Leviticus 18 – Skeptic's Annotated Bible answered
A response and reply to the notes on Leviticus 18 in the Skeptic's Annotated Bible (SAB).
King James Version
SAB comment
My comment
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am the LORD your God.
3 After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances.
4 Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God.
5 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.
6 None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the LORD.
On incest, incest, in the sense of proper marriage of brother and sister, was not previously forbidden as there was no way for the human race to spread without marriage to close relationships, but there was also no biological reason not to: the genetic heritage was still pure and uncorrupted. Next of kin marriage becomes an issue when the genetic pool becomes more corrupted. For more see Who was Cain's wife?
So at this point in time next of kins marriages have become undesirable so that is why the Bible forbids it at this point in history.
7 The nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
8 The nakedness of thy father’s wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father’s nakedness.
9 The nakedness of thy sister, the daughter of thy father, or daughter of thy mother, whether she be born at home, or born abroad, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover.
10 The nakedness of thy son’s daughter, or of thy daughter’s daughter, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover: for theirs is thine own nakedness.
11 The nakedness of thy father’s wife’s daughter, begotten of thy father, she is thy sister, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
12 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father’s sister: she is thy father’s near kinswoman.
13 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother’s sister: for she is thy mother’s near kinswoman.
14 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father’s brother, thou shalt not approach to his wife: she is thine aunt.
15 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy daughter in law: she is thy son’s wife; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
16 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother’s wife: it is thy brother’s nakedness.
17 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, neither shalt thou take her son’s daughter, or her daughter’s daughter, to uncover her nakedness; for they are her near kinswomen: it is wickedness.
18 Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time.
19 Also thou shalt not approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is put apart for her uncleanness.
(Don't even look at a menstruating woman.)
20 Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour’s wife, to defile thyself with her.
(18:20) "Thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour's wife."
21 And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.
(18:21) "Thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech."
Does God approve of human sacrifice?
22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
(18:22) "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination."
What the Bible says about homosexuality
23 Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion.
Don't have sex with animals. It's confusing.
24 Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you:
25 And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.
(18:25) "The land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants."
26 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you:
27 (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;)
28 That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you.
(18:26-28) "Keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations ... that the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you."
29 For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people.
(18:29) "Whosoever shall commit any of these abominations ... shall be cut off from among their people."
30 Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God.
Don't uncover the nakedness of any of your relatives or neighbors. Just ask them to keep their clothes on while you are around.
Is incest forbidden?