Deuteronomy 25:5-10
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Preserving the Family Line
5 “When brothers live on the same property[a] and one of them dies without a son, the wife of the dead man may not marry a stranger outside the family. Her brother-in-law is to take her as his wife, have sexual relations with her, and perform the duty of a brother-in-law for her. 6 The first son she bears will carry on the name of the dead brother, so his name will not be blotted out from Israel.(A) 7 But if the man doesn’t want to marry his sister-in-law, she must go to the elders at the city gate(B) and say, ‘My brother-in-law refuses to preserve his brother’s name in Israel. He isn’t willing to perform the duty of a brother-in-law for me.’ 8 The elders of his city will summon him and speak with him. If he persists and says, ‘I don’t want to marry her,’ 9 then his sister-in-law will go up to him in the sight of the elders, remove his sandal from his foot, and spit in his face. Then she will declare, ‘This is what is done to a man who will not build up his brother’s house.’ 10 And his family name in Israel will be called ‘The house of the man whose sandal was removed.’(C)
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- Deuteronomy 25:5 Lit live together
Deuteronomy 25:5-10
Lexham English Bible
5 “When brothers dwell together and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the deceased shall not become the wife of a man of another family;[a] her brother-in-law shall have sex with her,[b] and he shall take her to himself[c] as a wife, and he shall perform his duty as a brother-in-law with respect to her. 6 And then the firstborn that she bears shall represent his dead brother,[d] so that his name is not blotted out from Israel. 7 But if the man does not want to take his sister-in-law, then his sister-in-law shall go up to the gate, to the elders, and she shall say, ‘My brother-in-law refused to perpetuate his brother’s name[e] in Israel, for he is not willing to marry me.’[f] 8 Then the elders of his town shall summon him and speak to him, and if he persists and says, ‘I do not desire to[g] marry her’ 9 then his sister-in-law shall go near him before the eyes of the elders, and she shall pull off his sandal from his foot, and she shall spit in his face, and she shall declare[h] and she shall say, ‘This is how it is done to the man who does not build the house of his brother.’ 10 And his family[i] shall be called in Israel, ‘The house where the sandal was pulled off.’[j]
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- Deuteronomy 25:5 Others: “strange man,” “man outside the family” (NEB)
- Deuteronomy 25:5 Literally “shall go to her”
- Deuteronomy 25:5 Literally “to/for him”
- Deuteronomy 25:6 Literally “he shall stand upon the name of his brother the deceased”
- Deuteronomy 25:7 Literally “to cause a name to stand for his brother”
- Deuteronomy 25:7 Literally “to consummate the marriage with the widow of a his brother”
- Deuteronomy 25:8 Literally “I do not delight in”
- Deuteronomy 25:9 Literally “respond/answer”
- Deuteronomy 25:10 Literally “name”
- Deuteronomy 25:10 Or “the house of the man whose sandal was pulled off”
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