Deuteronomy 25:5-10

Laws Concerning Levirate Marriage

5 ¹"If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead man shall not be married outside the family to a stranger. Her ²husband's brother shall go in to her and take her as his wife and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her.

6 And the first son whom she bears shall succeed to the name of his dead brother, that ³his name may not be blotted out of Israel.

7 And if the man does not wish to take his brother's wife, then his brother's wife shall ⁴go up to the gate to the elders and say, 'My husband's brother refuses to perpetuate his brother's name in Israel; he will not perform the duty of a husband's brother to me.'

8 Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak to him, and if he persists, saying, ⁵'I do not wish to take her,'

9 then his brother's wife shall go up to him in the presence of the elders and ⁶pull his sandal off his foot and ⁷spit in his face. And she shall answer and say, 'So shall it be done to the man who does not ⁸build up his brother's house.'

10 And the name of his house^[a] shall be called in Israel, 'The house of him who had his sandal pulled off.'

Deuteronomy 25:5-10 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 25

Several laws are contained in this chapter, as concerning beating such whose crimes required it, De 25:1-3; of not muzzling the ox in treading out the corn, De 25:4; of marrying a deceased brother's wife, when there was no issue, and of the disgrace of such that refused it, De 25:5-10; of the punishment of an immodest woman, De 25:11,12; and against bad weights and measures, De 25:13-16; and for the utter destruction of Amalek, De 25:17-19.

Cross References

• 1. Matthew 22:24; Mark 12:19; Luke 20:28
• 2. [Genesis 38:8, 9; Ruth 1:12, 13; Ruth 3:9]
• 3. Ruth 4:10
• 4. [Ruth 4:1, 2]
• 5. [Ruth 4:6]
• 6. [Ruth 4:7]
• 7. [Numbers 12:14; Job 30:10; Isaiah 50:6]
• 8. Ruth 4:11

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew its name