Affinity

Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary

There are several degrees of affinity, wherein marriage was prohibited by the law of Moses: thus the son could not marry his mother, nor his father's wife,  Leviticus 18:7 , &c. The brother could not marry his sister, whether she were so by the father only, or only by the mother, and much less if she were his sister both by the same father and mother. The grandfather could not marry his granddaughter, either by his son or daughter. No one could marry the daughter of his father's wife; nor the sister of his father or mother; nor the uncle, his niece; nor the aunt, her nephew; nor the nephew, the wife of his uncle by the father's side. The father-in-law could not marry his daughter-in-law; nor the brother the wife of his brother, while living; nor even after the death of his brother, if he left children. If he left no children, the surviving brother was to raise up children to his deceased brother by marrying his widow. It was forbidden to marry the mother and the daughter at one time, or the daughter of the mother's son, or the daughter of her daughter, or two sisters, together.

It is true the patriarchs, before the law, married their sisters, as Abraham married Sarah, who was his father's daughter by another mother; and two sisters together, as Jacob married Rachel and Leah; and their own sisters, both by father and mother, as Seth and Cain. But these cases are not to be proposed as examples; because in some they were authorized by necessity; in others, by custom; and the law as yet was not in being. If some other examples may be found, either before or since the law, the Scripture expressly disapproves of them; as Reuben's incest with Balah, his father's concubine; and the action of Ammon with his sister Tamar; and that of Herod Antipas, who married Herodias, his sister-in-law, his brother Philip's wife, while her husband was yet living; and that which St. Paul reproves and punishes among the Corinthians,  1 Corinthians 5:1 .

King James Dictionary

AFFIN'ITY, n. L. affinitas, from affinis, adjacent, related by marriage ad and finis, end.

1. The relation contracted by marriage, between a husband and his wife's kindred, and between a wife and her husband's kindred in contradistinction from consanguinity or relation by blood.

Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh.  1 Kings 3 .

2. Agreement relation conformity resemblance connection as, the affinity of sounds, of colors, or of languages. 3. In chimistry, attraction elective attraction, or that tendency which different species of matter have to unite, and combine with certain other bodies, and the power that disposes them to continue in combination There are two kinds of affinity. 1. Affinity of aggregation, which is the power that causes two homogeneous bodies to tend towards each other, unite and cohere, as two drops of water, which unite in one. 2. Affinity of composition, which is the tendency of bodies of different kinds to unite and form new combinations of bodies with different properties. Such is the affinity which unites acids and alkalies, the results of which combination are neutral salts.

The operations of this principle are various. When heterogeneous bodies have mutually an equal attraction, it is called compound affinity. When one substance decomposes a combination of others, unites with one of them and precipitates the other, the power is called the affinity of decomposition. When bodies will not unite, but by means of a third, which enables them to combine, this is affinity by means of a medium.

Double affinity is when by means of four bodies, two decompositions and two new combinations are effected.

Webster's Dictionary

(1): (n.) A relation between species or highe/ groups dependent on resemblance in the whole plan of structure, and indicating community of origin.

(2): (n.) Relationship by marriage (as between a husband and his wife's blood relations, or between a wife and her husband's blood relations); - in contradistinction to consanguinity, or relationship by blood; - followed by with, to, or between.

(3): (n.) Kinship generally; close agreement; relation; conformity; resemblance; connection; as, the affinity of sounds, of colors, or of languages.

(4): (n.) Companionship; acquaintance.

(5): (n.) That attraction which takes place, at an insensible distance, between the heterogeneous particles of bodies, and unites them to form chemical compounds; chemism; chemical or elective affinity or attraction.

(6): (n.) A superior spiritual relationship or attraction held to exist sometimes between persons, esp. persons of the opposite sex; also, the man or woman who exerts such psychical or spiritual attraction.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

 1 Kings 3:1; Relationship by marriage; as consanguinity is relationship by blood. The degrees within which relatives were forbidden by the Levitical law to intermarry, may be found in  Leviticus 18:1-30 .

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 2 Chronicles 18:1 1 Kings 3:1 Leviticus 18:6-17

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Affinity. See Marriage .

