Leviticus 18:18
Translations
King James Version (KJV)
Neither shall you take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time.
American King James Version (AKJV)
Neither shall you take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time.
American Standard Version (ASV)
And thou shalt not take a wife to her sister, to be a rival to her , to uncover her nakedness, besides the other in her life-time.
Basic English Translation (BBE)
And you may not take as wife a woman and at the same time her sister, to be in competition with her in her life-time.
Webster's Revision
Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness besides the other in her life-time.
World English Bible
"'You shall not take a wife to her sister, to be a rival, to uncover her nakedness, while her sister is yet alive.
English Revised Version (ERV)
And thou shalt not take a woman to her sister, to be a rival to her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time.
Definitions for Leviticus 18:18
Clarke's Leviticus 18:18 Bible Commentary
A wife to her sister - Thou shalt not marry two sisters at the same time, as Jacob did Rachel and Leah; but there is nothing in this law that rendered it illegal to marry a sister-in-law when her sister was dead; therefore the text says, Thou shalt not take her in her life time, to vex her, alluding probably to the case of the jealousies and vexations which subsisted between Leah and Rachel, and by which the family peace was so often disturbed. Some think that the text may be so understood as also to forbid polygamy.
Barnes's Leviticus 18:18 Bible Commentary
To vex her - literally, to "bind" or "pack together". The Jewish commentators illustrate this by the example of Leah and Rachel Genesis 29:30.
Wesley's Leviticus 18:18 Bible Commentary
18:18 Thou shalt not take a wife to her sister - Perhaps this text doth not simply forbid the taking one wife to another, but the doing it in such a manner or for such an end, that he may vex or punish, or revenge himself of the former; which probably was a common motive amongst that hardhearted people to do so.