Leviticus 18:13

13 Thou shalt not dyscouer the secrettes off thy mothers syster, for she is thy mothers nexte kyn.

Leviticus 18:13 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 18:13

Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister,
&c.] Which is the same relation as before, an aunt by the mother's side; wherefore, if such a marriage was unlawful, this must also, and for the same reason: for she [is] thy mother's near kinswoman;
the same phraseology is used here as in the preceding verse; (See Gill on Leviticus 18:12); and by the same rule a woman might not marry her uncle, whether by father or mother's side, the relation being the same, and this reaches to great-uncle and great-aunt; instances of women marrying their uncles, and men their aunts, among the Heathens, have been given, as among the Persians and Lacedaemonians by Herodotus ^F12, and among the Romans by Tacitus ^F13, but were, in his time, new things with the latter.

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FOOTNOTES:

F12 Erato, sive, l. 6. c. 71. Polymnia, sive, l. 7. c. 224, 239.
F13 Annal. l. 12. c. 5, 6, 7.

Leviticus 18:13 In-Context

11 Thou shalt not discouer the secrettes of thy fathers wyues doughter, which she bare to thy father, for she is thy suster: thou shalt therfore not discouer hir secrettes.

12 Thou shalt not vncouer the secrettes off thy fathers syster, for she is thy fathers nexte kyn.

13 Thou shalt not dyscouer the secrettes off thy mothers syster, for she is thy mothers nexte kyn.

14 Thou shalt not open the secrettes of thy fathers brother: that is thou shalt not goo in to his wife, for she is thyne awnte.

15 Thou shalt not discouer the secrettes of thy doughter in lawe she is thy sonnes wyfe: therfore vncouer not hir secrettes.