Leviticus 18:11

Old Testament Law (Torah) ASV (1901)

What does Leviticus 18:11 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “The nakedness of thy father`s wife`s daughter, begotten of thy father, she is thy sister, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

The nakedness of thy father`s wife`s daughter, begotten of thy father, she is thy sister, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
Leviticus 18:11 — American Standard Version

Context — Leviticus 18

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
11The nakedness of thy father`s wife`s daughter, begotten of thy father, she is thy sister, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“The nakedness of thy father’s wife’s daughter, etc.] Either the daughter of his father by another wife, which seems to be countenanced by what follows: begotten of thy father, she [is] thy sister; but then this coincides with what is prohibited, (<031809>Leviticus 18:9), “the daughter of thy father”; that is, by another woman than a man’s mother, only with this difference, that there is added, or “daughter of thy mother”, that is, by another man than a man’s own father; so that there is a prohibition of a sister whether by father or mother’s side; here only as by the father’s side, and so is only a part of that law; and, as some think, is for the confirmation of it, as Aben Ezra observes; or…”
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Keil & Delitzsch
C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch · Commentary on the Old Testament · 19th-century historical commentary
“"The daughter of thy father's wife (i.e., thy step-mother), born to thy father," is the half-sister by a second marriage; and the prohibition refers to the son by a first marriage, whereas Lev 18:9 treats of the son by a second marriage. The notion that the man's own mother is also included, and that the prohibition includes marriage with a full sister, is at variance with the usage of the expression "thy father's wife." Leviticus 18:12”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification