Page:The ancient interpretation of Leviticus XVIII. 18 - Marriage with a deceased wife's sister is lawful.djvu/18

 a rival, to uncover her shame, in addition to her whilst she is yet living." But here again the question arises, whether the LXX translators did not regard the words "A woman to her sister" as a mere idiom for "one to another," and whether, therefore, the Greek words γυναῖκα ἐπ’ ἀδελφῇ are not to be interpreted by the Hebrew idiom. This must be tested in the same way as in the case of Onkelos. How do they translate the Hebrew words when they occur in a confessedly idiomatic sense? Do they still retain the literal translation γυναῖκα ἐπ’ ἀδελφῇ, or do they give other Greek words, expressing the idiom? Let their words answer. In Exod. xxvi. 3 they have ἡ ἑτέρα ἐκ τῆς ἑτέρας and ἑτέρα τῇ ἑτέρᾳ; in verse 5, ἀντιπρόσωποι ἀντιπίπτουσαι ἀλλήλαις εἰς ἑκάστην; in verse 6, ἑτ́εραν τῇ ἑτέρᾳ; in verse 17, ἕτερον τῷ ἑτέρῳ, translating idiomatically where the words are idiomatic, and thus showing that in Lev. xviii. 18, where they translate literally "a woman to her sister," they did not take the words as idiomatic but literally, i.e., in that sense which is favourable to marriage with a deceased wife's sister. But besides the words of the LXX we have the testimony of a Hellenist as to the manner in which these words were understood by Hellenists. Alluding to this verse Philo says, Πάλιν δύο ἀδελφὰς ἄγεσθαι τὸν αὐτὸν οὐκ ἐπιτρέπει, οὔτ’ ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ οὔτ’ ἐν διαφέρουσι χρόνοις, κἂν τύχῃ τις ἣν προέγημεν ἀπεωσμένος· ζώσης γὰρ ἔτι τῆς συνοικούσης, εἴτε καὶ ἀπηλλαγμένης, ἐάν τε χηρεύῃ ἐάν τε καὶ ἑτέρῳ γαμηθῇ, τὴν ἀδελφὴν οὐχ ὅσιον ὑπέλαβεν ἐπὶ τὰ τῆς