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(designated in Heb. by some form of the verb חָת — ן , Chathan ’ , to Give In Marriage) is relationship by marriage, as distinguished from Consanguinity, which is relationship by blood.

1. Marriages between persons thus related, in various degrees, which previous usage, in different conditions of society, had allowed, were forbidden by the law of Moses. These degrees are enumerated in  Leviticus 18:7 sq. The examples before the law are those of Cain and Abel, who, as the necessity of the case required, married their own sisters. Abraham married Sarah, the daughter of his father by another wife; and Jacob married the two sisters Leah and Rachel. In the first instance, and even in the second, there was an obvious consanguinity, and only the last offered a previous relationship of affinity merely. So also, in the prohibition of the law, a consanguinity can be traced in what are usually set down as degrees of affinity merely. The degrees of real affinity interdicted are. that a man shall not (nor a woman in the corresponding relations) marry,

(1), his father ’ s widow (not his own mother);

(2), the daughter of his father ’ s wife by another husband;

(3), the widow of his paternal uncle;

(4), nor his brother ’ s widow if he has left children by her; but, if not, he was bound to marry her to raise up children to his deceased brother. (See Levirate Law).

The other restrictions are connected with the condition of polygamy, and they prohibit a man from having,

(1), a mother and her daughter for wives at the same time,

(2), or two sisters for wives at the same time.

These prohibitions, although founded in Oriental notions, adapted to a particular condition of society, and connected with the peculiarities of the Levitical marriage law, have been imported wholesale into our canon law. The fitness of this is doubted by many; but as, apart from any moral or sanitary questions, the prohibited marriages are such as few would, in the present condition of Occidental society, desire to contract, and such as would be deemed repugnant to good taste and correct manners, there is little real matter of regret in this adoption of the Levitical law. Indeed the objections have arisen chiefly from a misunderstanding of the last of the above prohibitions, which, under permitted polygamy, forbade a man to have two sisters at once — an injunction which has been construed under the Christian law, which allows but one wife, to apply equally to the case of a man marrying the sister of a deceased wife. The law itself is rendered in our version, "Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her lifetime" ( Leviticus 18:18). Clear as this seems, it is still clearer if, with Gesenius and others, we take the word צָרִר , Tsarar ’ , rendered To Vex, to mean To Rival, as in the Septuagint, Arabic, and Vulgate. The Targum of Jonathan, the Mishna, and the celebrated Jewish commentators Jarchi and Ben Gerson, are satisfied that two sisters at once are intended; and there seems an obvious design to prevent the occurrence of such unseemly jealousies and contentions between sister-wives as embittered the life of the patriarch Jacob. The more recondite sense has been extracted, with rather ungentle violence to the principles of Hebrew construction, by making "vex her" the antecedent of "in her lifetime," instead of "take her sister to her, in her lifetime." Under this view it is explained that the married sister should not be "vexed" in her lifetime by the prospect that her sister might succeed her. It may be safely said that such an idea would never have occurred in the East, where unmarried sisters are far more rarely than in Europe brought into such acquaintance with the husband of the married sister as to give occasion for such "vexation" or "rivalry" as this. Yet this view of the matter, which is completely exploded among sound Biblical critics, has received the sanction of several Christian councils (Concil. Illiber. can. 61; Aurat. can. 17; Auxer. can. 30), and is perhaps not calculated to do much harm, except under peculiar circumstances, and except as it may prove a snare to some sincere but weak consciences. It may be remarked that, in those codes of law which most resemble that of Moses on the general subject, no prohibition of the marriage of two sisters in succession can be found. (See Westhead, Marriage Code of Israel, Lond. 1850; Critici Sac. Thes. Nov. 1, 379.) (See Marriage).

2. The substance of the Levitical law is adopted in England, and may be found in the "table of degrees" within which persons may not marry, which was set forth by Archbishop Parker in 1563, and was confirmed by can. 99 of the synod of London, 1604. (See Incest).

