What is the meaning of Leviticus 20:17? If a man marries his sister - The law addresses incest directly, a sin first prohibited in Leviticus 18:9. - Though earlier in Genesis 20:12 Abraham spoke of Sarah as his half-sister, that was before God set Israel apart with explicit holiness commands (Acts 17:30). - God now makes it unmistakable: sexual union within the immediate family is forbidden. whether the daughter of his father or of his mother - The rule covers both full and half-siblings, closing any loopholes (Leviticus 18:11). - Such clarity would later reveal Amnon’s violation of Tamar as wicked (2 Samuel 13:12-13). - God’s moral standard transcends cultural variance; blood relation defines the boundary. and they have sexual relations - The phrase highlights consummation, not merely intent (cf. 1 Corinthians 5:1). - God’s design for sex is covenant love between a husband and wife who are not near kin (Genesis 2:24). - Any deviation distorts that design and harms the family structure. it is a disgrace - “Disgrace” speaks to moral shame before God and community (Proverbs 14:34). - Sin is never private; its ripple effects touch the whole covenant people (Joshua 7:1). - Romans 1:27 echoes the truth that dishonoring the body brings dishonor upon the soul. They must be cut off in the sight of their people - “Cut off” can imply death (Numbers 15:30-31) or expulsion, emphasizing severance from covenant blessings. - Public judgment deters others (Deuteronomy 17:12-13) and preserves the camp’s holiness (1 Corinthians 5:11-13). - God values communal purity over private preference. He has uncovered the nakedness of his sister - To “uncover nakedness” is biblical shorthand for sexual intimacy (Leviticus 18:6-7). - Sexual sin violates both the individual and the sacredness of the family bond (Genesis 9:22-23 for the shame motif). - Divine boundaries protect human dignity. he shall bear his iniquity - Personal responsibility: guilt rests on the offender (Ezekiel 18:20). - No sacrifice is mentioned here; the punishment itself meets justice (Hebrews 10:26-27). - Galatians 6:7 reminds us that whatever a person sows, he will also reap. summary Leviticus 20:17 underscores God’s unchanging moral order. Incest is branded shameful, injurious, and worthy of severe sanction to preserve covenant purity. The offender bears full guilt, illustrating that God’s holiness demands both personal and communal accountability. |
    |