Deuteronomy 21:15

_IF A MAN HAVE TWO WIVES, ONE BELOVED, AND ANOTHER HATED, AND THEY HAVE BORN HIM CHILDREN, BOTH THE BELOVED AND THE HATED; AND IF THE FIRSTBORN SON BE HERS THAT WAS HATED:_ IF A MAN HAVE TWO WIVES, ONE BELOVED, AND ANOTHER HATED. In the original, and in all translations but ours, the words are rendered 'have had,' referring to events that have already taken place. [Septuagint, Ean de genoontai anthroopoo duo gunaikes kai tekoosin-If there have been to a man two wives, and they have born him sons. Vulgate, 'Si habuerit homo uxores duas et pepererint ei filios,' etc.] That the 'had' has, by some mistake, been omitted in our version, seems highly probable, from other verbs being in the past tense - "hers that was hated," not 'hers that is hated,' evidently intimating that she (the first wife) was dead at the time referred to. Moses, therefore, does not here legislate upon the case of a man...

15._If a man have two wives_. Inasmuch as it is here provided that a father should not unjustly transfer what belongs to one son to another, it is a part and supplement of the Eighth Commandment, the substance of which is, that every one’s rights should be preserved to him. For, if the father substituted another son in the place of his first-born, it was unquestionably a kind of theft. But, since it rarely happens that a father unnaturally degrades his first-born from his precedence, if all are born of the same mother, God reminds us that He did not enact this law without cause; for, where polygamy was allowed, the mind of the husband was generally most inclined to the second wife; because, if he had loved the first with true affection, he would have been contented with her as the companion of his life and bed, and would not have thought of a second. When, therefore, the husband grew tir...

15-17 This law restrains men from disinheriting their eldest sons without just cause. The principle in this case as to children, is still binding to parents; they must give children their right without partiality....

Verse Deuteronomy 21:15. _ONE BELOVED, AND ANOTHER HATED_] That is, one _loved_ _less_ than the other. This is the true notion of the word _hate_ in Scripture. So _Jacob_ HATED _Leah_, that is, he _loved her less_ than he did _Rachel_; and _Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I_ HATED, that is, I have shown a more particular affection to the posterity of Jacob than I have to the posterity of Esau. Genesis 29:31, Genesis 29:31. From this verse we see that polygamy did exist under the Mosaic laws, and that it was put under certain regulations; but it was not _enjoined_, Moses merely suffered it, because of the hardness of their hearts...

Moses did not originate the rights of primogeniture (compare Genesis 25:31), but recognized them, since he found them pre-existing in the general social system of the East. Paternal authority could set aside these rights on just grounds Genesis 27:33, but it is forbidden here to do so from mere partiality....

EXPOSITION EXPIATION OF UNCERTAIN MURDER. TREATMENT OF A CAPTIVE TAKEN TO WIFE. RIGHTS OF THE FIRSTBORN. A REBELLIOUS, REFRACTORY SON TO BE JUDGED AND PUNISHED. A MALEFACTOR WHO HAS BEEN HANGED TO BE BURIED ERE NIGHTFALL. One general idea, viz. the sacredness of human life and of personal rights, connects the laws in this chapter together, as well as connects them with the laws in the two preceding chapters....

IF A MAN HAVE TWO WIVES,.... Which is supposed, but not approved of, though permitted because of the hardness of men's hearts; for it was not so from the beginning, when only one man and one woman were created, and joined together in marriage; but as it was connived at, and become customary, a law is made to prevent confusion, and preserve order in families: ONE BELOVED AND ANOTHER HATED; or less loved, yet continued his wife, and not divorced. Aben Ezra observes, this follows upon the former, because it is there said, that though first he had a desire to her (the captive beautiful woman), yet afterwards had no delight in her: AND THEY HAVE BORNE HIM CHILDREN BOTH, THE BELOVED AND THE HATED; as Rachel and Leah did to Jacob, who were, the one very much beloved by him, and the other less: AND IF THE FIRSTBORN SON BE HERS THAT WAS HATED; or not so much beloved as the other, as was the ca...

17. THE EXPIATION OF AN UNCERTAIN MURDER AND VARIOUS INSTRUCTIONS CHAPTER 21 _ 1. The expiation of an unknown murder (Deuteronomy 21:1)_ 2. Concerning a wife, who had been a prisoner of war (Deuteronomy 21:10) 3. The right of the firstborn (Deuteronomy 21:15) 4. The punishment of a rebellious son (Deuteronomy 21:18) 5. The burial of one who hanged on a tree (Deuteronomy 21:22) The expiation of an unknown murder seems to find an interesting applicati

Only in Dt. The first-born of the first wife is to inherit a double portion. Deuteronomy 21:15. two wives: Genesis 29:30 and 1 Samuel 1:6. HATED: better, less loved. Deuteronomy 21:17. acknowledge, etc.: read (with Graetz, Steuernagel, and also, though hesitatingly, Driver and Bertholet) accord the first-born, first-born rights. DOUBLE PORTION: among the Babylonians, sons inherited equally, though the father might in his life make a special present to any son (see CH, § 165f.)....

IF. Compare 1 Samuel 1:2; 2 Chronicles 24:3...