Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Peter Kirk"<peter_kirk AT sil.org>]

No, I don't think this expression is about sexual relations. The first 
part of these verses is, but the part about "uncovering nakedness" is 
not. I remember we translated these verses to mean something like 
"bring shame or disgrace". We don't understand shame well in western 
cultures, but (to overgeneralise) in eastern cultures even today 
people are much more concerned than we understand about not doing 
things to bring shame on the family. I think that is the point here: a 
person's sexual misdemeanours bring shame on the father or mother 
comparable with stripping them naked in public - though this metaphor 
may be a dead one.

Peter Kirk


______________________________ Reply Separator 
_________________________________
Subject: uncover that nakedness!!  :-)
Author:  <parousia_occ AT yahoo.com> at Internet
Date:    04/04/2000 05:24


In Vayiqra (Leviticus) 18, there is a long string of commands concerning 
"unlawful sexual relations."  I found it interesting to see that in the HB 
it reads in verse 7:

(ER:WAT )FBIYKF W:(ER:WAT )IM.:KF LO) T:GAL."H
(that is, 'ervat 'aviycha ve'ervat 'imcha lo' t'galeh)  :-)

There it begins a long list of people with whom you should not have sexual 
relations, or "uncover their nakedness."  Does "uncover nakedness" in this 
context necessarily mean "have sexual relations with"?  I notice that the 
LXX is consistent with the HB, for it reads:

ASCHMOSUNHN PATROS SOU KAI ASCHMOSUNHN MHTROS SOU OUK APOKALUYEI...

Interestingly, if that is the meaning of the idiom (for it seems to be 
consistent all the way down the list), then why would it say not to uncover 
the nakedness of your own father, like above??  Were the people in danger 
of having sexual relationships with their own papas??  I should hope not. 
And by the way, this is talking about men in the context (sleeping with 
sisters, mothers, aunts, etc. and animals and other men).  So it should be 
odd if they were commanded not to sleep with their fathers.  Just thought 
that was interesting.

Jason Hare
parousia_occ AT yahoo.com

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