Leviticus 18:12

Leviticus 18:12

Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's sister: she is thy father's near kinswoman.

a. NLT:  Do not have sexual relations with your father’s sister, for she is your father’s close relative.

b. NIV: “ ‘Do not have sexual relations with your father’s sister; she is your father’s close relative.

c. Amplified Bible: You shall not have intercourse with your father’s sister; she is your father’s near kinswoman.

d. Septuagint: Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's sister, for she is near akin to thy father.

e. Stone Edition Torah/Writings/Prophets: The nakedness of your father’s sister you shall not uncover; she is your father’s flesh.

1. “Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's sister…”

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.]

c. 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-".]

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

2. “…she is thy father's near kinswoman.”

a. 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-".]

b. kinswoman [7607 * she’er] [Strong: from 7604; flesh (as swelling out), as living or for food; generally food of any kind; figuratively, kindred by blood:-- body, flesh, food, (near) kin(-sman, -swoman), near (nigh) (of kin).]

1). There is a prominent example in Exodus where a nephew married his aunt. Moses father married his aunt, his father’s sister.

a). Exodus 6:20 And Amram took him Jochebed his father's sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years.

2). Louis Goldberg, A Study Guide Commentary on Exodus: Near relations also included aunts (both paternal and maternal), uncles and the wives of paternal uncles. Nephews were forbidden to marry their aunts, and vice versa, although nothing is said about uncles married to their nieces.

a). Although it was before the Law one example I found was Nahor marrying his brothers daughter, his neice.

b). 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.

3). These commandments concerning aunts are repeated in Leviticus 20.

a). Leviticus 20:19, 20  And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister, nor of thy father's sister: for he uncovereth his near kin: they shall bear their iniquity.

20 And if a man shall lie with his uncle's wife, he hath uncovered his uncle's nakedness: they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless.