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.
Leviticus 20:21 in other translations
| BSB | If a man marries his brother’s wife, it is an act of impurity. He has uncovered the nakedness of his brother; they shall be childless. |
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| WEB | “‘If a man takes his brother’s wife, it is an impurity. He has uncovered his brother’s nakedness. They shall be childless. |
| ASV | And if a man shall take his brother’s wife, it is impurity: he hath uncovered his brother’s nakedness; they shall be childless. |
| YLT | ‘And a man who taketh his brother's wife--it is impurity; the nakedness of his brother he hath uncovered; childless they are. |
| DARBY | And if a man take his brother's wife, it is an unclean thing: he hath uncovered his brother's nakedness: they shall be childless. |
| BBE | And if a man takes his brother's wife, it is an unclean act; he has put shame on his brother; they will have no children. |
| Webster | 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. |
What does Leviticus 20:21 mean?
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Leviticus 20:10-27
These verses repeat what had been said before, but it was needful there should be line upon line. What praises we owe to God that he has taught the evil of sin, and the sure way of deliverance from it! May we have grace to adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things; may we have no fellowship with unfruitful works of darkness, but reprove them.
Leviticus 20:21 in the original Hebrew
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Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).
Cross references for Leviticus 20:21
- Leviticus 18:16
Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother’s wife: it is thy brother’s nakedness.
- Matthew 14:3-4
For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife. For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.
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Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Context
- Leviticus 20:20
And if a man shall lie with his uncle’s wife, he hath uncovered his uncle’s nakedness: they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless.
- 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.
- Leviticus 20:22
Ye shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: that the land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, spue you not out.
Leviticus 20:21 in other languages
| Spanish Reina-Valera 1909 | Y el que tomare la mujer de su hermano, es suciedad; la desnudez de su hermano descubrió; sin hijos serán. |
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| French Bible J.N. Darby 1885 | Et si un homme prend la femme de son frère, c’est une impureté; il découvre la nudité de son frère: ils n’auront pas d’enfants. |
| German Elberfelder 1871 | Und wenn ein Mann das Weib seines Bruders nimmt: das ist eine Unreinigkeit; er hat die Blöße seines Bruders aufgedeckt, sie sollen kinderlos sein. |
| Latin Clementine Vulgate | Qui duxerit uxorem fratris sui, rem facit illicitam: turpitudinem fratris sui revelavit: absque liberis erunt. |