Leviticus 18:16
14 You must not dishonor your father’s brother by approaching his wife to have sexual relations with her; she is your aunt.
15 You must not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law. She is your son’s wife; you are not to have sexual relations with her.
You must not have sexual relations with your brother’s wife; that would shame your brother.
17 You must not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter. You are not to marry her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter and have sexual relations with her. They are close relatives; it is depraved.
18 You must not take your wife’s sister as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is still alive.
This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- You must not have sexual relations with your brother’s wife; that would shame your brother.
- KJV
- Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother’s wife: it is thy brother’s nakedness.
- WEB
- “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife. It is your brother’s nakedness.
- ASV
- Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother`s wife: it is thy brother`s nakedness.
- DARBY
- The nakedness of thy brother's wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy brother's nakedness.
- BLB
- The nakedness of the wife of your brother you shall not uncover; it [is] the nakedness of your brother.
- ÅB
- Din brors hustru skal du ikke ha omgang med - ikke vanære din brors leie.
- OTB
- Du skal ikke kle av din brors kone, da det ville vanære din bror.
- B1930
- Din brors hustru skal du ikke ha omgang med - ikke vanære din brors leie.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Leviticus 20:21
If a man marries his brother’s wife, it is an act of impurity. He has uncovered the nakedness of his brother; they shall be childless.
Read in contextDeuteronomy 25:5
When brothers dwell together and one of them dies without a son, the widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother is to take her as his wife and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law for her.
Read in contextMark 12:19
“Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man is to marry his brother’s widow and raise up offspring for him.
Read in contextMatthew 22:24
“Teacher,” they said, “Moses declared that if a man dies without having children, his brother is to marry the widow and raise up offspring for him.
Read in contextMark 6:17
For Herod himself had ordered that John be arrested and bound and imprisoned, on account of his brother Philip’s wife Herodias, whom Herod had married.
Read in contextMatthew 14:3–4
Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife,
Read in contextLuke 3:19
But when he rebuked Herod the tetrarch regarding his brother’s wife Herodias and all the evils he had done,
Read in context