Focused Passage

Deuteronomy 21:15-17

Blood, Honor, and Covenant Order in the Land

From unsolved corporate guilt requiring atonement, through the regulation of vulnerable persons (captive woman, overlooked firstborn, rebellious son, hanged criminal), to the requirement that even judicial death not defile the land — the chapter consistently moves from problem of defilement or disorder toward covenant-ordered resolution.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

15 If a man has two wives, one beloved and the other unloved, and both bear him sons, but the unloved wife has the firstborn son,

16 when that man assigns his inheritance to his sons he must not appoint the son of the beloved wife as the firstborn over the son of the unloved wife.

17 Instead, he must acknowledge the firstborn, the son of his unloved wife, by giving him a double portion of all that he has. For that son is the firstfruits of his father’s strength; the right of the firstborn belongs to him.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 15

Cross-references

Genesis 29:31 Classic cross-references Genesis 29:33 Classic cross-references 2 Chronicles 11:22 Classic cross-references Genesis 29:20 Classic cross-references Genesis 29:30 Classic cross-references

Original words

If כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction a man לְאִ֜ישׁ H376 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular has תִהְיֶ֨יןָ H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine plural two שְׁתֵּ֣י H8147 Number - feminine dual construct wives נָשִׁ֗ים H802 Noun - feminine plural one הָאַחַ֤ת H259 Article | Number - feminine singular beloved אֲהוּבָה֙ H157 Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine singular and the other וְהָאַחַ֣ת H259 Conjunctive waw, Article | Number - feminine singular unloved שְׂנוּאָ֔ה H8130 Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine singular and [both] הָאֲהוּבָ֖ה H157 Article | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine singular . . . וְהַשְּׂנוּאָ֑ה H8130 Conjunctive waw, Article | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine singular bear וְיָֽלְדוּ־ H3205 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural him ל֣וֹ Preposition | third person masculine singular sons בָנִ֔ים H1121 Noun - masculine plural but the unloved לַשְּׂנִיאָֽה׃ H8146 Preposition-l, Article | Adjective - feminine singular wife has וְהָיָ֛ה H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular the firstborn הַבְּכ֖וֹר H1060 Article | Noun - masculine singular son הַבֵּ֥ן H1121 Article | Noun - masculine singular

Verse 16

Cross-references

Luke 15:12 Classic cross-references Proverbs 19:14 Classic cross-references 1 Chronicles 26:10 Classic cross-references 1 Chronicles 5:2 Classic cross-references

Original words

וְהָיָ֗ה וְהָיָ֗ה H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular when בְּיוֹם֙ H3117 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular that man אֲשֶׁר־ H834 Pronoun - relative . . . יִהְיֶ֖ה H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular assigns his inheritance הַנְחִיל֣וֹ H5157 Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker to his sons בָּנָ֔יו H1121 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular - אֵ֥ת H853 Direct object marker he must not לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle appoint יוּכַ֗ל H3201 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular the son בֶּן־ H1121 Noun - masculine singular construct of the beloved wife הָ֣אֲהוּבָ֔ה H157 Article | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine singular as עַל־ H5921 Preposition the firstborn פְּנֵ֥י H6440 Noun - common plural construct over בֶן־ H1121 Noun - masculine singular construct [the son] לְבַכֵּר֙ H1069 Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker of the unloved wife הַשְּׂנוּאָ֖ה H8130 Article | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine singular . . . הַבְּכֹֽר׃ H1060 Article | Noun - masculine singular

Verse 17

Cross-references

Isaiah 61:7 Classic cross-references 2 Kings 2:9 Classic cross-references Genesis 49:3 Classic cross-references Genesis 25:31 Classic cross-references 1 Chronicles 5:1 Classic cross-references

Original words

Instead כִּי֩ H3588 Conjunction - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker he must acknowledge יַכִּ֗יר H5234 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular the firstborn הַבְּכֹ֨ר H1060 Article | Noun - masculine singular the son בֶּן־ H1121 Noun - masculine singular construct of his unloved wife הַשְּׂנוּאָ֜ה H8130 Article | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine singular by giving לָ֤תֶת H5414 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct him לוֹ֙ Preposition | third person masculine singular a double שְׁנַ֔יִם H8147 Number - md portion פִּ֣י H6310 Noun - masculine singular construct of all בְּכֹ֥ל H3605 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular that אֲשֶׁר־ H834 Pronoun - relative he has יִמָּצֵ֖א H4672 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular For כִּי־ H3588 Conjunction [that son] הוּא֙ H1931 Pronoun - third person masculine singular is the firstfruits רֵאשִׁ֣ית H7225 Noun - feminine singular construct of his [father’s] strength אֹנ֔וֹ H202 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular the right מִשְׁפַּ֥ט H4941 Noun - masculine singular construct of the firstborn הַבְּכֹרָֽה׃ס H1062 Article | Noun - feminine singular belongs to him ל֖וֹ Preposition | third person masculine singular

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