Leviticus 18:14

Translation
King James Version
Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's brother, thou shalt not approach to his wife: she is thine aunt.
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KJV (with Strong's)
Thou shalt not uncover H1540 the nakedness H6172 of thy father's H1 brother H251, thou shalt not approach H7126 to his wife H802: she is thine aunt H1733.
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Complete Jewish Bible
You are not to disgrace your father's brother by having sexual relations with his wife, because she is your aunt.
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Berean Standard Bible
You must not dishonor your father’s brother by approaching his wife to have sexual relations with her; she is your aunt.
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American Standard Version
Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father’s brother, thou shalt not approach to his wife: she is thine aunt.
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World English Bible Messianic
“‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother, you shall not approach his wife. She is your aunt.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
Thou shalt not vncouer the shame of thy fathers brother: that is, thou shalt not goe in to his wife, for she is thine aunte.
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Young's Literal Translation
`The nakedness of thy father's brother thou dost not uncover; unto his wife thou dost not draw near; she is thine aunt.
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See also
Leviticus 20:20
In the KJVVerse 3,266 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Leviticus 18:14 is a foundational command within a comprehensive chapter of Mosaic Law, delineating specific prohibitions concerning sexual relations. This particular verse strictly forbids a man from having sexual intimacy with his paternal uncle's wife, identifying her as "thine aunt." This law was crucial for establishing and maintaining the moral and social purity of the Israelite community, distinguishing them from the corrupt practices of surrounding nations and reinforcing the sanctity of family structures and marital bonds as ordained by God. The prohibition underscores God's unwavering demand for holiness in all aspects of life, especially in the realm of human sexuality and family integrity.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Leviticus 18 forms a pivotal section within the book of Leviticus, which is primarily concerned with the holiness of God and the call for His people to reflect that holiness in every aspect of their lives. Following the detailed laws of ritual purity and sacrifices, Chapter 18 shifts focus to moral purity, specifically addressing unlawful sexual unions. The chapter begins with a general command to not "uncover the nakedness" of close kin, setting the stage for a detailed list of forbidden relationships from Leviticus 18:6 through Leviticus 18:18. These prohibitions are not arbitrary but are presented as essential for maintaining the covenant relationship with Yahweh and preventing the moral degradation that characterized the surrounding cultures. Leviticus 18:14 fits squarely within this list, specifically addressing a relationship within the extended family that would violate divine order and bring shame upon the community. The careful enumeration of these laws highlights their importance in establishing the moral framework for the newly formed nation.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: The laws in Leviticus were given to the Israelites immediately after their exodus from Egypt and before their entry into the land of Canaan. God explicitly warned them against adopting the practices of these nations, stating, "After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances" (Leviticus 18:3). Archaeological and historical evidence suggests that both Egyptian and Canaanite societies engaged in various forms of sexual immorality, including incestuous relationships, cultic prostitution, and child sacrifice, which were abhorrent to God. By issuing these precise prohibitions, God was establishing clear boundaries for Israel's moral conduct, ensuring their distinctiveness as a holy nation set apart for His purposes. The sanctity of marriage and family was paramount, as these institutions formed the bedrock of a stable and God-honoring society, contrasting sharply with the moral chaos prevalent in the pagan world and protecting Israel from the corrupting influences of their neighbors.
  • Key Themes: This verse contributes significantly to the overarching theme of Holiness in Leviticus, emphasizing that God's people are called to be set apart not only in their worship but also in their daily conduct, particularly in the realm of sexual ethics. It reinforces the theme of Covenant Faithfulness, as obedience to these laws was a direct expression of Israel's loyalty to Yahweh and their commitment to His covenant. The prohibition also underscores the Sanctity of Marriage and Family, establishing clear boundaries to protect the integrity of familial relationships and the marital bond, which are foundational institutions ordained by God. Furthermore, it highlights the theme of Distinction from Pagan Practices, positioning Israel's moral code in stark contrast to the depraved customs of the surrounding nations, thereby preserving their unique identity as God's chosen people, as seen in the broader warnings of Leviticus 18.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • Uncover (Hebrew, gâlâh', H1540): From the primitive root H1540, meaning "to denude (especially in a disgraceful sense); by implication, to exile; figuratively, to reveal." In the context of Leviticus 18, this verb, when paired with "nakedness," functions as a euphemism for engaging in sexual intercourse. The "disgraceful sense" inherent in the root's meaning underscores the shame and dishonor associated with illicit sexual acts, highlighting that such unions expose what should remain private and sacred within God's design for human sexuality and family integrity.
  • Nakedness (Hebrew, ʻervâh', H6172): Meaning "nudity, literally (especially the pudenda) or figuratively (disgrace, blemish)." This noun, consistently used throughout Leviticus 18, refers to the private parts of the body, and by extension, to sexual intimacy. The figurative sense of "disgrace" or "blemish" further emphasizes the moral defilement and social dishonor that results from violating God's established boundaries for sexual relations. The act of "uncovering nakedness" is thus a comprehensive term for forbidden sexual contact.
  • Aunt (Hebrew, dôwdâh', H1733): The feminine form of H1730, meaning "an aunt; father's sister, uncle's wife." This specific term explicitly identifies the relationship that makes the union unlawful—the wife of one's paternal uncle. Its inclusion reinforces the closeness of the kinship bond by affinity, which, according to God's law, precludes marital or sexual union. This highlights God's design for distinct and ordered family relationships, where certain degrees of consanguinity and affinity are divinely established as barriers to marriage, ensuring clarity of roles and preventing societal chaos.

