Lexical Summary dodah: Aunt Original Word: דּוֹדָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance aunt, father's sister, uncle's wife Feminine of dowd; an aunt -- aunt, father's sister, uncle's wife. see HEBREW dowd NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfem. of dod Definition aunt NASB Translation aunt (1), father's sister (1), uncle's wife (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [דֹּדָה] noun feminine aunt — only suffix דֹּדָֽתְךָ Leviticus 18:14 father's brother's wife; דֹּדָתוֺ Leviticus 20:20; Exodus 6:20 father's sister [compare Numbers 26:59]. Topical Lexicon Kinship Terminology in Ancient Israel דּוֹדָה designates a man’s father’s sister or, in some contexts, an uncle’s wife. Ancient Hebrew family vocabulary is precise: דּוֹד (uncle), דּוֹדָה (aunt), and בֶּן־דּוֹד (cousin). Such specificity protected inheritance lines, preserved tribal identity, and clarified marital boundaries. Because extended families often lived in close proximity, Scripture codified the terminology to uphold social order. Occurrences and Their Narrative Settings 1. Exodus 6:20 presents the only narrative use: “Amram married his father’s sister Jochebed, and she bore him Aaron and Moses”. This pre–Sinai union, though later forbidden, highlights how God can sovereignly work through imperfect circumstances to raise deliverers. Moral and Theological Significance The aunt/uncle relationship illustrates Scripture’s insistence on sexual holiness within family structures. By prohibiting relations with an aunt, God marks out first-tier kin as inviolable, guarding human dignity. The punishments in Leviticus are not arbitrary; they teach that sin fractures covenant life and invites divine judgment, while obedience preserves community and worship. Progressive Revelation of Holiness Exodus records pre-Law realities; Leviticus delivers normative standards. The progression shows God’s patient instruction: He first redeems (Exodus), then reshapes conduct (Leviticus). This pattern culminates in the New Covenant, where holiness is written on the heart (Jeremiah 31:33) and fulfilled through Christ, “who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people” (Titus 2:14). Ministerial Insights • Genealogies remind believers that God works through families; pastors can encourage parents and extended kin to cultivate homes conducive to God’s callings. Contemporary Application 1. Uphold clear relational boundaries in counseling and discipleship, affirming that God’s design for family protects the vulnerable. Summary דּוֹדָה spotlights the sacredness of kin relationships. Its limited but potent appearances weave together genealogical record, legal instruction, and theological principle, all converging on the broader biblical theme: a holy God forming a holy people through whom He will bring redemption to the world. Forms and Transliterations דֹּ֣דָת֔וֹ דֹּֽדָתוֹ֙ דֹּדָֽתְךָ֖ דדתו דדתך dō·ḏā·ṯə·ḵā dō·ḏā·ṯōw dodateCha dōḏāṯəḵā dodaTo dōḏāṯōwLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 6:20 HEB: אֶת־ יוֹכֶ֤בֶד דֹּֽדָתוֹ֙ ל֣וֹ לְאִשָּׁ֔ה NAS: married his father's sister Jochebed, KJV: him Jochebed his father's sister to wife; INT: Amram Jochebed his father's to wife bore Leviticus 18:14 Leviticus 20:20 3 Occurrences |
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