The Third Book of Moses, called Leviticus
Leviticus 18
Chapter XVIII · Vol. I, pp. 393–394
1 Unlawful marriages. 19 Unlawful lusts.
1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
3 After b 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.
b Eze. 20.7, 8; 23.8. Ex. 23.2. ch. 20.23; ver. 24, 30. De. 12.30, 31; 18.9-14. Ep. 5.7-11. 1 Pe. 4.2, 3. Ro. 12.2.
5 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments; d which if a man do, he shall live in them:1 I am the LORD.
A.M. 2514. B.C. 1490.
d Eze. 20.11, 13. Ro. 10.5. Ga. 3.12. Lu. 10.28. Mat. 19.17.
1 There are only two ways in which this declaration can be understood consistently with the general truths and doctrines of divine revelation; either that these 'statutes and judgments' included the ordinances that were typical of the way of salvation through the sacrifice of Christ, through which alone life is obtained by the sinner; or by declaring the absolute perfection required by the law of God, to lead men to Christ, the end of the law for righteousness. See Ro. 10.5; Ga. 3.12.—I.
6 None e of you shall approach to any that is near of kin2 to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the LORD.
7 The f nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
f ver. 14, 16; ch. 20.11.
8 The g nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father's nakedness.
g ch. 20.11. De. 22.30; 27.20. 2 Sa. 16.21, 22. Am. 2.7. Ge. 35.22. 1 Co. 5.1. Eze. 22.10.
9 The h nakedness of thy sister, the daughter of thy father, or daughter of thy mother, whether she be born at home, or born abroad,3 even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover.
h ch. 20.17. De. 27.22. 2 Sa. 13.11-14. Eze. 22.11.
3 That is, born at home—a full sister; or born abroad—a half sister.—P.
10 The nakedness of thy son's daughter, or of thy daughter's daughter, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover: for theirs is thine own nakedness.
11 The nakedness of thy father's wife's daughter, begotten of thy father, (she is thy sister,) thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
12 Thou i shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's sister: she is thy father's near kinswoman.
i ch. 20.19. Ex. 6.20.
13 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister: for she is thy mother's near kinswoman.
14 Thou k shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's brother, thou shalt not approach to his wife: she is thine aunt.
k ch. 20.20.
15 Thou l shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy daughter-in-law: she is thy son's wife; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
l ch. 20.12. De. 27.23. Ge. 38.18. Eze. 22.11.
17 Thou n shalt not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, neither shalt thou take her son's daughter, or her daughter's daughter, to uncover her nakedness; for they are her near kinswomen: it is wickedness.
18 Neither shalt thou take o a wife to her sister,4 to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, besides the other in her life-time.
o Or, one wife to another, Ge. 4.19, 23; 30.15. 1 Sa. 1.6.
4 The text prohibits the marrying of two sisters together. This conduct in Jacob proved a source of vexation both to Leah and Rachel; who were more jealous of each other than of the handmaidens whom they willingly gave to their husbands; and perhaps it would be found on trial, that those who before had lived together in the intimate equality of this near relationship, would be more apt to rival each other, if married to the same man, than strangers would be; at least their jealousies and bickerings would be more unseemly and distressing.—Scott.
19 Also p thou shalt not approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is put apart for her uncleanness.
A.M. 2514. B.C. 1490.
p ch. 15.19, 24; 20.18. Eze. 22.10; 18.6.
20 Moreover, q thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour's wife, to defile thyself with her.
q ch. 19.20; 20.10. Ex. 20.14. De. 22.22. He. 13.4. Je. 5.7, 8. Nu. 25.1. 2 Sa. 12.9, 10.
21 And thou r shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire s to Molech, neither shalt thou t profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.
r ch. 20.2. De. 18.10. 2 Ki. 23.10. Je. 32.35; 7.31; 19.5. Ps. 106.37, 38. Eze. 23.37, 39.
s Am. 5.26. Ac. 7.43. Je. 8.2. 1 Ki. 11.33.
