Leviticus 18:18

Leviticus 18:18

Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time.

a. NLT: “While your wife is living, do not marry her sister and have sexual relations with her, for they would be rivals.

b. NIV: “ ‘Do not take your wife’s sister as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is living.

c. Amplified Bible: You must not marry a woman in addition to her sister, to be a rival to her, having sexual relations with the second sister when the first one is alive.

d. Septuagint: Thou shalt not take a wife in addition to her sister, as a rival, to uncover her nakedness in opposition to her, while she is yet living.

e. Stone Edition Torah/Writings/Prophets: You shall not take a woman in addition to her sister, to make them rivals, to uncover the nakedness of one upon the other in her lifetime. 

1. “Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness…”

a. neither shall thou take [3947 * laqach] [Strong: a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of applications):--accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, X many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.]

b. 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.]

c. sister [269 * 'achowth] [Strong: irregular feminine of 251; a sister (used very widely (like 250), literally and figuratively):--(an-)other, sister, together.]

d. vex [6887 * tsarar] [Strong: a primitive root; to cramp, literally or figuratively, transitive or intransitive (as follows):--adversary, (be in) afflict(-ion), beseige, bind (up), (be in, bring) distress, enemy, narrower, oppress, pangs, shut up, be in a strait (trouble), vex.]

e. 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.]

f. 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.]

2. “…beside the other in her life time.”

a. in her life time [2416 * chay] [Strong: from 2421; alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figuratively:--+ age, alive, appetite, (wild) beast, company, congregation, life(-time), live(-ly), living (creature, thing), maintenance, + merry, multitude, + (be) old, quick, raw, running, springing, troop.]

1). We only need to look at the rivalry between Leah & Rachel to see the truth in God’s instructions.

a). Genesis 30:1, 2 And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.

30:2 And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?

b). Genesis 30:14-16 And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes.

30:15 And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son's mandrakes.

30:16 And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.