][AMG Complete Word Study Dictionary Old Testament: A verb meaning to reveal, to uncover, to remove, go into exile, to expose, to disclose. It is used with the words ear (1 Samuel 9:15; 20:2, 12, 13) and eyes (Numbers 24:4), meaning to reveal. On occasion, it is used in the expression to uncover the nakedness of, which often implies sexual relations.]

b. nakedness [6172 * ‘ervah][Strong: nudity, literally (especially the pudenda) or figuratively (disgrace, blemish):--nakedness, shame, unclean(-ness).][AMG Complete Word Study Dictionary Old Testament: A feminine noun expressing nakedness. This word scan pertain to physical nakedness of a man or woman (Genesis9:22, 23; Exodus 20:26)…When used with the verb galah (1540), meaning to uncover or remove, and ra’ah (7200), meaning to see, one finds a common euphemism for sexual relations.]

1). We must remember that the nations of the Canaanites did practice these offences.

2). Leviticus 18:24-27 Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you:

25 And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.

26 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you:

27 (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;)