22 Thou u shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind: it is abomination.
u ch. 20.13. Ge. 19.5. 1 Ki. 14.24. Ro. 1.27. 1 Co. 6.9, 10. 1 Ti. 1.10. Jude 7.
23 Neither x shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith; neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion.5
24 Defile y not ye yourselves in any of these things; for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you.
y See ver. 3, 30; ch. 20.22, 23. Je. 44.4. Ro. 12.2. Ep. 5.7, 11.
25 And the z land is defiled: therefore I do visit a the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself b vomiteth out her inhabitants.6
z Is. 24.5. Ro. 8.22. Re. 19.2. ver. 27.
b ch. 20.22. Is. 24.6. Je. 9.19. Eze. 36.13. ver. 27, 28.
6 The prosopopœia, or personification, is often applied to a country, by which it is represented as endowed with intelligence and feeling, to hear, lament, and be polluted, and to rest. Similar language is used in India, when multitudes die from disease, famine, or the sword. 'Alas! the country has vomited its thousands.'—Davidson.—This is a very bold personification, strongly descriptive of the loathsome wickedness of the Canaanites.—I.
26 Ye shall c therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you;
27 (For all these abominations d have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;)
d By such abominations the Canaanites filled up the measure of their iniquity, and ripened themselves for destruction, Ge. 15.16. Ro. 1.21-32.
28 That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you.
29 For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be e cut off from among their people.
e Ge. 17.14. See ch. 17.4, 10, 14; 20.6; 7.25, 27.
30 Therefore shall ye keep mine f ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I g am the LORD your God.
f ver. 3, 4. Nu. 3.7. ch. 20.23.
g And therefore ye ought to be holy as my peculiar people. 1 Pe. 1.15, 16; 2.5, 9.
Notes
[Ver. 28. The expulsion of the nations of Canaan, by the alleged command of God, has often afforded a topic of cavil and objection to infidels. The simplest reply to such frivolous charges, is simply this—that for child-murder (see Ps. 106.37, 38), forbidden in verse 21, the law of every civilized country, till this hour, inflicts a heavier penalty than voluntary expatriation (a penalty that was always within the choice of the Canaanites), even the penalty of death. And if an infidel were invested with the power, not merely of ruling men, but what he so often attempts—of becoming the god of God, what penalty would he inflict? would he let the child-murderer go free? there are those indeed who would, 'their foolish heart being so far hardened' that they deny all accountability either to God or man—but with the exception of these, 'who, not liking to retain God in their knowledge, are given up to strong delusions,' even infidels will generally acknowledge, that for the crime of child-murder expatriation were a punishment far too gentle; and that they were, as God adjudged them, indeed worthy of death. The corruption of morals indicated by the entire chapter, and the shocking crimes that consummate the national guilt, are indeed sufficient to 'vindicate the ways of God' in the destruction of the Canaanites, and to afford a warning to all nations, that though judgment tarry it never sleeps. C.]
Reflections.—What a place of transgression is our world! Sinful and dangerous is conformity to the men of it; and yet it is little avoided, nay, often much studied by many professors of the true religion! With infinite wisdom has God framed his rules of marriage for avoiding uncleanness, and for spreading of love and friendship among mankind: and yet sinners debase themselves, and violate the dictates of nature, in order to fulfil their filthy and furious lusts, arising from the abominable source of a desperately wicked heart. What need to distrust ourselves, and abstain from every, even the smallest, appearance of evil; for filthy lusts and absurd idolatries ripen, not only individuals, but nations, for ruin; and to observe the judgments inflicted on others would tend to deter us from their sins. As God seldom leaves men to the rage of their lusts, till they forsake him and his institutions, let me, conscious of my own inward readiness to commit the worst of crimes, and in the firm faith of God's infinite excellency, high dignity, and authority over me, of his new-covenant grant of himself, and delightful relation to me, as the Lord my God, cleave closely to his commandments, as an effectual preservative from them. And while I live truly on Jesus' perfect fulfilment of the law, in gratitude for his goodness, let me always abound in the work of the Lord.