Deuteronomy 21:15-17

LESSON SEVENTEEN Deuteronomy 21:15 to Deuteronomy 23:14

h. FAMILY REGULATIONS (Deuteronomy 21:15-21)

(1) THE RIGHT OF THE FIRST-BORN (Deuteronomy 21:15-17)

15 If a man have two wives, the one beloved, and the other hated, and they have borne him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the first-born son be hers that was hated; 16 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; 17 but he shall acknowledge the first-born, the son of the hated, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath; for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the first-born is his.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 21:15-17

351.

Why no word of censure for having two wives?

352.

How could a son be made the first-born, if he was not?

353.

Is it an inevitable conclusion that of two wives, one will be hated and one loved?

354.

Why give the first-born twice as much?

AMPLIFIED TRANSLATION 21:15-17

15 If a man has two wives, one loved and the other disliked, and they both have borne him children, and if the first-born son is hers who is disliked,
16 Then on the day when he wills his possessions to his sons, he shall not put the first-born of his loved wife in place of the first-born of the disliked, who is older.
17 But he shall acknowledge the son of the disliked as the first-born, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he was the first issue of his strength; the right of the first-born is his.

COMMENT 21:15-17

The wisdom of having two wives is not even discussed by the lawgiver. As in so many other cases in this book, the evil is anticipated and the problem faced as is, not as hoped.

From an emotional and sentimental standpoint, the father would be tempted to give the son of the beloved wife the greater portion of his inheritance. But law and order crumbles before such sentimentality: the firstborn was to receive his double portion regardless of the position his mother held in his father's esteem.
Remembering the favoritism Jacob showed to Joseph, though both of these were godly men, it is not difficult to see the need of this exhortation. Whatever the portion given the other sons, the portion allotted to the eldest son was to be twice as much. His right were to be honored.