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Of the First-Born in Bigamy.
v. 15. If a man have two wives, in that unnatural relation of bigamy which the Lord permitted among the Jews, one beloved and another hated, as in the case of Jacob, Genesis 29, 30, who was indifferent to the point of neglect toward Leah, and they have born him children, both the beloved and the hated, and if the first-born son be hers that was hated,
v. 16. then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to in her it that which he hath, when he makes his will and divides his property, that he may not make the son of the beloved first-born before the son of the hated, which is indeed the first-born, his love for the one wife should not cause him to commit an injustice to the true first-born son;
v. 17. but he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the first-born, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath, of all the property found with him, for thus the firstborn was distinguished among the children of Israel; for he is the beginning of his strength, as Reuben was that of Jacob, Gen_49:3; the right of the first-born is his. The Lord wants no favoritism shown at any time, but demands that right and justice rule among His people.