What is the meaning of Leviticus 18:14? You must not dishonor your father’s brother • God safeguards family honor by extending the fifth commandment (Exodus 20:12) beyond parents to the wider clan. • Sexual sin against an uncle’s household equals contempt for the uncle himself, a breach that Scripture elsewhere calls “severe in the sight of the LORD” (1 Samuel 2:17). • Leviticus 20:11 shows how seriously God views this offense: “If a man lies with his father’s wife… both of them must surely be put to death.” Honor within God-given family structures is non-negotiable. by approaching his wife • “Approach” is a tactful way of describing deliberate pursuit of intimacy (Leviticus 18:6). • The wording warns against even the first step—getting close enough to kindle desire. Joseph’s refusal to be “near” Potiphar’s wife (Genesis 39:10) illustrates the obedience God expects. • This boundary protects marriages and hearts long before a physical act occurs, echoing Paul’s counsel to “abstain from sexual immorality” (1 Thessalonians 4:3-4). to have sexual relations with her • The text identifies the specific sin: adultery plus incest. • Leviticus 18:20 forbids adultery in general; here the prohibition is sharpened because family bloodlines are involved. • Sexual sin is uniquely self-damaging—“He who sins sexually sins against his own body” (1 Corinthians 6:18)—and it drags another person into guilt before God (Hebrews 13:4). she is your aunt • The clause clarifies the closeness of kin and removes any excuse of distant relation. • Earlier verses ban relations with paternal and maternal aunts (Leviticus 18:12-13), and later legislation assigns guilt to both parties (Leviticus 20:19). • New-Testament outrage over “a man… with his father’s wife” (1 Corinthians 5:1) shows the principle still stands: God’s people must not blur family lines established at creation. summary Leviticus 18:14 literally forbids a man from sexual involvement with his aunt, upholding both marital fidelity and family honor. By calling such behavior disgraceful, God protects the integrity of the household, preserves clear generational boundaries, and reminds His people that holiness starts at home. |
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