Affinity

relationship by alliance ( 2 Chronicles 18:1 ) or by marriage ( 1 Kings 3:1 ). Marriages are prohibited within certain degrees of affinity, enumerated Leviticus 18:6-17 . Consanguinity is relationship by blood.

A marriage alliance.

And Solomon made AFFINITY with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the LORD, and the wall of Jerusalem round about. ( 1 Kings 1:1 Deuteronomy 3:1 )

[MARRIAGE] [E] indicates this entry was also found in Easton's Bible Dictionary

AFFINITY

a-fin'-i-ti (chathan "to join one-self"):

This term is used three times in the Old Testament:

(1) in 1 Kings 3:1, where we read that "Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh King of Egypt",

(2) in 2 Chronicles 18:1, where it is stated that Jehoshaphat "joined affinity with Ahab," and

(3) in Ezra 9:14, where it is asked "Shall we .... join in affinity with the peoples that do these abominations?" The Hebrew word thus rendered in the above three passages refers in each case to marriage alliances rather than to family or political relationships.

See MARRIAGE; FAMILY.

W. W. Davies