Leviticus 18:18
And you shall not take a woman as a rival wife to her sister, uncovering her nakedness while her sister is still alive.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse specifically targets marrying two sisters while the first sister is still alive, not necessarily a deceased wife's sister. The prohibition stems from the desire to avoid the intense jealousy and conflict that would naturally arise between two sisters in such a situation.
This verse appears amidst a series of laws in Leviticus detailing prohibited sexual relationships, following the covenant God made with Israel. These laws aim to set the Israelites apart from the surrounding nations and maintain purity within the community. This specific prohibition builds on previous laws about forbidden relationships by addressing a particular nuance of marriage within families, clarifying boundaries that could lead to social disruption and familial strife.
This verse prohibits marrying a sister of your current wife. But why? The reason given in the text isn't just about bloodlines, but about something much more personal and potentially destructive.
The prohibition in Leviticus 18:18 centers on preventing emotional turmoil within the family. The text explicitly states the reason: 'to vex her.'
Preventing Discord
God knows that placing two sisters in direct marital competition could easily ignite intense jealousy and conflict. This wasn't a prohibition based on a lack of love for these relationships, but rather a recognition of the deep emotional bonds between sisters and the potential for that bond to turn sour under the strain of marital rivalry.
A Higher Standard
While polygamy was permitted in ancient Israel due to 'hardness of heart' (as Jesus noted in Matthew 19:8), this specific practice was forbidden. It shows that even within a system that allowed multiple wives, God still established boundaries to protect relational harmony and prevent unnecessary suffering. This isn't about restricting love, but about wisely structuring relationships to minimize harm.
Is this verse only about marrying two sisters? Or does it carry a broader principle about who we're allowed to marry? The interpretation of this verse has sparked centuries of debate.
The precise wording of Leviticus 18:18 has led to significant discussion about its scope. While the most direct reading prohibits marrying two sisters while both are alive, the underlying principle speaks to broader concerns about prohibited relationships.
The Core Issue: Affinity
The prohibition deals with 'affinity' – relationships established by marriage, not just by blood. The intense closeness between a wife and her sister means that marrying one impacts the relationship with the other in a unique way. This highlights God's concern for the sanctity and structure of family relationships, extending beyond immediate blood kin.
Understand the original words
tsarah · Hebrew Noun
A woman who is co-married to the same man, often implying a relationship of conflict or competition.
This passage directly illustrates the prohibition, showing Jacob marrying Leah and then Rachel, which led to strife and jealousy between the sisters. It highlights the 'vexing' and emotional turmoil this practice caused within a family.
Matthew 5:27-28While Leviticus addresses a specific marital prohibition, Jesus broadens the scope to the heart's intention, stating that even looking with lust is adultery. This connects to the underlying principle of purity and right desires that the law in Leviticus upholds.
Romans 1:26-27This passage in Romans speaks to 'unnatural relations' and the consequences of abandoning God's design, which provides a broader theological framework for understanding why certain sexual relationships, like those forbidden in Leviticus, are considered disordered and harmful.
1 Corinthians 6:18-20This New Testament passage calls believers to honor God with their bodies, emphasizing that sexual immorality is a sin against one's own body and against God. It echoes the holiness expected in the Old Testament laws concerning sexual purity.
gillLeviticus 18:18: "Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time."
Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister,.... Both of them together, as Jarchi; two sisters at one and the same time; so the Targum of Jonathan,"a woman in the life of her sister thou shall not take;''that is, in marriage, that sister being his wife; for the sense of the Targumist can never be that a man might not take a woman for his wife, she having a s…
clarkeLeviticus 18:18: "Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time."
A wife to her sister - Thou shalt not marry two sisters at the same time, as Jacob did Rachel and Leah; but there is nothing in this law that rendered it illegal to marry a sister-in-law when her sister was dead; therefore the text says, Thou shalt not take her in her life time, to vex her, alluding probably to the case of the jealousies and vexations which s…
This verse specifically targets marrying two sisters while the first sister is still alive, not necessarily a deceased wife's sister. The prohibition stems from the desire to avoid the intense jealousy and conflict that would naturally arise between two sisters in such a situation.
This verse appears amidst a series of laws in Leviticus detailing prohibited sexual relationships, following the covenant God made with Israel. These laws aim to set the Israelites apart from the surrounding nations and maintain purity within the community. This specific prohibition builds on previous laws about forbidden relationships by addressing a particular nuance of marriage within families, clarifying boundaries that could lead to social disruption and familial strife.
This verse appears amidst a series of laws in Leviticus detailing prohibited sexual relationships, following the covenant God made with Israel. These laws aim to set the Israelites apart from the surrounding nations and maintain purity within the community. This specific prohibition builds on previous laws about forbidden relationships by addressing a particular nuance of marriage within families, clarifying boundaries that could lead to social disruption and familial strife.
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What About After Death?
Most commentators agree that this verse specifically forbids marrying a sister while the first wife is still alive. This has led to the common understanding that marrying a deceased wife's sister was permissible under the Law of Moses. However, it's crucial to remember this verse is part of a larger chapter detailing forbidden unions, and other general principles might apply, depending on interpretation and later rabbinic rulings. The focus here is on preventing present harm and conflict.
"And you shall not take a woman as a rival wife to her sister, uncovering her nakedness while her sister is still alive." — This verse specifically targets marrying two sisters while the first sister is still alive, not necessarily a deceased wife's sister. The prohibition stems from the desire to avoid the intense jeal…