Verse Breakdown

  • "Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's brother": This initial phrase, employing a common biblical euphemism for sexual intercourse, sets the stage for a prohibition concerning the paternal uncle's household. While the phrasing could be interpreted broadly, in the context of Leviticus 18's focus on forbidden sexual relations with female relatives, it is best understood as a general statement against dishonoring the uncle's family through illicit sexual acts, specifically detailed in the subsequent clause. It underscores the sanctity of familial bonds and the respect due to the head of a related household, indicating that any sexual transgression against his wife is a direct affront to him and his family unit.
  • "thou shalt not approach to his wife": This clause provides the explicit and primary prohibition of the verse. The verb תִּקְרַב (tikrav), "to approach" or "to draw near," is also a common euphemism for sexual intimacy in biblical law. This command strictly forbids sexual relations with the wife of one's paternal uncle, emphasizing the inviolability of marital bonds within the extended family structure. Such a union would be considered a severe breach of family honor and divine law, directly violating the sanctity of marriage and introducing confusion into established familial roles.
  • "she [is] thine aunt": This concluding statement provides the rationale for the prohibition. The term דֹּדָתְךָ (dodatecha) specifically identifies the woman as the paternal uncle's wife, highlighting the close familial relationship by affinity. God's law prohibits sexual unions within certain degrees of kinship to maintain the purity and order of the family, prevent moral degradation, and distinguish Israel from the pagan nations where such practices were common. The "aunt" relationship here signifies a bond too close for marital union, reflecting God's design for appropriate sexual boundaries and the preservation of family integrity.

Literary Devices

Leviticus 18:14, like the rest of the chapter, primarily employs Legal Code as its overarching literary form, presenting apodictic (absolute) prohibitions. These direct commands, often phrased as "Thou shalt not," emphasize the divine authority and non-negotiable nature of God's moral expectations. Within this legal framework, the most prominent device is Euphemism, particularly the phrase "uncover the nakedness," which serves as a polite and respectful way to refer to sexual intercourse without explicit vulgarity. This euphemism is repeated throughout the chapter, creating a consistent legal lexicon for forbidden sexual acts while maintaining decorum. The verse also utilizes Categorization, placing this specific prohibition within a comprehensive list of unlawful sexual unions, demonstrating a systematic and exhaustive approach to defining moral boundaries. This structured listing emphasizes the divine authority behind each command and its integral role in the overall moral fabric of the covenant community, ensuring clarity and leaving no room for ambiguity regarding what constitutes a violation of God's holy standards.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Leviticus 18:14, as part of God's comprehensive moral law, underscores several profound theological and thematic truths. It reveals God's unchanging character as holy and righteous, demanding a corresponding holiness from His people. The prohibition against sexual relations with a paternal uncle's wife, along with other similar commands in the chapter, establishes the sanctity of marriage as a divinely ordained institution and the fundamental importance of maintaining clear, God-ordained boundaries within family structures. These laws were not merely cultural norms but were designed to protect the integrity of individuals, families, and the entire community, preventing the moral decay that characterized the surrounding pagan nations. They highlight the principle that true freedom and flourishing are found in living within God's wise and loving design for human relationships and sexuality, demonstrating God's concern for both individual purity and societal well-being.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

