Leviticus 18 16

Leviticus 18:16 kjv

Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother's wife: it is thy brother's nakedness.

Leviticus 18:16 nkjv

You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother's wife; it is your brother's nakedness.

Leviticus 18:16 niv

"?'Do not have sexual relations with your brother's wife; that would dishonor your brother.

Leviticus 18:16 esv

You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother's wife; it is your brother's nakedness.

Leviticus 18:16 nlt

"Do not have sexual relations with your brother's wife, for this would violate your brother.

Leviticus 18 verses

Leviticus 18 16 Meaning

Leviticus 18:16 prohibits a man from having sexual relations with his brother's wife. The phrase "uncover the nakedness" is a biblical euphemism for sexual intercourse, signifying intimate union. This act is deemed a violation because her body, through marriage, is considered part of the "nakedness" or intimate sphere of the brother, making any sexual contact with her a profound offense against the marital bond and familial integrity. This law strictly applies to a situation where the brother is still living, reinforcing the sanctity and exclusivity of marital relationships.

Leviticus 18 16 Context

Leviticus chapter 18 outlines a comprehensive list of sexual prohibitions designed to distinguish Israel from the morally depraved practices of the surrounding Canaanite nations and Egypt. The chapter begins by reminding the Israelites that they are to follow God's ordinances and statutes, not the customs of the lands from which they came or to which they were going. The overarching theme is the pursuit of holiness and the avoidance of anything that would defile individuals, families, or the land itself.

Verse 16 specifically falls within a section (Lev 18:6-18) detailing forbidden familial relationships, generally referred to as incestuous or forbidden degrees of consanguinity and affinity. These laws emphasize the sanctity of marriage and the integrity of the family unit, establishing clear boundaries for sexual conduct within kinship structures. The phrase "uncover the nakedness" serves as a repeated legal and cultural idiom throughout the chapter, denoting intimate sexual relations. These prohibitions served as a moral foundation for Israel, safeguarding purity and order within the covenant community against the widespread sexual immorality of the surrounding pagan cultures, which often incorporated such unions into their idolatrous rites.

Leviticus 18 16 Word analysis

• You shall not uncover: This phrase, Lo Tingleh (לֹא תְגַלֶּה), uses the Hebrew negative particle lo (not) and the verb galach (גָּלַח), which means "to uncover" or "reveal." In this context, it is a universally recognized biblical idiom or euphemism for sexual intercourse, signifying deep, intimate union and exposure.
• the nakedness of: The Hebrew word here is ervah (עֶרְוָה), which refers to nakedness, pudenda, or shame. In this specific legal context, it implies the physical person in a sexual sense and highlights the vulnerable and private aspect of a person. Uncovering someone's ervah without authorization is a profound act of violation, humiliation, and defilement, beyond just the physical act itself.
• your brother's wife: This is Eshet Achikha (אֵשֶׁת אָחִיךָ) in Hebrew.
  • Eshet (אֵשֶׁת): means "wife of," denoting a married woman and her established legal and social status.
  • Achikha (אָחִיךָ): means "your brother." The possessive suffix "ikha" personalizes the prohibition to the listener.
  • This phrase unequivocally specifies the identity of the person whose marital bond is not to be transgressed. This refers to the wife of a living brother.
• it is your brother's nakedness: This repetition of ervah Achikha (עֶרְוַת אָחִיךָ) explicitly states the rationale and severity of the transgression. It indicates that the brother's wife is considered part of the brother's intimate "one-flesh" sphere, as articulated in Gen 2:24. To "uncover her nakedness" is not merely an act against her, but directly against the brother and the sacred union he shares with his wife. It signifies that infringing upon the brother's marriage is tantamount to violating his very self and marital honor. This underscores the indissoluble nature of the marital bond.

Leviticus 18 16 Bonus section

The concept of "uncovering nakedness" throughout Leviticus 18 (and in Genesis 9 with Noah) carries connotations beyond mere sexual intercourse; it suggests a deep violation, exposure to shame, and a stripping away of dignity or proper order. When it states, "it is your brother's nakedness," it is an extension of the marital unity where husband and wife become "one flesh." Therefore, to violate the wife is to violate the husband and their established sacred bond. This law was crucial for distinguishing Israel from the customs of their surrounding pagan neighbors (like the Egyptians and Canaanites) where such unions, and often other more perverse sexual practices, were common or even part of religious worship. These actions defiled both the individual and, significantly, the land itself, necessitating the expulsion of those nations who practiced them (Lev 18:24-30). Adhering to these purity laws was a prerequisite for Israel to remain in the land God promised them and to fully represent God's holiness to the world.

Leviticus 18 16 Commentary

Leviticus 18:16 articulates a specific sexual prohibition within the broader code of conduct for God's covenant people. By forbidding sexual relations with a living brother's wife, the law aims to uphold the sanctity of marriage, prevent familial confusion, and maintain distinct relational boundaries within a community marked by holiness. The repeated phrase "uncover the nakedness" emphasizes that the prohibited act is a profound invasion of marital intimacy and a defilement. This is not merely about physical touch but about the deepest levels of personal and relational defilement, treating the wife's sexual sphere as an extension of her husband's own.

Crucially, this prohibition is for a living brother's wife, serving to prevent bigamy, adultery, and blurring of marital lines. It stands in distinct contrast to the unique and specific institution of levirate marriage (Deut 25:5-10), which permitted a man to marry his deceased, childless brother's widow. Levirate marriage was a specific provision to raise an heir for the deceased, preserve the family line and inheritance, and mitigate the social vulnerability of the widow, operating under a different divine mandate from the purity laws. Thus, Leviticus 18:16 secures the exclusivity and holiness of a man's marital bed and reinforces that a brother's existing marital bond must be respected absolutely to ensure the integrity of the family and, by extension, the community's holiness.