Deuteronomy 21:15-16

Laws Concerning Children

21:15 Suppose a man has two wives, one whom he loves more than the other, ¹  and they both ²  bear him sons, with the firstborn being the child of the less loved wife. 21:16 In the day he divides his inheritance ³  he must not appoint as firstborn the son of the favorite wife in place of the other ⁴  wife’s son who is actually the firstborn.

[21:15]  ¹ tn Heb “one whom he loves and one whom he hates.” For the idea of שָׂנֵא (sane’, “hate”) meaning to be rejected or loved less (cf. NRSV “disliked”), see Gen 29:31, 33; Mal 1:2-3. Cf. A. Konkel, NIDOTTE 3:1256-60.

[21:15]  ² tn Heb “both the one whom he loves and the one whom he hates.” On the meaning of the phrase “one whom he loves and one whom he hates” see the note on the word “other” earlier in this verse. The translation has been simplified for stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy.

[21:16]  ³ tn Heb “when he causes his sons to inherit what is his.”

[21:16]  ⁴ tn Heb “the hated.”