There have been questions as to the identity of the wife of Cain...was she a sister or not? My contention is incest was wrong from the beginning as it is today. However, it was brought up that Abraham married a half-sister. Is that true? Would God allow or condone that act...in the genealogy of Christ?
So...what is meant by Abraham marrying a sister?
Abram is shown to be "his son" while Sarai is "his daughter-in-law," wife of his son Abram...but she is not shown to be his daughter.
Sarai was "the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother." If we are to take this at face value (as our English reading leads us to) then why was she not listed as such in the above passages? I think because Sarai WAS NOT a blood sister to Abram, nor a blood daughter to his father Terah.
The word sister (as in sister to Abram) can mean....
The word daughter (as in daughter of Terah) can mean....
Abram did NOT commit incest.
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Leviticus 20:17 And if a man shall take his sister, his father's daughter, or his mother's daughter, and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness; it is a wicked thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of their people: he hath uncovered his sister's nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity.
Acts 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
From the above passages we see that God specifically forbids marriage to a sister...whether she was a half-sister or not (father's daughter OR mother's daughter.) We also see that Jesus, who is the Word, was with God from the beginning. He is the same and does not change. So, even though the laws and commandments were not written in the time of Abraham they were still to be observed from the very beginning. Add to that that "God is no respecter of persons," and that would include Abraham.Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
So...what is meant by Abraham marrying a sister?
Genesis 11:26-29 And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot. And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees. And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah.
Nahor, brother of Abram, married Milcah...the daughter of his own brother Haran so...Nahor married his niece. The account is showing the marriage of very close family members and yet...no mention of that happening to Abram and Sarai and the story is about their line.
Was she Abram's sister?
Genesis 11:31-32 And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.
Abram is shown to be "his son" while Sarai is "his daughter-in-law," wife of his son Abram...but she is not shown to be his daughter.
Was she Abram's sister?
Genesis 12:9-11 And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south. And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land. And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon:
12:12-13 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.
12:12-13 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.
He asked her to say this but...was she Abram's sister?
Genesis 20:1-3 And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar. And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife.
20:4-5 But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, LORD, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation? Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.
20:10-13 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing? And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake. And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife. And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.
20:4-5 But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, LORD, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation? Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.
20:10-13 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing? And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake. And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife. And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.
Sarai was "the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother." If we are to take this at face value (as our English reading leads us to) then why was she not listed as such in the above passages? I think because Sarai WAS NOT a blood sister to Abram, nor a blood daughter to his father Terah.
The word sister (as in sister to Abram) can mean....
a) sister (same parents)
B) half-sister (same father)
c) relative
1) (metaph) of Israel's and Judah"s relationship
d) beloved
1) bride
e) (fig.) of intimate connection
f) another
The word daughter (as in daughter of Terah) can mean....
a) daughter, girl, adopted daughter, daughter-in-law, sister, granddaughters, female child, cousin
1) as polite address
Abram, when naming Sarai as his "sister," or Sarai as the "daughter" of Terah could mean several things but I strongly feel she should not be seen as a literal, blood sister to Abram or literal, blood daughter to Terah.1) as polite address
Abram did NOT commit incest.
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