Leviticus 20:21
 Leviticus 20:21 
New International Version (©2011)
"'If a man marries his brother's wife, it is an act of impurity; he has dishonored his brother. They will be childless.

New Living Translation (©2007)
"If a man marries his brother's wife, it is an act of impurity. He has violated his brother, and the guilty couple will remain childless.

English Standard Version (©2001)
If a man takes his brother’s wife, it is impurity. He has uncovered his brother’s nakedness; they shall be childless.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
If there is a man who takes his brother's wife, it is abhorrent; he has uncovered his brother's nakedness. They will be childless.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
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.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
If a man marries his brother's wife, it is impurity. He has shamed his brother; they will be childless."

International Standard Version (©2012)
"If a man takes his brother's wife, it's immoral. He has exposed his brother's nakedness. They'll be childless."

NET Bible (©2006)
If a man has sexual intercourse with his brother's wife, it is indecency. He has exposed his brother's nakedness; they will be childless.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
Whoever marries his brother's wife violates his brother's marriage and does an unclean thing. That man and woman will have no children.

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
And if a man shall take his brother's wife, it is an unclean thing: he has uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall be childless.

American King James Version
And if a man shall take his brother's wife, it is an unclean thing: he has uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall be childless.

American Standard Version
And if a man shall take his brother's wife, it is impurity: he hath uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall be childless.

Douay-Rheims Bible
He that marrieth his brother's wife, doth an unlawful thing, he hath uncovered his brother's nakedness: they shall be without children.

Darby Bible Translation
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.

English Revised Version
And if a man shall take his brother's wife, it is impurity: he hath uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall be childless.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
"'If a man takes his brother's wife, it is an impurity: he has uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall be childless.

Young's Literal Translation
And a man who taketh his brother's wife -- it is impurity; the nakedness of his brother he hath uncovered; childless they are.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

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.


Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And if a man shall take his brother's wife,.... To his wife, whether in his life, as the Targum of Jonathan adds, or whether after his death, unless when there is no issue, then he was obliged to it by another law, Deuteronomy 25:5; which is now ceased, and the law in Leviticus 18:16; here referred to, stands clear of all exceptions:

it is an unclean thing; or a "separation" (k) from which a man should remove and keep at a distance, as from menstruous women, of whom this word is used; and so denotes that it is by all means to be avoided, as an abominable and detestable thing; and it is observed that of all copulations it is only used of this: and the Jewish writers, as Aben Ezra and others, observe that this case is somewhat like that of a menstruous woman, who in the time of her separation is unlawful, but when out of it lawful; and so, in this case, a brother's wife might not be taken, he being alive; but after his death she might, if she had no son, according to the law before referred to, but that is now abolished:

he hath uncovered his brother's nakedness; his wife's, which was his brother's; which through nearness of kin, he ought not to have done; and the same holds good of a wife's sister, the relation being the same:

they shall be childless; they shall have none by such a marriage or copulation, and die without any; and as this supposes the brother's wife to have children by her first husband, or otherwise while the Jewish law lasted, it would not have been unlawful to marry her husband's brother; the meaning may be, that these should die before them, or rather, as some think, those that might be born of such a marriage should not be reckoned legitimate, and so not inherit.

(k) "separatio", Drusius,


Leviticus 20:21 Parallel Commentaries

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Punishments for Sexual Immorality
19And you shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister, nor of your father's sister: for he uncovers his near kin: they shall bear their iniquity. 20And if a man shall lie with his uncle's wife, he has uncovered his uncle's nakedness: they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless. 21And if a man shall take his brother's wife, it is an unclean thing: he has uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall be childless.

Matthew 14:4 for John had been saying to him: "It is not lawful for you to have her."
Leviticus 18:16 "'Do not have sexual relations with your brother's wife; that would dishonor your brother.