Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Leviticus 20:19
And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother’s sister, nor of thy father’s sister: for he uncovereth his near kin: they shall bear their iniquity.
And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother’s sister, nor of thy father’s sister,…. An aunt either by mother or father’s side, against which the law is, Le 18:13;
for he uncovereth his near kin; as an aunt is to a man, and so an uncle to a woman, and both equally criminal; for it is a rule that holds good in all those cases, though not expressed, that what is binding upon one sex is upon the other, being in the same degree of relation, whether of consanguinity or affinity:
they shall bear their iniquity; “both” of them, as the Vulgate Latin version, the man and his aunt, and so a woman and her uncle;
the guilt of their sin shall be upon them, and the punishment of it be inflicted on them; either they should be cut off from their people, as before, or be childless, as in the following instances.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
No civil punishment, on the other hand, to be inflicted by the magistrate or by the community generally, was ordered to follow marriage with an aunt, the sister of father or mother (Lev 20:19, cf. Lev 18:12-13), with an uncle’s wife (Lev 20:20, cf. Lev 18:4), or with a sister-in-law, a brother’s wife (Lev 20:21, cf. Lev 18:16). In all these cases the threat is simply held out, “they shall bear their iniquity,” and (according to Lev 20:20, Lev 20:21) “die childless;” that is to say, God would reserve the punishment to Himself (see at Lev 18:14). In the list of punishments no reference is made to intercourse with a mother (Lev 18:7) or a granddaughter (Lev 18:10), as it was taken for granted that the punishment of death would be inflicted in such cases as these; just as marriage with a daughter or a full sister is passed over in the prohibitions in ch. 18.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
Verses 19-21:
The text defines the penalty for violating the law regarding incestuous relations with aunt or sister-in-law, stated in Le 18:12-16. The parties involved were to be childless. This was a severe sentence, in light of the high priority assigned to bearing children in Israel, Ps 127:3-5.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(19) Thy mothers sister.See Lev. 18:12.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
19. They shall bear their iniquity Oehler thinks that this expression does not involve the death penalty. See Lev 10:17; Num 9:13, notes.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Lesser Penalties ( Lev 20:19-21 ).
Three examples are now given of slightly lesser crimes, still forbidden but not punishable with death.
Lev 20:19
“And you shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, nor of your father’s sister, for he has made naked his near kin. They shall bear their iniquity.”
Men must not have sexual relations with aunts or uncles of the blood whether in marriage or out of marriage. That will be to make naked their near kin, and that is displeasing to God. In that case they must receive whatever punishment the courts or God decide.
Lev 20:20
“And if a man shall lie with his uncle’s wife, he has uncovered his uncle’s nakedness. They shall bear their sin. They shall die childless.”
For a man to have sexual relations with his uncle’s wife is unseemly, for she is one flesh with his uncle. They are not to marry. This too may be judged by the courts, but they are also warned that they will go childless.
Lev 20:21
“And if a man shall take his brother’s wife, it is impurity. He has uncovered his brother’s nakedness. They shall be childless.”
For a man to take his brother’s wife is impurity. It is unseemly. He will have uncovered his brother’s nakedness and exposed his brother to shame. The punishment will be childlessness. But this was not to stop him from raising up seed to his brother under a levirate marriage. That would be a different matter. The consummation was then probably more discreetly arranged.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Lev 20:19 And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother’s sister, nor of thy father’s sister: for he uncovereth his near kin: they shall bear their iniquity.
Ver. 19. See on Lev 18:1-30 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
mother’s: Lev 18:12, Lev 18:13-30, Exo 6:20
uncovereth: Lev 18:6
Reciprocal: Exo 28:43 – bear not iniquity Lev 7:18 – bear Lev 17:16 – General Num 14:34 – shall ye bear