19
nehmlich meinrr Braut oder meines Weibes Schwester nach ihrem Todt."[1]
Bugenhagen, in his Saxon Bible, gives the same translation as Luther: "Du schalt ock dyner Frewen Süster nicht neinen nëven ër, ëre Schemde tho blötende er tho-weddern dewyle se noch lëvet."
John Brentius, of whom Walch says, that as an expositor of Scripture he ranks next to Luther, in his commentary on Leviticus, pronounces marriage with a deceased wife's sister lawful, in words very similar to those of Fagius, given below, and the same judgment is also given in a Tract on the subject of marriage.[2]Martin Borrhaus, the pupil of Reuchlin and friend of Melancthon, in his commentary on Leviticus (Basil 1557), says, "Uxoris sororem, eâ vivente, non esse ducendam, ut cum eâ rem habeat. Ratio additur, ne ea res uxori molestiam ac dolorem afferat quod in conjugio Jacobi accidisse palam est."[3]
Leo de Juda, whose Bible appeared in 1543 and was held in much repute, translates Lev. xviii. 18 thus: Uxorem ac sororem suam ne ducas ad lacessendum, ut scilicet retegas turpitudinem ejus vivente adhuc.
- ↑ "God has forbidden these persons, my father's brother's wife, my son's wife, my step-daughter, my step-son's or step-daughter's child, my wife's sister, whilst my wife is living. Of these persons I can have none: the other I may have, and need pay no money for it, i.e., the sister of my betrothed, or of my wife after her death." Luther's works "Jena," tom, ii., tit. vom ehelichen Leben, cited by Bucholz Responsum, § 232. Some have said that Luther afterwards changed his mind. But this is not the fact, as Bucholz proves.
- ↑ Tractatus casuum quorundum matrimonialium. Joann Brentio authore. a.d. 1532, pp. 15 and 16.
- ↑ "The wife's sister is not to be married whilst she is alive. The reason is added, lest that matter should cause trouble and grief to the wife, as is well known to have happened in the marriage of Jacob."
