Leviticus 20:21
New International Version
“’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
“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
If a man takes his brother’s wife, it is impurity. He has uncovered his brother’s nakedness; they shall be childless.

Berean Standard Bible
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.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
If a man takes his brother’s wife, it is an unclean thing. He has uncovered his brother’s nakedness. They shall be childless.

New American Standard Bible
If there is a man who takes his brother’s wife, it is detestable; he has uncovered his brother’s nakedness. They will be childless.

NASB 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.

NASB 1977
‘If there is a man who takes his brother’s wife, it is abhorrent; he has uncovered his brother’s nakedness. They shall be childless.

Legacy Standard Bible
If there is a man who takes his brother’s wife, it is an impure act; he has uncovered his brother’s nakedness. They will be childless.

Amplified Bible
If a man takes his brother’s wife, it is a hated and unclean thing; he has uncovered his brother’s nakedness. They will be childless.

Christian Standard Bible
If a man marries his brother’s wife, it is impurity. He has violated the intimacy that belongs to his brother; they will be childless.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
If a man marries his brother’s wife, it is impurity. He has shamed his brother; they will 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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And a man who will take the wife of his brother exposes him because he uncovers the nakedness of his brother; they shall be without children.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Whoever shall take his brother's wife, it is uncleanness; he has uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall die childless.

Contemporary English Version
And if you marry your sister-in-law, neither of you will ever have any children.

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.

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.

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

Good News Translation
If a man takes his brother's wife, they will die childless. He has done a ritually unclean thing and has disgraced his brother.

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

JPS Tanakh 1917
And if a man shall take his brother's wife, it is impurity: he hath uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall be childless.

Literal Standard Version
And a man who takes his brother’s wife—it [is] impurity; he has uncovered the nakedness of his brother; they are childless.

Majority Standard Bible
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.

New American Bible
If a man takes his brother’s wife, it is severe defilement and he has disgraced his brother; they shall be childless.

NET Bible
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.

New Revised Standard Version
If a man takes his brother’s wife, it is impurity; he has uncovered his brother’s nakedness; they shall be childless.

New Heart 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.

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.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Punishments for Sexual Immorality
20If a man lies with his uncle’s wife, he has uncovered the nakedness of his uncle. They will bear their sin; they shall die childless. 21If 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.

Cross References
Matthew 14:4
because John had been telling him, "It is not lawful for you to have her."

Leviticus 18:16
You must not have sexual relations with your brother's wife; that would shame your brother.


Treasury of Scripture

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.

his brother's

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…

an unclean thing [heb] a separation

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Leviticus 20
1. Of him who gives his seed to Moloch
4. Of him who favors such an one
6. Of going to wizards
7. Of sanctification
9. Of him who curses his parents
11. Of incest
13. Of sodomy
15. Of bestiality
18. Of uncleanness
22. Obedience is required with holiness
27. Wizards must be put to death














(21) His brother's wife.--See Leviticus 18:16.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
If a man
וְאִ֗ישׁ (wə·’îš)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

marries
יִקַּ֛ח (yiq·qaḥ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3947: To take

his brother’s
אָחִ֖יו (’ā·ḥîw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 251: A brother, )

wife,
אֵ֥שֶׁת (’ê·šeṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

it
הִ֑וא (hî)
Pronoun - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

is an act of impurity.
נִדָּ֣ה (nid·dāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5079: Rejection, impurity, personal, moral

He has uncovered
גִּלָּ֖ה (gil·lāh)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1540: To denude, to exile, to reveal

the nakedness
עֶרְוַ֥ת (‘er·waṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 6172: Nakedness

of his brother;
אָחִ֛יו (’ā·ḥîw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 251: A brother, )

they shall be
יִהְיֽוּ׃ (yih·yū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

childless.
עֲרִירִ֥ים (‘ă·rî·rîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 6185: Bare, destitute


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OT Law: Leviticus 20:21 If a man takes his brother's wife (Le Lv Lev.)
Leviticus 20:20
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