Leviticus 18 18

Leviticus 18:18 kjv

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

Leviticus 18:18 nkjv

Nor shall you take a woman as a rival to her sister, to uncover her nakedness while the other is alive.

Leviticus 18:18 niv

"?'Do not take your wife's sister as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is living.

Leviticus 18:18 esv

And you shall not take a woman as a rival wife to her sister, uncovering her nakedness while her sister is still alive.

Leviticus 18:18 nlt

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

Leviticus 18 verses

Leviticus 18 18 Meaning

Leviticus 18:18 prohibits a man from marrying his wife's sister while his first wife is still alive. The core reason stated is to prevent rivalry and distress, explicitly referring to the harmful emotional consequences ("to vex her") that would arise from such a union, effectively highlighting a specific form of illicit marital/sexual relations within a broader set of divine ordinances for holy living.

Leviticus 18 18 Context

Leviticus chapter 18 outlines a comprehensive set of laws regarding sexual morality, directly following the section on holy living (chapters 17-27). This chapter is introduced with a divine command for Israel to observe God's ordinances and statutes, distinguishing themselves from the corrupt practices of the Egyptians, where they came from, and the Canaanites, where they were going (Lev 18:2-3). The chapter meticulously lists various prohibited sexual relations, often categorized as incestuous or adulterous, including unions with close relatives by blood or marriage, male homosexuality, and bestiality. These prohibitions are foundational to maintaining ritual purity, social order, and the sanctity of family within the covenant community. Verse 18 is situated within this specific list of forbidden family relations, making it clear that it addresses a concrete, specific type of marriage. The chapter implicitly functions as a polemic against the "detestable practices" (Lev 18:27) of the surrounding pagan cultures, which likely included various forms of marital and sexual permissiveness that God deemed abominable.

Leviticus 18 18 Word analysis

• Neither shalt thou take (lo’ tiqqaḥ)
  • "lo’": A strong negative particle, expressing a firm prohibition, a "not" that carries divine authority.
  • "tiqqaḥ": From the verb laqaḥ (to take, to seize, to acquire, to marry). Here, in the Hiphil imperfect, it signifies taking as a wife, i.e., marrying. It indicates a clear divine command against this action.
• a wife (ishshah)
  • General Hebrew term for a "woman" or "wife." In this context, it clearly means a wife as the subject of the man taking her.
• to her sister (ʾel ʾahotah)
  • "ʾel": "To" or "unto," indicating direction or association.
  • "ʾahotah": Ahota (sister) with a feminine possessive suffix "her." This is the most crucial term. While aḥot (sister) can, in rare contexts, metaphorically refer to "another one" of the same kind (e.g., Exod 26:3; Ezek 1:9, "one to another"), the overwhelming consensus given the surrounding specific list of familial prohibitions (Lev 18:7-17, 19) is that it refers to a literal biological sister of the man's first wife. The chapter defines consanguineal and affine relationships precisely, making a metaphorical reading highly improbable here.
• to vex her (liṣrorah)
  • "liṣrorah": Infinitive construct of ṣarar (to bind, narrow, besiege, vex, show hostility to). This verb specifically conveys the intent or effect of causing distress, jealousy, or rivalry. It signifies making an adversary of her. This phrase reveals the practical rationale behind the prohibition, demonstrating divine wisdom for maintaining social and familial harmony. It's not just the act but its consequence that is condemned.
• to uncover her nakedness (lāgallōṯ ʿerwātāh)
  • "lāgallōṯ": Infinitive construct of gālâh (to uncover, expose, reveal).
  • "ʿerwātāh": From ʿervāh (nakedness, pudenda, shame), with a possessive suffix. This is a common biblical idiom for engaging in sexual intercourse, especially illicit intercourse, found frequently in Leviticus 18 and 20 regarding forbidden unions. It implies an intimacy that is considered illicit or shameful in this context.
• beside the other (ʿal ʾahotāh)
  • "ʿal": On, over, beside, in addition to.
  • "ʾahotāh": Again, "her sister." Here, it strengthens the simultaneous or concurrent aspect of having both sisters. It implies a condition where one is alongside the other.
• in her life time (bĕḥayyeyhā)
  • "bĕḥayyeyhā": From ḥayyim (life) with feminine plural suffix. This specifies the temporal boundary of the prohibition. It forbids marrying the sister while the first wife is alive. This clause is crucial as it distinguishes this prohibition from the levirate marriage law (Deut 25:5-10), where a brother might marry his deceased brother's wife (a sister-in-law) if there's no heir, precisely because the first spouse has died. This highlights that the prohibition targets simultaneous sister-polygyny.