3. According to the Roman canon law, affinity arises from marriage or from an unlawful intercourse between the one party and the blood relations of the other party; but in either case it is necessary that copula sit completa (S. Thomas, 4to, dist. 41, qu. 1, art. 1). Persons related to each other may contract affinity, as the husband with the relations of his wife, without the relations of the parties becoming bound together by any affinity; e.g. two brothers may marry two sisters, a father and his son may marry a mother and her daughter. The impediment of affinity, arising from marriage consummated, extends canonically, as in natural relationship, to the fourth degree inclusive. The impediment of affinity arising ex coitu illicito only extends to the second degree (Conc. Trid. sess. 24, de reform. cap. 4). It is ruled in the Latin Church that the pope cannot dispense in the first degree of affinity in the direct line, but he can in the indirect; thus he can grant a dispensation to a man to marry his brother ’ s widow. (See Consanguinity).

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

Affinity is relationship by marriage, as distinguished from consanguinity, which is relationship by blood. Marriages between persons thus related, in various degrees, were forbidden by the law of Moses, which previous usage, in different conditions of society, had allowed. These degrees are enumerated in  Leviticus 18:7, sq. The examples before the law are those of Cain and Abel, who, as the necessity of the case required, married their own sisters. Abraham married Sarah, the daughter of his father by another wife, or else, as some suppose, the daughter of his elder brother by a former wife of his father. Jacob also married the two sisters Leah and Rachel. In the first instance, and even in the second, there was an obvious consanguinity, and only the last offered a previous relationship of affinity merely. So also, in the prohibition of the law, a consanguinity can be traced in what are usually set down as degrees of affinity merely. The degrees of real affinity interdicted are, that a man shall not (nor a woman in the corresponding relations) marry his—1. Father's widow (not his own mother); 2. The daughter of his father's wife by another husband; 3. The widow of his paternal uncle; 4. Nor his brother's widow if he has left children by her; but, if not, he was bound to marry her to raise up children to his deceased brother. The other prohibitions are connected with the condition of polygamy, and they prohibited a man from having—1. a mother and her daughter for wives at the same time; 2. or two sisters for wives at the same time. These prohibitions, although founded in Oriental notions, adapted to a particular condition of society, and connected with the peculiarities of the Levitical marriage law, have been imported wholesale into our canon law. The fitness of this is doubted by many: but as, apart from any moral questions, the prohibited marriages are such as few would, in the present condition of European society, desire to contract, and such as would be deemed repugnant to good taste and correct manners, there is little real matter of regret in this adoption of the Levitical law. Indeed, the objections to this adoption have rested chiefly upon one point; and that happens to be a point in which the law itself appears to have been egregiously misunderstood. This is in the injunction which, under permitted polygamy, forbade a man to have two sisters at once; an injunction which has been construed, under the Christian law, which allows but one wife, to apply equally to the case of a man marrying the sister of a deceased wife. The law itself is, however, so plain, that it is difficult to conceive how its true object—concerning which nearly all commentators are agreed—could have been thus interpreted. It is rendered in our version, 'Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her (or rather, perhaps, to rival her), to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her lifetime.' And the design seems evidently to be to prevent the occurrence of such unseemly jealousies and contentions between sister-wives as embittered the life of Jacob—the father of the twelve tribes. The more recondite sense has been extracted, with rather ungentle violence to the principles of Hebrew construction, by making 'vex her' the antecedent of 'in her lifetime,' instead of take her sister to her, in her lifetime: And it is explained, under this view, that the married sister should not be 'vexed' in her lifetime by the prospect that her sister might succeed her. It may be safely said that such an idea would never have occurred in the East, where unmarried sisters are far more rarely than in Europe brought into such acquaintance with the husband of the married sister as to give occasion for such 'vexation' or 'rivalry' as this. This view of the matter, though completely exploded among real biblical critics, is perhaps not calculated to do much harm, except under peculiar circumstances, and except as it may prove a snare to some sincere but weak consciences.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

a - fin´i - ti ( חתן , ḥāthan "to join one-self"): This term is used three times in the Old Testament: (1) in  1 Kings 3:1 , where we read that "Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh King of Egypt", (2) in  2 Chronicles 18:1 , where it is stated that Jehoshaphat "joined affinity with Ahab," and (3). in  Ezra 9:14 , where it is asked "Shall we ... join in affinity with the peoples that do these abominations?" The Hebrew word thus rendered in the above three passages refers in each case to marriage alliances rather than to family or political relationships. See Marriage; Family .