1883 Haydock Douay Rheims Bible

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Leviticus 18:18 Thou shalt not take thy wife's sister for a harlot, to rival her, neither shalt thou discover her nakedness, while she is yet living.

Rival her, (in pellicatum). Hebrew and Chaldean, "to trouble her." After the death of one sister, it seems, another might be taken. Jacob had two at once. Some think that polygamy is here forbidden. But the law seems to have tolerated it; and only condemns many, or too great a number, with respect to the king, Deuteronomy 17:17. The impediments specified in this chapter may be comprised in these four verses: Nata, soror, neptis, matertera, fratris et uxor, ∫ Et patrui conjux, mater, privigna, noverca,∫ Uxorisque soror, privigni nata, nurusque,∫ Atque soror patris, conjungi lege vetantur. (Calmet)