Words-Group Analysis

• "Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister": This opening phrase establishes the specific type of prohibited union: polygamy involving two literal sisters. The divine injunction is clear and absolute.
• "to vex her": This is the theological and practical core of the prohibition. God, in His wisdom, forbids a practice that, while perhaps superficially appearing expedient, leads directly to relational discord, intense jealousy, and familial breakdown, which are contrary to His design for harmonious living within the covenant community.
• "to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time": These phrases precisely define the nature and timing of the forbidden act. It is sexual intimacy (uncovering nakedness) that takes place simultaneously ("beside the other") with two living sisters. The "in her life time" distinguishes this act from other contexts and emphasizes the destructive nature of parallel marital claims by siblings.

Leviticus 18 18 Bonus section

The mention of "to vex her" (Hebrew liṣrorah, from ṣarar) is particularly significant as it appears elsewhere in the Old Testament to describe intense emotional suffering due to rivalry or hostility, for example, Peninnah's constant vexation of Hannah (1 Sam 1:6). This underscores that the divine law is not arbitrary but rooted in an understanding of human psychology and the preservation of familial peace. While the immediate context is Old Testament law concerning specific cultural practices, the underlying principle speaks to God's ideal for marriage—one of unity, peace, and mutual love, free from destructive rivalry. The Old Testament's presentation of polygamy (Gen 4:19; 29:30-31) often highlights the sorrow and complexities it causes, serving as narrative cautionary tales rather than endorsements. Leviticus 18:18, by specifically outlawing sister-polygyny due to inherent rivalry, points to the wisdom of God's design for monogamous fidelity, even as His redemptive plan for humanity progressively reveals this ideal more fully, culminating in Christ's teachings (e.g., Mt 19:4-6) and the New Testament's consistent emphasis on the one-flesh union between one man and one woman (Eph 5:31-33; 1 Cor 7:2).

Leviticus 18 18 Commentary

Leviticus 18:18 prohibits polygyny specifically involving a wife's literal sister during the first wife's lifetime. This injunction is unique within the Levitical code for stating the reason for the prohibition ("to vex her" or "to create rivalry"). Unlike other prohibitions driven purely by issues of kinship or purity, this one highlights the inevitable interpersonal strife and distress that such a union would cause, famously exemplified by Jacob, Leah, and Rachel (Gen 29-30). God's law here anticipates and safeguards against the deep jealousy and domestic turmoil that would predictably arise when two sisters, already bound by kinship, are made rivals for a husband's affection and resources within the same household. While this verse restricts only one form of polygamy (sister-polygamy), it implicitly illuminates the inherent difficulties and brokenness associated with any form of polygamy compared to God's original intention of monogamous union (Gen 2:24; Mt 19:4-6). It is not an endorsement of other polygamous marriages, but a specific boundary within a cultural practice, rooted in a divine concern for the sanctity and peace of the family. The principle extends beyond literal sisters, emphasizing that marriage should foster unity and not an environment of emotional warfare or rivalry.

• Example: Imagine two sisters who have always been close, suddenly being placed in a competitive relationship for the same man's love and resources. The verse acknowledges the severe emotional damage this would inflict, especially on the first wife.
• Example: Consider a business where two close partners are suddenly forced to compete for the same project or title under the same superior. The strain on their relationship would be immense, often leading to deep bitterness, similarly to marital rivalry.