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these abominations." I am the Lord your God, ye shall be holy for I the Lord your God am holy, (xix. 2, xx. 7.)"
It is by an error in the heading of the chapter that these prohibited connections are styled "unlawful marriages." They are not marriages at all. The expression in verse 6, "to uncover," &c., is shown by Gesenius never to be applied to marriage, but always to denote something abominable and vile. The Vulgate translates it ut revelat turpitudinem ejus, and Selden defines it: id est incestus. The laws themselves style these sins indiscriminately "wickedness," — "defilement," — "abomination." This alone is sufficient to make them hateful to all who fear God.
The reason given is nearness of kin. No one is to ally himself with any that is near of kin to him, verse 6, and then follow the degrees specified. The case of Abraham and that of Amram and Jochebed are probably the reason why so many kinds of sisters and aunts are named, but it is evident that all forbidden degrees are not expressly named in this list: a man is not expressly forbidden to marry his grandmother, his daughter, or his niece, therefore the omission of an express prohibition against marrying his wife's sister goes for nothing.
If these laws are not binding, there is no other Scriptural ground for prohibiting marriage with an aunt or daughter-in-law, step-daughter or granddaughter, or even the nearest relations; for a sense of propriety, or inward sense of right is no proof to another person who may choose to deny it.
We should thus be cast adrift without chart or compass on the "troubled sea" of human passion, with no law whatever to guide us on the most important point of domestic life, except the reference in Corinthians to the sin of taking a father's wife — a case of affinity — "no blood relationship"
