Affinity (in the Bible)

Affinity (in the Bible)
Affinity (in the Bible)
    Affinity (in the Bible)
     Catholic_Encyclopedia Affinity (in the Bible)
    Scripture recognizes affinity as an impediment to wedlock. This is evident from the legislation contained in Lev., xviii, 8, 14-16, 18; xx, 11, 12, 14, 20, 21. Unlike canonical affinity, which arises both from lawful and unlawful consummated carnal intercourse, affinity in the code of the Old Testament springs from the sponsalia only, which with the Hebrews did not differ substantially from our matrimonium ratum. The above mentioned texts forbid marriage
    (1) in linea recta, with stepmother, stepdaughter, grand-stepdaughter, mother-in-law, daughter-in-law;
    (2) in linea collaterali, with paternal uncle's wife — aunt — (some versions include also maternal uncle's wife), with sister-in-law, except in those cases where the lex leviratus obtains, with wife's sister as long as the former is living.
    Be it remarked here that the Jews considered the relationship existing between the wife and her husband's family as of a closer nature than that between the husband and his wife's family.
    The laws given in Lev., xviii receive sanction in Lev., xx. Death is indicated as the penalty of those who transgress the ordinances of affinity in linea recta, whereas childlessness is threatened to those who marry within the forbidden degrees in linea collaterali. It is well to note that childlessness here referred to means either that the offspring shall be looked upon as illegitimate, or that they shall be considered as the legitimate descendants of the deceased uncle or brother. In either case they would be childless before the law, and their possessions would pass into another family. No sanction is given to the law prohibiting a man from marrying simultaneously two sisters. From the fact that the separation of the spouses is nowhere enjoined in case they married within the forbidden degree in linea collaterali, we may infer that the existence of these impediments did not void the matrimonial contract. The sanction of the laws in question is, with one exception, rather severe. What reasons dictated this rigor? Moral propriety is one. The expressions "heinous crime" and "great abomination" are tokens of the inspired writer's unfeigned abhorrence of the acts qualified by them. The welfare of family life is another. People closely related as a rule dwell together, especially in Eastern countries. Were it not for the above-mentioned prohibitions disorders fatal to family life would creep in under the pretext of future marriage. Maimonides and St. Thomas insist strongly on this reason. The Bible finally intimates that the observance of these laws will differentiate the chosen people from heathen nations (Lev., xviii, 24). The New Testament does not contain any legislation on this subject, but narrates two incidents where the laws of Leviticus were violated. Herod Antipas married Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip (Matt., xiv, 3, 4; Mark, vi, 17-18; Luke, iii, 19), contrary to Lev., xviii, 16. For, even granting that Philip was dead, a much controverted question, the lex leviratus did not obtain since Herodias had a daughter by Philip. The man of Corinth had his father's wife (I Cor., v, 1) in opposition to Lev., xviii, 8.
    DE HUMMELAUER, Commentarius in Leviticum (Paris, 1897); JAMES in HASTINGS, Diet. of the Bible (New York, 1898); MANY in Vie., Diet. de la Bible (Paris, 1895) s.v.; CRELIER, Commentaire sur l'Exode et le Levitique (Paris, 1886).
    E. HEINLEIN

The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume VIII. — New York: Robert Appleton Company. . 1910.


Catholic encyclopedia.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Affinity \(in the Bible\) — • Scripture recognizes affinity as an impediment to wedlock Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006 …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Animals in the Bible — • The sacred books were composed by and for a people almost exclusively given to husbandry and pastoral life, hence in constant communication with nature Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Animals in the Bible     Anima …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • List of the animals in the Bible — See main article Animals in the Bible. The following is a list of animals whose name appears in the Bible. Whenever required for the identification, the Hebrew name will be indicated, as well as the specific term used by Zoologists. This list… …   Wikipedia

  • Affinity (law) — In law and in cultural anthropology, affinity, as distinguished from consanguinity, is kinship by marriage. It is the relation which each party to a marriage bears to the kindred of the other. In English, affinity is usually signified by adding… …   Wikipedia

  • Affinity (Christian organisation) — Affinity describes itself as a growing network of many hundreds of Bible centred churches and Christian agencies throughout Britain and Ireland . It was formerly known as the British Evangelical Council, which was formed in the 1950s, but… …   Wikipedia

  • BIBLE — THE CANON, TEXT, AND EDITIONS canon general titles the canon the significance of the canon the process of canonization contents and titles of the books the tripartite canon …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • The Return to Zion — ( he. שיבת ציון, Shivat Tzion , or שבי ציון, Shavei Tzion , lit. Zion Returnees ) is a term that refers to the event in which the Jews returned to the Land of Israel from the Babylonian exile following the decree by the Persian King Cyrus, the… …   Wikipedia

  • Bible errata — Throughout history, printers errors and peculiar translations have appeared in Bibles published throughout the world. Contents 1 Manuscript Bibles 1.1 The Book of Kells, circa 800 1.2 The Book of Deer, 10th century …   Wikipedia

  • The Fellowship (Christian organization) — For other groups of similar name, see The Fellowship. Fellowship Foundation Formation 1935 Headquarters Cedars, a mansion in Arlington, Virginia[1] Associate Director Douglas Coe …   Wikipedia

  • The Renaissance —     The Renaissance     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► The Renaissance     The Renaissance may be considered in a general or a particular sense, as     (1) the achievements of what is termed the modern spirit in opposition to the spirit which… …   Catholic encyclopedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”