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Deuteronomy 21:16

in Deuteronomy 21

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.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

then it shall be, in the day that he causeth his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he may not make the son of the beloved the first-born before the son of the hated, who is the first-born:

KJV

Then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, which is indeed the firstborn:

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This verse in Deuteronomy 21

Commentary

3 notes on this verse

This site's exposition

If a man have two wives

on Deuteronomy 21:15-21

Both household laws take the matter out of the father's hands. The double portion is protected against a father's preference for a favoured wife's son, and the phrase used of the firstborn here, the beginning of his strength, is Jacob's phrase for Reuben at Genesis 49:3, spoken in the house where Genesis 29:31 says Leah was hated. Albert Barnes observes that a father could still set the birthright aside for cause, as Jacob did with Reuben, and that what this statute forbids is doing it out of partiality. A stubborn son is then brought by both parents to the elders in the gate and charged as a glutton and a drunkard, the pair of words at Proverbs 23:20, and the stoning is done by the men of the city, while the rabbinic tradition collected in tractate Sanhedrin narrows the conditions so far that it preserves the opinion that no such case ever came to trial.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

Then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit that which he hath,....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

(2.) Since it is the providence of God that makes heirs, the disposal of providence in that matter must be acquiesced in and not opposed. No son should be abandoned by his father till he manifestly appear to be abandoned of God, which is hard to say of any while there is life.

The words behind it

20 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וְהָיָ֗הand it will be

    vehayahH1961 →3559 times

  • בְּיוֹם֙on [the] day

    beyomH3117 →2304 times

  • הַנְחִיל֣וֹcauses to inherit he

    hanchiloH5157 →59 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • בָּנָ֔יוsons his

    banavH1121 →4930 times

  • אֵ֥ת<obj.>

    ʾetH853 →10935 times

  • אֲשֶׁר־[that] which

    ʾasher-H834 →5497 times

  • יִהְיֶ֖הit will belong

    yihyehH1961 →3559 times

  • ל֑וֹto <the> him

    lo

  • לֹ֣אnot

    lo'H3808 →5168 times

  • יוּכַ֗לhe will be able

    yukhalH3201 →194 times

  • לְבַכֵּר֙to treat as firstborn

    levakerH1069 →

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • בֶּן־[the] son

    ben-H1121 →4930 times

  • הָ֣אֲהוּבָ֔הthe loved [one]

    haahuvahH157 →211 times

  • עַל־on

    ʾal-H5921 →5755 times

  • פְּנֵ֥י[the] face of

    peneiH6440 →2123 times

  • בֶן־[the] son of

    ven-H1121 →4930 times

  • הַשְּׂנוּאָ֖הthe hated [one]

    hasenuahH8130 →146 times

  • הַבְּכֹֽר׃the firstborn

    habekhorH1060 →122 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

8 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Proverbs 19:14Houses and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.6 works1 Chronicles 5:2And though Judah prevailed over his brothers and a ruler came from him, the birthright belonged to Joseph.3 works1 Chronicles 26:10Hosah the Merarite also had sons: Shimri the first (although he was not the firstborn, his father had appointed him as the first),3 worksPhilippians 4:8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things.2 works2 Chronicles 21:3Their father had given them many gifts of silver and gold and precious things, as well as the fortified cities in Judah; but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn.2 worksRomans 8:29For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.2 works
The other 2 cross-references, with their words ▾
Hebrews 12:16–17See to it that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his birthright.2 works2 Chronicles 11:19–22She bore sons to him: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.1 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Romans 8:29

    For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.

    it leads to

    • Ephesians 1:4–5

      For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love

    • Jeremiah 1:5

      “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

    • Ephesians 1:11

      In Him we were also chosen as God’s own, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything by the counsel of His will,

    • 2 Timothy 1:9

      He has saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works, but by His own purpose and by the grace He granted us in Christ Jesus before time began.

    • 1 Peter 1:20

      He was known before the foundation of the world, but was revealed in the last times for your sake.

  • Through

    Philippians 4:8

    Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things.

    it leads to

    • James 3:17

      But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peace-loving, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere.

    • Titus 2:7

      In everything, show yourself to be an example by doing good works. In your teaching show integrity, dignity,

    • Romans 12:9–21

      Love must be sincere. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good.

Where this verse is studied

About Deuteronomy

Moses Comes Down from Mount Sinai, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Moses Comes Down from Mount Sinai, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Deuteronomy: the study guide →Read Deuteronomy 21 →

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Deuteronomy 21 →