DAWN
Daily Arts Web Nucleus
Discover the Arts! Each day a different image from the Literary, Performing, or Visual Arts representing a portion of Scripture plus an explanation with links and a discussion forum 2014 January 27
The Artist's Sisters (1843)
Theodore Chasseriau (1819-1856)
Romanticism Style
Musee du Louvre, Paris, France
Image Source: Web Gallery of Art
Explanation: Among the prohibitions below, the LORD forbade the Israelites to marry a woman and her sister (verse 18) - symbolized (judging from the placement of the rings on their fingers) by the married and unmarried sisters in the painting above.
In Leviticus 18 the LORD forbids the Israelites to copy the abominable sexual and sacrificial practices of the Egyptians and the Canaanites. The chapter begins with a general exhortation to avoid the practices of the Egyptians and the Canaanites and to not walk in their ordinances; instead, the Israelites were to keep the LORD's laws. The first set of rules were kinship laws: the LORD forbade the Israelites to have sexual relations with anyone who was near of kin -- specifically, one's father, mother, mother-in-law; sister (compare Leviticus 18:11), half-sister, daughter-in-law, step-sister, aunt, uncle, sister-in-law, a woman and her daughter, niece, or a woman and her sister (6-18). They were not to have relations with a woman while she had some form of uncleanness. They were not to have relations with someone else's wife. Also they were not to commit spiritual adultery by dedicating their children (see verse 21) to Molech. This was done, seemingly in two ways: perhaps, in some cases, and at some times, by making the child a spiritual servant of Molech through a fire ritual in which they passed between "purifying" fries on either side; and, in other cases, and at other times, it may have been done by turning the child into a burnt sacrifice by placing it on the arms of a heated Molech idol, or in a special chamber, and burning the child to death. Homosexuality was forbidden, as was bestiality (19-23). The purpose of these rules was to keep the Israelites from being defiled like the Egyptians and the Canaanites, lest the land in which they lived cast them out and lest they be cut off from their people. These rules also applied to the sojourners among them (24-30).
Leviticus 18
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am the LORD your God.
3 After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances.
4 Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God.
5 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.
6 None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the LORD.
7 The nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
8 The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father's nakedness.
9 The nakedness of thy sister, the daughter of thy father, or daughter of thy mother, whether she be born at home, or born abroad, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover.
10 The nakedness of thy son's daughter, or of thy daughter's daughter, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover: for theirs is thine own nakedness.
11 The nakedness of thy father's wife's daughter, begotten of thy father, she is thy sister, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
12 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's sister: she is thy father's near kinswoman.
13 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister: for she is thy mother's near kinswoman.
14 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's brother, thou shalt not approach to his wife: she is thine aunt.
15 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy daughter in law: she is thy son's wife; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
16 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother's wife: it is thy brother's nakedness.
17 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, neither shalt thou take her son's daughter, or her daughter's daughter, to uncover her nakedness; for they are her near kinswomen: it is wickedness.
18 Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time.
19 Also thou shalt not approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is put apart for her uncleanness.
20 Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour's wife, to defile thyself with her.
21 And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.
22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
23 Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion.
24 Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you:
25 And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.
26 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you:
27 (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;)
28 That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you.
29 For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people.
30 Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God.
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copyright 2014, Scott Souza
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