Leviticus
18:16
Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness
of thy brother's wife: it is thy
brother's nakedness.
a. NLT: “Do not
have sexual relations with your brother’s wife, for this would violate your
brother.
b. NIV: “ ‘Do not
have sexual relations with your brother’s wife; that would dishonor your
brother.
c. Amplified
Bible: You shall not have intercourse with your brother’s wife; she belongs to
your brother.
d. Septuagint: Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy
brother's wife: it is thy brother's nakedness.
e. Stone Edition
Torah/Writings/Prophets: The nakedness of your brother’s wife you shall not uncover;
it is your brother’s shame.
1. “Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of
thy brother's wife…”
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. brother [251 *
‘ach] [Strong: a primitive word; a brother (used in the widest sense of literal
relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance (like 1)):--another,
brother(-ly); kindred, like, other. Compare also the proper names beginning
with "Ah-" or "Ahi-".]
d. 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.]
1). Louis Goldberg,
A Study Guide Commentary on Exodus: The law did make one exception to Leviticus
18:16, in the practice of levirate marriages, in which a widow was taken as a
wife by the brother of the deceased when the deceased had left no son. This
exception allowed family lines to be preserved and inheritances to remain
unbroken.
a). Deuteronomy
25:5-10 If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the
wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband's brother
shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an
husband's brother unto her.
6 And it shall be,
that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother
which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel.
7 And if the man
like not to take his brother's wife, then let his brother's wife go up to the
gate unto the elders, and say, My husband's brother refuseth to raise up unto
his brother a name in Israel, he will not perform the duty of my husband's
brother.
8 Then the elders
of his city shall call him, and speak unto him: and if he stand to it, and say,
I like not to take her;
9 Then shall his
brother's wife come unto him in the presence of the elders, and loose his shoe
from off his foot, and spit in his face, and shall answer and say, So shall it
be done unto that man that will not build up his brother's house.
10 And his name
shall be called in Israel, The house of him that hath his shoe loosed.
2). A positive
example is found in Ruth.
a. Ruth 4:9, 10 And
Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day,
that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and
Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi.
10 Moreover
Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to
raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead
be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are
witnesses this day.
3). While a
negative example is found in Genesis 38.
a). Genesis
38:1-10 And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his
brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.
38:2 And Judah saw
there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her,
and went in unto her.
38:3 And she
conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er.
38:4 And she
conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan.
38:5 And she yet
again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelah: and he was at
Chezib, when she bare him.
38:6 And Judah
took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar.
38:7 And Er,
Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord slew
him.
38:8 And Judah
said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed
to thy brother.
38:9 And Onan knew
that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his
brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed
to his brother.
38:10 And the
thing which he did displeased the Lord: wherefore he slew him also.
4). This
commandment was also cited by the Sadducee enemies of Jesus trying to trap him.
a). Mark 12:18-27 Then
come unto him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection; and they asked
him, saying,
19 Master, Moses
wrote unto us, If a man's brother die, and leave his wife behind him, and leave
no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his
brother.
20 Now there were
seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed.
21 And the second
took her, and died, neither left he any seed: and the third likewise.
22 And the seven
had her, and left no seed: last of all the woman died also.
23 In the
resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them?
for the seven had her to wife.
24 And Jesus
answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the
scriptures, neither the power of God?
25 For when they
shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but
are as the angels which are in heaven.
26 And as touching
the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the
bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac,
and the God of Jacob?
27 He is not the
God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.
2. “…it is thy brother's nakedness.”
a. brother [251 *
‘ach] [Strong: a primitive word; a brother (used in the widest sense of literal
relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance (like 1)):--another,
brother(-ly); kindred, like, other. Compare also the proper names beginning
with "Ah-" or "Ahi-".]
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). Your brother’s
wife’s nakedness is his nakedness. Sexual relations between brother-in-laws and
sister-in-laws were forbidden. This would also break the 7th Comandment.
a). Exodus 20:14
2). We must
remember that the nations of the Canaanites did practice these offences.
a). 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;)
3). The Canaanites
also legislated them.
No comments:
Post a Comment