Leviticus 18:14-18
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
14 You shall not disgrace your father’s brother by having sexual relations with his wife,(A) since she, too, is your aunt. 15 You shall not have intercourse with your daughter-in-law;[a](B) she is your son’s wife; you shall not have intercourse with her. 16 You shall not have intercourse with your brother’s wife;[b](C) that would be a disgrace to your brother. 17 You shall not have intercourse with a woman and also with her daughter, nor shall you marry and have intercourse with her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter;(D) they are related to her. This would be shameful. 18 While your wife is still living you shall not marry her sister as her rival and have intercourse with her.(E)
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- 18:15 Judah had intercourse with his daughter-in-law Tamar (Gn 38), but did not know her true identity until her pregnancy was discovered.
- 18:16 This refers to cohabiting with one’s sister-in-law not only while the brother is alive, but also after he is dead. Dt 25:5–10 allows for the marriage to the wife of a brother when that brother died without a male heir. Cf. Gn 38:6–14. It was the violation of this law of Leviticus which aroused the wrath of John the Baptist against Herod Antipas (Mt 14:4; Mk 6:18).
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