By John Chowning
In our day of incessant immodesty and rampant pornography, it is pretty obvious that a multitude of people have never read or heeded Leviticus 18. According to 1 Corinthians 10:11, this chapter—like all of its Old Testament colleagues—was written for our admonition (KJV), instruction (ESV). Discovering and heeding the eternal principles of holiness, righteousness, and godliness that this passage contains will help make one wise unto salvation (2 Timothy 3:15).
Because of the widespread unfamiliarity with this chapter, a little consideration of its context and contents is essential. The book of Leviticus has an intense focus upon the holiness of the redeemed. Consider Leviticus 11:45’s declaration: “For I am the Lord your God who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall be holy, for I am holy.” A brief summary of the contents of verses 6-20 would be: None of you shall approach anyone who is near of kin to him, to uncover his nakedness; I am the Lord. The nakedness of your father you shall not uncover. The nakedness of your mother you shall not uncover. The nakedness of your father’s wife you shall not uncover. The nakedness of your sister you shall not uncover. The nakedness of your stepsister you shall not uncover. The nakedness of our granddaughter you shall not uncover. The nakedness of your half-sister you shall not uncover. The nakedness of your aunt you shall not uncover. The nakedness of your daughter-in-law you shall not uncover. The nakedness of your sister-in-law you shall not uncover. The nakedness of any woman and her daughter or granddaughter you shall not uncover. The nakedness of a woman and her sister you shall not uncover. Also, you shall not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife, to defile yourself with her.
Most of my adult life I have accepted the commonly given explanation of “uncovering the nakedness of” to be a Hebrew euphemism for sexual intercourse. Read almost any commentary that addresses this phrase and its intended meaning and this is the explanation you will find. I now have some serious doubts about this explanation. First of all, what is there in the context of the usage of this phrase in Leviticus 18 that would necessitate a non-literal understanding of the words? A standard principle of Bible interpretation is that every narrative should be understood literally unless there is compelling contextual evidence that it should be understood in a non-literal way. What is the compelling evidence for this phrase to be understood idiomatically? In addition, note carefully that the language in the context--“You shall not lie carnally (literally—“lie with semen”) with your neighbor’s wife”—in verse 20 is different than verses 6-19’s uncovering the nakedness. While it is possible that these two phrases have the same meaning, isn’t it equally (if not more) likely that they have different intended meanings? Leviticus 20:18 definitely appears to support this conclusion because it addresses a situation in which a man lies with a woman and uncovers her nakedness. The conclusion that I have reached is that a person can uncover another’s nakedness without committing fornication; however, a person cannot commit fornication without uncovering another’s nakedness. Though they are closely connected, uncovering another’s nakedness is not synonymous with the act of fornication.
With this in mind, consider the impact of what the Scriptures are admonishing/instructing: First, the Scriptures are instructing us that one’s nakedness—whether male or female—is a private matter and must be kept that way. Modesty in dress, even when only family is around, is not an optional matter for those professing godliness.
Second, the Scriptures are instructing us that a woman’s nakedness is no man’s business except for her husband’s. Of extreme importance here is Leviticus 20:21—“If a man takes his brother’s wife, it is an unclean thing. He has uncovered his brother’s (emphasis added—jc) nakedness. They shall be childless.” Note the fact that in this illicit scenario, the adulterer has taken from his brother something that had rightfully belonged to the brother—the nakedness of his own wife. One of the many evils that adultery perpetrates on the innocent mate is the violation that is felt because his/her exclusive marital right to a mate’s nakedness has been stolen.
Third, because the Scriptures are instructing us that a person’s nakedness belongs to only one person—his/her spouse, even if a woman chooses to display her nakedness, it is sinful for any man beside her husband to be looking at it. This is one of the reasons why pornography is sinful. Just because a woman wants to do something that is unauthorized by God (like Potiphar’s wife did with Joseph) does not mean that a man’s obligation to rebuff her sinful intentions is nullified. While our media is awash with multitudes of women who want to display some, most, or all of their nakedness, it does not mean that a man is innocent should he decide to provide her with an audience. This fact has been true since the days of Noah (cf. Genesis 9:20-25)! Joseph’s solution on such occasions remains the best—get away from it as fast as you can (Genesis 39:13).
In our crooked and perverse generation, the principles concerning human nakedness found in Leviticus 18 will sound outrageously offensive, just like they did to some in Moses’ generation. However, the timeless principle that human culture does not determine God’s holy standards of modesty and morality remains. Because a Christian has been redeemed from the bondage of sin, God’s New Testament expectation still is: “as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’” (1 Peter 1:14-16).