Leviticus 18:1-30

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 18:8

The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover ,.... That is, who is indeed a man's father's wife, but not his own mother, but a stepmother or mother-in-law; or otherwise this law would coincide with the former; a man lying with such an one is accursed by the law, Deuteronomy 27:23 ; such an incestuous copulation was that of Reuben with Bilhah, and Absalom with his father's concubines or secondary wives, and such an incestuous marriage was that of the Corinthians, 1 Corinthians... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 18:9

The nakedness of thy sister ,.... To lie with one in so near a relation is exceeding criminal, and for which the law curses a man, Deuteronomy 27:22 ; and to marry her is not lawful; for though it was necessary for the propagation of mankind that a man should marry his sister, for who else could Cain and Abel marry? yet afterwards, when there was an increase of mankind, and there were people enough remote from each other, it became unlawful for persons in such near ties of consanguinity to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 18:10

The nakedness of thy son's daughter, or of thy daughter's daughter ,.... A man might not marry his granddaughter, whether a descendant of his son or of his daughter, nor any further off descending from him in a right line, not his great-granddaughter, and so on; and if he might not marry his granddaughter, much less his own daughter, as Jarchi observes, for the relation is still nearer; therefore that being prohibited, this in course must, though not mentioned: even their nakedness thou... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 18:11

The nakedness of thy father's wife's daughter ,.... Either the daughter of his father by another wife, which seems to be countenanced by what follows: begotten of thy father, she is thy sister ; but then this coincides with what is prohibited, Leviticus 18:9 , "the daughter of thy father"; that is, by another woman than a man's mother, only with this difference, that there is added, or "daughter of thy mother", that is, by another man than a man's own father; so that there is a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 18:12

Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's sister ,.... His aunt by his father's side, an instance of which we have in Amram, Exodus 6:20 ; and Maimonides says F9 Hilchot Issure Biah, c. 2. sect. 5. , an aunt was forbidden whether she was a father's sister in lawful wedlock or in fornication: she is thy father's near kinswoman ; or, the rest of thy father F11 שאר אביך "reliquiarum patris tui", Tigurine version. ; the residue of his flesh, one of the same... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 18:13

Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister ,.... Which is the same relation as before, an aunt by the mother's side; wherefore, if such a marriage was unlawful, this must also, and for the same reason: for she is thy mother's near kinswoman ; the same phraseology is used here as in the preceding verse; See Gill on Leviticus 18:12 ; and by the same rule a woman might not marry her uncle, whether by father or mother's side, the relation being the same, and this reaches... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 18:14

Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's brother ,.... Which Gersom understands of committing sodomy with him, on which account he was doubly guilty, partly because of lying with a male, and partly because of uncovering the nakedness of his father's brother; but it rather seems at first sight as if the sense was, that a woman should not marry her father's brother, that is, her uncle, as a man might not marry his aunt, whether by father or mother's side, as in Leviticus 18:12 ;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 18:15

Thou shall not uncover the nakedness of thy daughter in law ,.... Shall not he with her in his son's lifetime, or marry her after his death: she is that son's wife ; and so one flesh with him, and who is of the same flesh and blood with his father, and therefore the nearness of the relation forbids such incestuous copulation or marriage: thou shall not uncover her nakedness ; or have carnal knowledge of her, whether in the life or after the death of his son, even then marriage with... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 18:16

Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother's wife ,.... Neither debauch her nor after the death of the brother marry her, that is, unless he dies without issue; and then, by another law, he was obliged to marry her, Deuteronomy 25:5 ; hence the Targum of Jonathan adds; by way of explanation."in the life of thy brother, or after his death, if he has children,'but then that law was but an exception from this general rule, and so did not make it void in other respects, but bound it... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 18:17

Thou shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter ,.... That is, if a man marries a woman, and she has a daughter, which is the man's daughter-in-law, after the death of his wife he may not marry this daughter; for this daughter is of the same flesh with her mother, who became one flesh with the man she married, and therefore his relation to her daughter is too near to marry her: Jarchi says, if he does not marry the woman, but only deflower her, it is free for him to marry... read more

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