What Old Testament laws support John's rebuke of Herod in Mark 6:18? Setting the Scene in Mark 6:18 John consistently confronted Herod Antipas with the words, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife” (Mark 6:18). The phrase “not lawful” points back to specific Torah commands that defined such a union as both incestuous and adulterous. Key Torah Passages Prohibiting the Relationship • Leviticus 18:16 – “You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife; it is your brother’s nakedness.” • Leviticus 20:21 – “If a man takes his brother’s wife, it is an uncleanness… they shall be childless.” • Exodus 20:14 – “You shall not commit adultery.” • Leviticus 18:20 – “You shall not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife and thus defile yourself with her.” • Deuteronomy 22:22 – “If a man is found lying with a married woman, both the man who lay with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.” Why the Levirate Exception Does Not Apply • Deuteronomy 25:5-10 permits a man to marry his deceased brother’s widow only when the brother died childless. • Herodias’ first husband, Herod Philip, was alive and had a daughter; therefore the levirate provision was irrelevant. • John’s citation of “not lawful” indicates he viewed Herod’s marriage as clear rebellion rather than a misunderstood levirate duty. Moral Themes Reflected in These Laws • Protection of family boundaries: Torah forbids sexual relationships that blur the lines God established within clans (Leviticus 18:6-18). • Sanctity of marriage: Commandments against adultery defend covenant fidelity (Exodus 20:14). • Call to holiness for leaders: Israel’s kings were expected to model obedience (Deuteronomy 17:18-20). Though Herod was an Idumean tetrarch, he ruled Jews and was accountable to the law he publicly claimed to respect. Timeless Takeaways • Scriptural authority: John grounded his rebuke in the plain wording of God’s commands, demonstrating confidence in their ongoing authority. • Courageous proclamation: Confronting a ruler risked imprisonment and death, yet truth mattered more than personal safety. • Integrity in relationships: God’s design for marriage remains consistent—exclusive, covenantal, and protected from adultery or incest. |
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