Leviticus 18:8

Leviticus 18:8

The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father's nakedness.

a. NLT: “Do not have sexual relations with any of your father’s wives, for this would violate your father.

b. NIV: Do not have sexual relations with your father’s wife; that would dishonor your father.

c. Amplified Bible: The nakedness of your father’s wife you shall not uncover; it is your father’s nakedness.

d. Septuagint: Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's wife; it is thy father's nakedness.

e. Stone Edition Torah/Writings/Prophets: The nakedness of your father’s wife you shall not uncover; it is your father’s shame.

1. “The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover…”

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. 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.]

e. Here in Leviticus 18:8 “thy fathers wife” must be contrasted with “mother” in Leviticus 18:7, meaning a step-mother must be in mind here. There are two incidents in Scripture where this occurred, once in the Old Testament and once in the New Testament.

1). Genesis 35:22 And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine: and Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:

a). Even though it was before the law, Rueben placed himself under a curse because of this immorality.

(1). Genesis 49:3, 4 Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:

 4 Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.

2). 1 Corinthians 5:1 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.

a). In this example the God breathed Scripture commanded the local body to excommunicate the individual until he repented, which he did, and was welcomed back into the local body.

2. “…it is thy father's nakedness.”

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. 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). The nakedness of thy father’s wife is nakedness reserved only for him. 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;)