nakedness

In Jewish tradition

In Leviticus, to uncover someone's nakedness is a phrase for forbidden marriage or relations with close relatives. The prophets also use it for shame: a city or nation "uncovered" is shamed and punished, and unfaithful Israel is pictured as a woman who uncovers her nakedness.

Interpretation. The rabbis took these laws as the list of forbidden relationships, and the idea that family holiness depends on them. Tradition reads the prophets' words as warnings that sins like these bring shame and punishment on the people.

Meaning

The state of being without clothes; in the Torah, a word for private parts and for forbidden closeness. tree →

Examples

• The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father's nakedness. (Torah LEV.18.8, JPS 1917) tree →
• Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother's wife: it is thy brother's nakedness. (Torah LEV.18.16, JPS 1917) tree →
• Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's sister: she is thy father's near kinswoman. (Torah LEV.18.12, JPS 1917) tree →
• In thee have they uncovered their fathers' nakedness; in thee have they humbled her that was unclean in her impurity. (Prophets EZK.22.10, JPS 1917) tree →
• Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen; I will take vengeance, and will let no man intercede. (Prophets ISA.47.3, JPS 1917) tree →
• So she uncovered her harlotries, and uncovered her nakedness; then My soul was alienated from her, like as My soul was alienated from her sister. (Prophets EZK.23.18, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

A record of the Judaism dictionary, written from the corpus.