Deuteronomy 21:17

Instead, he must acknowledge the firstborn, the son of his unloved wife, by giving him a double portion of all that he has. For that son is the firstfruits of his father’s strength; the right of the firstborn belongs to him.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses addresses the Israelite community regarding inheritance law, instructing a father on how to distribute his estate when he has sons by both a favored and an unfavored wife.

The words — יַכִּיר (ya.kir) means he will acknowledge, and פִּי (pi) literally means a mouth of, used here to denote a measured share or portion.

The thread — The principle of firstborn status appears in Genesis 49:3, where it is tied to the beginning of his father’s strength, and Genesis 25:31, where a birthright operates as a formal inheritance claim.

Why it lands — The text mandates that estate distribution follow biological birth order rather than parental preference, establishing a fixed legal standard that overrides emotional favoritism.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

כִּי֩kithat אֶת־'et-<obj.>הַבְּכֹ֨רha./be.Khorthe/ firstborn בֶּן־ben-[the] son of הַשְּׂנוּאָ֜הha./se.nu.'Ahthe/ hated [one]יַכִּ֗ירya.Kirhe will acknowledge לָ֤תֶתLa./tetby/ givingלוֹ֙l/oto <the>/ himפִּ֣יpia mouth of שְׁנַ֔יִםshe.Na.yimtwo בְּכֹ֥לbe./Kholin/ all אֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-that יִמָּצֵ֖אyi.ma.Tze'it will be foundל֑וֹl/oto <the>/ himכִּי־ki-for הוּא֙hu'he רֵאשִׁ֣יתre.Shit[is] [the] beginning of אֹנ֔וֹ'o.N/omanly vigor/ hisל֖וֹl/o[belongs] to <the>/ himמִשְׁפַּ֥טmish.Pat[the] claim of הַבְּכֹרָֽה׃ סha./be.kho.Rahthe/ birthright

King James Version

But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.

Cross-references

Genesis 49:3 Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power.
Genesis 25:31 “First sell me your birthright,” Jacob replied.
1 Chronicles 5:1 These were the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel. Though he was the firstborn, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel, because Reuben defiled his father’s bed. So he is not reckoned according to birthright.
Psalms 105:36 Then He struck all the firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their vigor.
Genesis 25:5 Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac.