Deuteronomy 25:10

10 Then that man's family shall be known in Israel as the Family of the Unsandaled.

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 older leaders of the town must call for the man and talk to him. But if he is stubborn and says, "I don't want to marry her,"
9 the woman must go up to him in front of the leaders. She must take off one of his sandals and spit in his face and say, "This is for the man who won't continue his brother's family!"
10 Then that man's family shall be known in Israel as the Family of the Unsandaled.
11 If two men are fighting and one man's wife comes to save her husband from his attacker, grabbing the attacker by his sex organs,
12 you must cut off her hand. Show her no mercy.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.