Leviticus 18:13

13 Thou shalt not show the filthhood of the sister of thy mother, for she is the flesh of thy mother. (Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister, for she is of thy mother's flesh.)

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.

---

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 show the filthhood of the daughter of the wife of thy father, which she childed to thy father, and she is thy sister. (Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of the daughter of thy father's wife, whom she bare for thy father, for she is thy sister.)

12 Thou shalt not open the filthhood of thy father's sister, for she is the flesh of thy father. (Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's sister, for she is of thy father's flesh.)

13 Thou shalt not show the filthhood of the sister of thy mother, for she is the flesh of thy mother. (Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister, for she is of thy mother's flesh.)

14 Thou shalt not show the filthhood of the brother of thy father, neither thou shalt nigh to his wife, that is joined to thee by affinity. (Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's brother, that is, thou shalt not come near to his wife, for she is joined to thee by affinity.)

15 Thou shalt not show the filthhood of thy son's wife, for she is the wife of thy son, neither thou shalt discover her shame; and no man take his brother's wife. (Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy son's wife, for she is thy son's wife, so thou shalt not uncover her nakedness; and no man shall take his brother's wife to bed.)