Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Leviticus 20:21
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.
Except in the case allowed by God, Deu 25:5.
An unclean thing; an abominable thing, like the uncleanness of a menstruous woman, which is oft expressed by this word: Heb. a separation or removing, i.e. a thing deserving separation or exclusion from society with others; or a thing to be removed out of sight or out of the world.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And if a man shall take his brother’s wife,…. To his wife, whether in his life, as the Targum of Jonathan adds, or whether after his death, unless when there is no issue, then he was obliged to it by another law, De 25:5; which is now ceased, and the law in
Le 18:16; here referred to, stands clear of all exceptions:
it [is] an unclean thing; or a “separation” k from which a man should remove and keep at a distance, as from menstruous women, of whom this word is used; and so denotes that it is by all means to be avoided, as an abominable and detestable thing; and it is observed that of all copulations it is only used of this: and the Jewish writers, as Aben Ezra and others, observe that this case is somewhat like that of a menstruous woman, who in the time of her separation is unlawful, but when out of it lawful; and so, in this case, a brother’s wife might not be taken, he being alive; but after his death she might, if she had no son, according to the law before referred to, but that is now abolished:
he hath uncovered his brother’s nakedness; his wife’s, which was his brother’s; which through nearness of kin, he ought not to have done; and the same holds good of a wife’s sister, the relation being the same:
they shall be childless; they shall have none by such a marriage or copulation, and die without any; and as this supposes the brother’s wife to have children by her first husband, or otherwise while the Jewish law lasted, it would not have been unlawful to marry her husband’s brother; the meaning may be, that these should die before them, or rather, as some think, those that might be born of such a marriage should not be reckoned legitimate, and so not inherit.
k “separatio”, Drusius,
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(21) His brothers wife.See Lev. 18:16.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Lev 20:21. If a man take his brother’s wife Except that brother die childless. Compare Gen 38:8. Deu 25:5-6.
REFLECTIONS.Nothing needs severer restraints than the lusts which naturally reign in our mortal bodies: no sins have severer punishments denounced on their indulgence. To instance only oneThe adulterer and adulterers were both to perish together. The wrong is irreparable to the injured, peace of conscience destroyed to the guilty, and the avenging wrath of God provoked by such a daring violation of his ordinance of marriage.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Let the Reader remark with me, in the perusal of these verses, the grounds on which the LORD enjoins sanctity of life and manners, and the very strong motives in which it is founded, namely, that the LORD is the GOD of his people in a covenant way, and that they are his people. So that being thus distinguished as the peculiar objects of his love, reason as well as revelation seems to demand that they should be the peculiar followers of his holy law. See what Moses elsewhere saith of this, Deu 33:29 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Lev 20:21 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.
Ver. 21. They shall be childless. ] Either barren or bereft; for this is a sin, saith Job, that roots out all a man’s increase. Job 31:12 Hence that of Hosea, They shall commit whoredom, velo iepparedu, they shall not increase. Pered is a mule, which is a beast very libidinous, but begetting nothing. Solomon had many concubines, yet but one son and two daughters. So had our Henry VIII. He had uncovered his brother’s nakedness, and was well-nigh childless by her. Afterwards he married many wives, and was blameworthy for women, but left no more children than Solomon did. More happy he was in them than Solomon; for he had Rehoboam, a man neither wise nor fortunate, as they call it: his daughters but obscure, and both of them subjects. But Henry had a peerless prince to his son, viz., Edward VI, and his two daughters were both sovereigns of an imperial crown.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
his brother’s: Lev 18:16, Mat 14:3, Mat 14:4
an unclean thing: Heb. a separation
Reciprocal: Mar 6:18 – It is
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lev 20:21. His brothers wife Except in the case allowed by God, Deu 25:5.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
20:21 And if a man shall take his brother’s wife, it [is] an unclean thing: he hath uncovered his brother’s {h} nakedness; they shall be childless.
(h) Read Lev 18:16.