And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter as wife.
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George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Brother. It is not clear in the original whether this relates to Cenez or to Othoniel, (Haydock) as younger is not found in Hebrew but it is in the Syriac, Septuagint, and Judges i. 13. Many think that Cenez was the brother of Caleb. If Othoniel had been brother of the latter, they say he could not have legally married his niece. (Calmet)
But though Moses forbids a nephew to marry his aunt, it does not follow that uncles could not take their nieces to wife, as they would be still the head; (Worthington) whereas there would be a sort of indecency for a nephew to command his aunt. The Jews allow these marriages, while the Samaritans condemn them, Leviticus xviii. 14. In confirmation of the Vulgate, we may remark, that Cenez is never (Calmet) clearly (Haydock) represented as the brother of Caleb; and there is no inconvenience in asserting that Othoniel was the brother of the latter, whether we take this word to denote a near relation, or strictly. In the former supposition, Othoniel might marry his cousin, Axa, the daughter of Caleb, while he himself was descended from Cenez, the brother of Jephone. (Calmet)
But if we take the word strictly, as the remark of his being younger brother, both here and Judges i. 13., may seem to imply, we must then allow that Othoniel followed the custom of his nation, (Haydock) in marrying his niece. (Menochius)
Septuagint here make him "the younger son of Cenez, who was brother of Caleb "and in the Book of Judges, they say, "Gothoniel, the son of Cenez, (and) the younger brother of Caleb, first made himself master of it, under him "as if Othoniel and Caleb had been born of the same mother, but of a different father, unless we suppose that they were only nearly related, and the former much less advanced in years; so that he might well marry the daughter of Caleb and afterwards become a judge and deliverer of Israel, Judges iii. 9. See Masius; Bonfrere. (Haydock)
