Nakedness

HISTORICAL NOTE: Recently I have read interesting history behind the work 'Naked' -  in the era the King James Version was translated, the word was actually the past tense of 'nake', which meant to 'uncover' or to 'discover'. 'Naked' was not considered a normal condition; one had to do something to get into that situation or condition. This correlates with the Book of Genesis and the the hebrew translation of God covering Adam and Eve's nakedness: literally translated, it says the God 'adorned' their nakedness. Thus it was God who set this standard - not as move to hide something shameful, but to adorn His greatest creation.

ANOTHER HISTORICAL NOTE: There are scholars who say the following passages are talking about sexual perversion - incest, sodomy, etc, and there are those who say it is simply what the words say - uncovering a person's nakedness. The Hebrew of these passages say the same thing the English does - uncovering a person's nakedness. No one has the right to uncover another person's nakedness for them, and if you cannot uncover their nakedness - i.e., their private parts - then there is little sexual perversion that can occur. Notice it allows for nakedness for persons of the same gender and of the same generation - while at the same time sexual relations among this same group are still forbidden elsewhere in the Law, which is why I adhere to those scholars who believe this is in fact merely talking about uncovering one's nakedness and is not strictly an allusion to sexual perversion.

Leviticus 18:6-19: None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the LORD. 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. The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father's nakedness. 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. 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. The nakedness of thy father's wife's daughter, begotten of thy father, she is thy sister, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's sister: she is thy father's near kinswoman. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister: for she is thy mother's near kinswoman. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's brother, thou shalt not approach to his wife: she is thine aunt. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy daughter in law: she is thy son's wife; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother's wife: it is thy brother's nakedness. 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. Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time.
          Also thou shalt not approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is put apart for her uncleanness.

Leviticus 20:17-21: 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. And if a man shall lie with a woman having her sickness [menstrual cycle], and shall uncover her nakedness; he hath discovered her fountain, and she hath uncovered the fountain of her blood: and both of them shall be cut off from among their people. And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister, nor of thy father's sister: for he uncovereth his near kin: they shall bear their iniquity. And if a man shall lie with his uncle's wife, he hath uncovered his uncle's nakedness: they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless. And if a man shall take his brother's wife, it is an unclean thing: he hath uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall be childless.

Leviticus 20:11: And the man that lieth with his father's wife hath uncovered his father's nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.