And if a man shall take his sister, his father’s daughter, or his mother’s daughter, and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness; it is a wicked thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of their people: he hath uncovered his sister’s nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity.
If a man marries his sister (whether she's his father's daughter or his mother's daughter) and they have sexual relations, this is a terrible sin. They must be completely removed from their community in front of everyone. Because he has had sexual relations with his sister, he will bear the punishment for his wrongdoing.
This verse establishes that sexual relationships between siblings are absolutely forbidden and result in being permanently cut off from the community.
📚 Historical Context
This command was given to the Israelites as part of God's moral and ceremonial laws after their exodus from Egypt. These laws distinguished Israel from the pagan nations around them, many of which practiced incest and other sexual practices that God considered abhorrent. The phrase 'cut off' likely meant permanent banishment from the community or possibly death.
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