You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife; it is your brother’s nakedness.
English Standard Version (ESV)
All verses
Leviticus 18:16
What does Leviticus 18:16 mean?
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Leviticus 18:16
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This verse isn't just about avoiding a specific act; it highlights that a brother's wife is seen as an extension of your brother himself, virtually part of his being. God is establishing deep relational boundaries, not just rules, because violating this boundary is like violating the bond with your own brother.
You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife; it is your brother’s nakedness.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage is part of a larger section of Leviticus laying out detailed sexual prohibitions for the Israelites. It immediately follows restrictions on relations with close blood relatives and precedes further prohibitions like marrying a wife and her daughter. The verse itself is a direct command, with the explanation emphasizing the deep, almost familial bond established by marriage, making the brother's wife an extension of the brother himself.
Why would God forbid intimacy with your brother's wife? It seems harsh, but this wasn't just about avoiding awkwardness. It was about preserving the sacredness of family.
Protecting Family Bonds
This command in Leviticus 18:16 is part of a larger chapter detailing forbidden sexual relationships. The core idea is that certain relationships are too close to be crossed.
Preserving Relationships:
Wait, didn't God later command a man to marry his brother's wife? How do these two seemingly opposite commands fit together?
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The Exception: Levirate Marriage
This prohibition in Leviticus has a well-known exception, which reveals God's concern for lineage and the well-being of widows.
A Law of Continuation:
Understand the original words
ervah · Hebrew Noun
A euphemism referring to sexual intercourse or the private parts of the body; uncovering it represents an act of illicit sexual relationship or violation of covenantal boundaries.
This passage directly addresses the exception to the prohibition in Leviticus 18:16, outlining the law of the levirate marriage where a brother was obligated to marry his deceased brother's childless widow.
Matthew 14:3-4This New Testament account shows Herod Antipas directly violating the principle of Leviticus 18:16 by taking his brother Philip's wife, Herodias, demonstrating the ongoing relevance and condemnation of such unions.
Genesis 38:8-10The story of Onan and Tamar illustrates the consequence of refusing the duty described in Deuteronomy 25:5 (and implicitly related to Leviticus 18:16's prohibition), showing God's displeasure when the levirate duty was shirked.
Ruth 4:5-10This passage demonstrates the practice and societal understanding of the levirate marriage law, where Boaz steps in as a kinsman-redeemer to marry Ruth, the widow of his deceased relative, fulfilling a similar protective and lineage-preserving purpose.
bensonLeviticus 18:16: "Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother's wife: it is thy brother's nakedness."
Leviticus 18:16 . Thy brother’s wife — Unless he died childless, for in that case God afterward commanded that a man should marry his brother’s widow, Deuteronomy 25:5 . For the prohibiting of marriages in the more remote degrees of consanguinity, where other moral considerations are less obvious, there is this good reason to be assigned, namely, that marriage being one of the firmest b…
gillLeviticus 18:16: "Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother's wife: it is thy brother's nakedness."
Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother's wife,.... Neither debauch her nor after the death of the brother marry her, that is, unless he dies without issue; and then, by another law, he was obliged to marry her, Deuteronomy 25:5 ; hence the Targum of Jonathan adds; by way of explanation."in the life of thy brother, or after his death, if he has children,''but then that law w…
This verse isn't just about avoiding a specific act; it highlights that a brother's wife is seen as an extension of your brother himself, virtually part of his being. God is establishing deep relational boundaries, not just rules, because violating this boundary is like violating the bond with your own brother.
This passage is part of a larger section of Leviticus laying out detailed sexual prohibitions for the Israelites. It immediately follows restrictions on relations with close blood relatives and precedes further prohibitions like marrying a wife and her daughter. The verse itself is a direct command, with the explanation emphasizing the deep, almost familial bond established by marriage, making the brother's wife an extension of the brother himself.
This passage is part of a larger section of Leviticus laying out detailed sexual prohibitions for the Israelites. It immediately follows restrictions on relations with close blood relatives and precedes further prohibitions like marrying a wife and her daughter. The verse itself is a direct command, with the explanation emphasizing the deep, almost familial bond established by marriage, making the brother's wife an extension of the brother himself.
"You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife; it is your brother’s nakedness." — This verse isn't just about avoiding a specific act; it highlights that a brother's wife is seen as an extension of your brother himself, virtually part of his being. God is establishing deep relatio…
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Last reviewed October 2026