Topical Bible: Marriage: The Jews: Forbidden to Contract, With Their Near Relations

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In the context of ancient Israelite society, marriage was not only a personal or familial matter but also a covenantal and communal one, deeply rooted in the laws given by God to the people of Israel. The Torah, particularly the book of Leviticus, outlines specific prohibitions regarding marriage with near relations, emphasizing the importance of maintaining holiness and purity within the community.

The primary biblical text addressing these prohibitions is found in Leviticus 18, where God commands the Israelites through Moses, detailing the relationships that are considered incestuous and therefore forbidden. Leviticus 18:6 states, "None of you are to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the LORD." This verse sets the tone for the subsequent list of prohibited relationships, underscoring the divine authority behind these commands.

The chapter continues to specify various familial relationships that are off-limits for marriage or sexual relations. These include, but are not limited to, one's mother (Leviticus 18:7), father's wife (Leviticus 18:8), sister or half-sister (Leviticus 18:9), granddaughter (Leviticus 18:10), and aunt (Leviticus 18:12-13). The prohibitions extend to both blood relations and certain in-law relationships, reflecting a comprehensive approach to maintaining family sanctity.

The rationale behind these prohibitions is multifaceted. Primarily, they serve to protect the family unit's integrity and prevent the moral and social chaos that could arise from incestuous relationships. Furthermore, these laws distinguish the Israelites from the surrounding nations, who often engaged in such practices. Leviticus 18:24-25 warns, "Do not defile yourselves by any of these practices, for by all these things the nations I am driving out before you have defiled themselves. Even the land has become defiled, so I am punishing it for its sin, and the land will vomit out its inhabitants."

The New Testament reaffirms the importance of these moral standards, although it does not reiterate the specific prohibitions in the same detail. The early church, as seen in Acts 15:20 , instructed Gentile converts to "abstain from the pollutions of idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals, and from blood," indicating a continued emphasis on sexual purity.

Throughout Jewish history, these prohibitions have been upheld as a vital aspect of religious and communal life. Rabbinic literature further elaborates on these laws, providing detailed discussions and interpretations to ensure their observance. The prohibitions against marrying near relations are seen as a divine mandate to preserve the sanctity of the family and the community, reflecting God's desire for His people to live in holiness and righteousness.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Leviticus 18:6
None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the LORD.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

On Friendship with the World
... of the age; of either the unconverted Jews, or the ... No wonder, then, it is so flatly
forbidden of God ... It is plainly violating of our marriage contract with God ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 80 on friendship with.htm

The Women of the Gospel Narrative the Study of the Early Christian ...
... would be a 'burden.' Women were also forbidden to look ... the date of the betrothal
and that of the marriage. ... they suffered what, in the eyes of the Jews, was one ...
/.../brittain/women of early christianity/i the women of the.htm

Ancestors of the Blessed virgin
... After having besought God's blessing on their marriage for so ... Garden of Eden which
bore the forbidden fruit. ... The Jews used these leaves specially for the Feast ...
/.../emmerich/the life of the blessed virgin mary/i ancestors of the blessed.htm

The Medes and the Second Chaldaean Empire
... to demand one of the daughters of Bsarhaddon in marriage. ... a welcome change in the
fortunes of the Jews. ... tolerated much that his father had forbidden, and the ...
/.../chapter iiithe medes and the.htm

Period I: the Imperial State Church of the Undivided Empire, or ...
... as if by the compact of marriage they were ... hitherto kept this festival with the Jews,
will henceforth ... henceforth closed, and access having been forbidden to all ...
/.../ayer/a source book for ancient church history/period i the imperial state.htm

Against Jovinianus.
... of the Church he was a Jew to Jews, a Gentile ... of her father, and not to contract
a second marriage. ... an image of the propagation of children, is forbidden to go ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/against jovinianus.htm

Period iv. The Age of the Consolidation of the Church: 200 to 324 ...
... who were accused of meeting in forbidden societies should ... the day on which the Jews
were commanded ... with other Montanists repudiated second marriage, to which ...
/.../ayer/a source book for ancient church history/period iv the age of.htm