Deuteronomy 25:10

10 And his family will be named in Israel, The house of him whose shoe has been taken off.

Deuteronomy 25:10 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 25:10

And his name shall be called in Israel
Not his particular and personal name, but his family; for it seems that not only a mark of infamy was set upon him for refusing to marry his brother's widow, but upon his family also;

the house of him that hath his shoe loosed;
which, as Leo of Modena says F19, was repeated by her three times; and at every time the people with a loud voice answer and call him, one that had his shoe loosed; and then the Rabbin tells the man that he is at liberty now to marry whom he pleases; and if he desires a certificate from them of this setting free his kinswoman, they presently give him one; and she also had a writing given to her by the judges, certifying the same, that she was free also to marry another; of which the following is a short form or copy F20.

``In such or such a session (or court), such an one, the daughter of such an one, plucked off the shoe of such an one, the son of such an one, before us; she brought him before us, and she loosed the shoe of his right foot, and spit before him spittle, which was seen by us upon the ground; and said, so shall it be done to the man that would not build up his brother's house.''

A larger form may be seen in Maimonides F21, as well as a type and copy of the matrimonial contract. From this law an high priest was free, ( Leviticus 21:14 ) ; and so a king, according to the Jewish canon F23.


FOOTNOTES:

F19 History, ut supra, sect. 5. (Leo Modena's History of Rites l. 1. sect. 5.)
F20 T. Hieros. Sanhedrin, fol. 19. 1.
F21 Hilchot Yebum Vechalitzah, c. 4. sect. 29.
F23 Misn. Sanhedrin, c. 2. sect. 2.

Deuteronomy 25:10 In-Context

8 Then the responsible men of the town will send for the man, and have talk with him: and if he still says, I will not take her;
9 Then his brother's wife is to come to him, before the responsible men of the town, and take his shoe off his foot, and put shame on him, and say, So let it be done to the man who will not take care of his brother's name.
10 And his family will be named in Israel, The house of him whose shoe has been taken off.
11 If two men are fighting, and the wife of one of them, coming to the help of her husband, takes the other by the private parts;
12 Her hand is to be cut off; have no pity on her.
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