Matthew Poole and continuators on Leviticus 18:18

18 Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister , to vex her, to uncover her nakedness besides the other, in her life time .

The word sister is here understood either 1. properly, so some: whence others infer, that it is lawful to marry ones wives sister after the wives death. Or 2. improperly for any other woman, as not onely persons, but things, of the same kind are oft called, Gsters and brethren, of which see plain examples, Exod. 32. 27, 29. Ezek. 16. 45, 48, 49. So the sence is, thou shalt not take one woman to another. And this sence may seem more probable, 1. because else here were a tautology, the marriage of a man with his wives sister being sufficiently forbidden ver. 16. where marriage with his brothers wife is forbidden, as also ver. 9. and 11. where he forbids the marriage of ones own sister, and consequently the marriage of ones wives sister, it being manifest and confessed that affinity and consanguinity are of the same consideration and obligation in these matters. Nor can this be added for explication, for then the comment would be darker than the text, nay it would destroy the Text, for then what was simply and absolutely and universally forbidden before, is here forbidden doubtfully and restrainedly, and might at least seem to be allowed after the wives death; which is reiected by those who own the former interpretation. 2. Because the reason of this prohibition, which is least he should vex her thereby, is much more proper and effectual against marrying any other woman than against marrying the wives sister, so near and dear a relation being most commonly and probably a means to induce them rather to love and please and serve, than to vex, one another in such a relation. And therefore to take her natural sister to vex her would seem a course unsuitable to his end or design. 3. Some add another reason, that Polygamy, which Christ condemns Mat. 19. 5. is either forbidden here or no where in the law. But this may admit of great dispute. And it is observable that Christ confutes Polygamy and divorces nor by any of Moses his laws (which probably he would not have omitted, if they had been to his purpose) but by the first institution of marriage, Gen. 2. 2[illegible: 1+ letters]. whence also [illegible: 1 word] seems to fetch his argument chap. 2. 14, 15. And that law Deut. 21. 15, 16. may seem to intimate that God did then, in consideration of the hard-heartedness of the Iewi[illegible: 1+ letters]h Nation, dispense with that first and primitive law▪ especially if we consider the practise of divers holy men amongst the Iews, not onely before the law, as Abraham and Iacob, but also after it, as Ella[illegible: 1+ letters], and David, who would never have lived in the violation of a known law, or, if they had, would have been blamed for it, whereas on the contrary God mentions it as one of his favours vouch[illegible: 1+ letters] ▪ ed to David, that he [illegible: 1 word] him his [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] into his [illegible: 1 word], 2 Sam. 12. 8. and a[illegible: 1+ letters]rms, that [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 span] matter of Ur[illegible: 1+ letters]ah, 1 King. 1[illegible: 1+ letters]. [illegible: 1+ letters]. [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] deserve some consideration which a learned [illegible: 1+ letters]n in part suggests, that this Text doth not simply forbid the taking of one wife to another, but the doing of 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 hard-hearted people to do so, and therefore the forbidding hereof might give a great check to the practise of Polygamy amongst them.

This clause is added to signifie Gods allowance to Marry one Wife after another, when she is dead, and thereby to intimate how the word Sister is to be understood.

Marginal references: Or, one wife to another.