"Just the Facts, Ma'am." - Forbidden Marriages and the Mosaic Law
“Just
the Facts, Ma’am.” – Forbidden Marriages and the Mosaic Law
Post #3 of the “Eleven Toes” Series
This post covers the Mosaic Law
commands contained in Leviticus 18:1-30 & 20:10-21.
Some of the command violations in chapter
20 require execution, with one specifying “they shall be burned to death (v.
14).” In other law violations, beginning in 20:17 (and the generally-stated
punishment of ch. 18), God promises that violators “shall be cut off in the
sight of the children of their people (20:17),” and other violators will
die childless (v. 20-21). Here’s a summary of the passages in chart form!
Now, ignoring the homosexuality, bestiality, and other unions irrelevant to this study (probably each in need of its own post), how many of the other forbidden unions are only blood related? (Answer: A minority are only by blood, some can be by blood but not necessarily, while others are certainly not blood related)
Here’s my hypothesis about why
these relationships could be forbidden (the spirit of these laws): Clearly,
they are all close familial relationships. Not only close, but someone affected
by each side of the forbidden union would be or have been in the same immediate
family.
·
Every married adult (massively idealistic) has
been members of at least two immediate families: 1) the family of origin with
parents and siblings and 2) the current family with spouse and children. Any other
immediate families, such as with step parents and half or step siblings, or
with a subsequent spouse and step children, would also be included in this
list. Everyone in these families (outside of spouses) would be expressly
forbidden marriage partners.
·
This list continues to (at least most of) the
other immediate families of the members of this list; including your
grandparents, your parents’ siblings, your sibling’s spouse and children, and
your child’s spouse and children.
·
The list also includes many of these
relationships to your spouse, such as her parents, siblings, aunts/uncles, and
nieces/nephews.
·
Exceptions to this Idea: Great-grandparents forbidden
to marry great-grandchildren, or any relationship within the direct line. It’s
an absurd and disgusting thought, but simple logic would forbid these unions.
·
A possible gray area: The spouses of your
spouse’s siblings. (ex. My wife’s brother’s wife). Is that kind of relationship
also off limits? A definite maybe, since these Bible passages are not directly
addressing these relationships. (BTW, just for clarification purposes, I would
highly NOT RECOMMEND this union, and would refuse to officiate the wedding.)
One final consideration: Adoption.
While this issue could certainly apply to these laws, adoptions have other laws
even more applicable than these. In Jewish custom, every adopted child is a
full member of the family, and must be considered as a blood relative would be
considered of the same relationship. In the Levitical laws, since
step-relationships are viewed with the same kind of validity, adoptions are certainly
seriously considered. Note: legal guardianships can also be viewed the same as
adoptions (at least in spirit), even if the sibling/cousin relationships are
not legally connected to the extent of adoptions.
Posts #4 & 5 will go back to
the beginning of the world (according to the Bible). Until then…
Final Questions:
1. Do
you have any forbidden marriage objections that are not contained in these
lists for whatever reason? Cousin marriages, perhaps?
2. Scenario: You received a wedding announcement from a cousin you haven’t seen in more than a decade, heralding the soon-to-be union of his son to the daughter of his wife. Even if this couple has never lived in the same house as step-siblings, would you have any concerns about this upcoming marriage?
JOY!
