Leviticus 18:13

Old Testament Law (Torah) ASV (1901)

What does Leviticus 18:13 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother`s sister: for she is thy mother`s near kinswoman.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother`s sister: for she is thy mother`s near kinswoman.
Leviticus 18:13 — American Standard Version

Context — Leviticus 18

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
13Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother`s sister: for she is thy mother`s near kinswoman.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother’s sister, etc.] 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 “<031812>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 f633, and…”
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Sources and verification