While the specific cultural context of ancient Israel differs from our modern world, the underlying principles of Leviticus 18:14 remain profoundly relevant for believers today. God's unchanging character dictates that His standards for sexual purity, the sanctity of marriage, and the integrity of family relationships are timeless. This verse calls us to recognize that God has a divine design for all human relationships, and that certain unions are inherently contrary to His will, regardless of contemporary societal acceptance. For the Christian, living a holy life is not merely about avoiding specific prohibitions, but about embracing God's positive design for human flourishing, which includes sexual purity and honoring marital bonds. This passage challenges us to examine our own lives and cultural influences, ensuring that our understanding of morality is shaped by God's Word rather than the shifting sands of popular opinion. It reminds us that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, and our relationships should reflect the purity and order of God's kingdom, serving as a testimony to God's good and perfect will in a world often confused about sexual ethics.

Questions for Reflection

  • How does God's emphasis on sexual purity in the Old Testament inform our understanding of Christian sexual ethics today?
  • In what ways does society's view of family and marriage differ from God's design as revealed in passages like Leviticus 18?
  • What practical steps can I take to honor God's standards for purity and relationships in my own life and within my family?

FAQ

Why is this specific relationship (paternal uncle's wife) forbidden in Leviticus 18:14?

Answer: This relationship is forbidden primarily to maintain the sanctity and integrity of the family unit, which God established as the foundational building block of society. By prohibiting sexual relations with close kin, including the paternal uncle's wife (who is considered "thine aunt" by affinity), God was establishing clear boundaries against incestuous unions. These laws served to distinguish Israel from the morally corrupt practices of the surrounding pagan nations, where such relationships were often common. The prohibition ensures social order, prevents confusion of familial roles, and reinforces the divine design for marriage as a sacred covenant between one man and one woman, free from close familial ties that would dishonor the family structure. This specific prohibition, alongside others in Leviticus 18, underscores God's meticulous care for the moral health of His people.

Is Leviticus 18:14 still relevant for Christians today, given that we are not under the Mosaic Law?

Answer: While Christians are not under the ceremonial or civil aspects of the Mosaic Law, the moral laws, including those concerning sexual purity, reflect God's unchanging character and His eternal standards for human behavior. The New Testament affirms and often deepens the Old Testament's moral commands. For instance, Jesus Himself taught on the sanctity of marriage and the sinfulness of lust (Matthew 5:28). The Apostle Paul also strongly condemns sexual immorality, including incest, as contrary to Christian conduct (1 Corinthians 5:1 and 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5). Therefore, the principles of holiness, sexual purity, respect for God's design for marriage, and the protection of family integrity found in Leviticus 18:14 remain profoundly relevant and binding for believers, guiding them to live lives that honor God and reflect the purity of Christ.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Leviticus 18:14, like all of the Mosaic Law, points to Christ in its revelation of God's perfect holiness and humanity's inherent inability to meet His righteous standards. The strict prohibitions against incestuous relationships underscore the pervasive nature of sin and the need for a Redeemer who can not only forgive sin but also empower a new way of living. While the law exposes sin and highlights the need for a covering, Christ fulfills it by embodying perfect obedience and providing the ultimate means for believers to be reconciled to God. Through His atoning sacrifice on the cross, Jesus purifies us from the defilement of sin, and by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, He enables us to walk in newness of life, living out the moral demands of the law not through legalistic striving but through transformed hearts. The New Covenant in Christ establishes a new family of God where spiritual kinship transcends biological ties (Galatians 3:28), and believers are called to a higher standard of purity, not merely avoiding forbidden acts, but cultivating a heart of holiness that reflects Christ's own character (1 Peter 1:15-16). The Spirit empowers us to put to death the deeds of the flesh and live according to God's righteous design for sexuality and relationships, ultimately glorifying the one who made us holy and called us to be His own, as we are now part of the body of Christ, His very bride (Ephesians 5:25-27).

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Commentary on Leviticus 18 verses 6–18

I. II. Main points1. 2. Sub-points

These laws relate to the seventh commandment, and, no doubt, are obligatory on us under the gospel, for they are consonant to the very light and law of nature: one of the articles, that of a man's having his father's wife, the apostle speaks of as a sin not so much as named among the Gentiles, Co1 5:1. Though some of the incests here forbidden were practised by some particular persons among the heathen, yet they were disallowed and detested, unless among those nations who had become barbarous, and were quite given up to vile affections. Observe,

I. That which is forbidden as to the relations here specified is approaching to them to uncover their nakedness, Lev 18:6.

1.It is chiefly intended to forbid the marrying of any of these relations. Marriage is a divine institution; this and the sabbath, the eldest of all, of equal standing with man upon the earth: it is intended for the comfort of human life, and the decent and honourable propagation of the human race, such as became the dignity of man's nature above that of the beasts. It is honourable in all, and these laws are for the support of the honour of it. It was requisite that a divine ordinance should be subject to divine rules and restraints, especially because it concerns a thing wherein the corrupt nature of man is as apt as in any thing to be wilful and impetuous in its desires, and impatient of check. Yet these prohibitions, besides their being enacted by an incontestable authority, are in themselves highly reasonable and equitable. (1.) By marriage two were to become one flesh, therefore those that before were in a sense one flesh by nature could not, without the greatest absurdity, become one flesh by institution; for the institution was designed to unite those who before were not united. (2.) Marriage puts an equality between husband and wife. "Is she not thy companion taken out of thy side?" Therefore, if those who before were superior and inferior should intermarry (which is the case in most of the instances here laid down), the order of nature would be taken away by a positive institution, which must by no means be allowed. The inequality between master and servant, noble and ignoble, is founded in consent and custom, and there is no harm done if that be taken away by the equality of marriage; but the inequality between parents and children, uncles and nieces, aunts and nephews, either by blood or marriage, is founded in nature, and is therefore perpetual, and cannot without confusion be taken away by the equality of marriage, the institution of which, though ancient, is subsequent to the order of nature. (3.) No relations that are equals are forbidden, except brothers and sisters, by the whole blood or half blood, or by marriage; and in this there is not the same natural absurdity as in the former, for Adam's sons must of necessity have married their own sisters; but it was requisite that it should be made by a positive law unlawful and detestable, for the preventing of sinful familiarities between those that in the days of their youth are supposed to live in a house together, and yet cannot intermarry without defeating one of the intentions of marriage, which is the enlargement of friendship and interest. If every man married his own sister (as they would be apt to do from generation to generation if it were lawful), each family would be a world to itself, and it would be forgotten that we are members one of another. It is certain that this has always been looked upon by the more sober heathen as a most infamous and abominable thing; and those who had not this law yet were herein a law to themselves. The making use of the ordinance of marriage for the patronizing of incestuous mixtures is so far from justifying them, or extenuating their guilt, that it adds the guilt of profaning an ordinance of God, and prostituting that to the vilest of purposes which was instituted for the noblest ends. But,

2.Uncleanness, committed with any of these relations out of marriage, is likewise, without doubt, forbidden here, and no less intended than the former: as also all lascivious carriage, wanton dalliance, and every thing that has the appearance of this evil. Relations must love one another, and are to have free and familiar converse with each other, but it must be with all purity; and the less it is suspected of evil by others the more care ought the persons themselves to take that Satan do not get advantage against them, for he is a very subtle enemy, and seeks all occasions against us.

II. The relations forbidden are most of them plainly described; and it is generally laid down as a rule that what relations of a man's own he is bound up from marrying the same relations of his wife he is likewise forbidden to marry, for they two are one. That law which forbids marrying a brother's wife (Lev 18:16) had an exception peculiar to the Jewish state, that, if a man died without issue, his brother or next of kin should marry the widow, and raise up seed to the deceased (Deu 25:5), for reasons which held good only in that commonwealth; and therefore now that those reasons have ceased the exception ceases, and the law is in force, that a man must in no case marry his brother's widow. That article (Lev 18:18) which forbids a man to take a wife to her sister supposes a connivance at polygamy, as some other laws then did (Exo 21:10; Deu 21:15), but forbids a man's marrying two sisters, as Jacob did, because between those who had before been equal there would be apt to arise greater jealousies and animosities than between wives that were not so nearly related. If the sister of the wife be taken for the concubine, or secondary wife, nothing can be more vexing in her life, or as long as she lives.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 6–18. Public domain.
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Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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