Focused Passage

Deuteronomy 25:5-10

Justice, Dignity, and the Perpetuation of the Covenant Line

From restrained punishment that preserves dignity (vv. 1–3), through labor rewarded (v. 4), through levirate duty that perpetuates the covenant family (vv. 5–10), through protecting the means of family continuation (vv. 11–12), through commercial honesty as covenant fidelity (vv. 13–16), to a permanent war-memorial command against Amalek (vv. 17–19).

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

5 When brothers dwell together and one of them dies without a son, the widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother is to take her as his wife and fulfill 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 that his name will not be blotted out from Israel.

7 But if the man does not want to marry his brother’s widow, she is to go to the elders at the city gate and say, “My husband’s brother refuses to preserve his brother’s name in Israel. He is not willing to perform the duty of a brother-in-law for me.”

8 Then the elders of his city shall summon him and speak with him. If he persists and says, “I do not want to marry her,”

9 his brother’s widow shall go up to him in the presence of the elders, remove his sandal, spit in his face, and declare, “This is what is done to the man who will not maintain his brother’s line.”

10 And his family name in Israel will be called “The House of the Unsandaled.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 5

Original words

When כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction brothers אַחִ֜ים H251 Noun - masculine plural dwell יֵשְׁב֨וּ H3427 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural together יַחְדָּ֗ו H3162 Adverb and one אַחַ֤ד H259 Number - masculine singular of them מֵהֶם֙ Preposition-m | Pronoun - third person masculine plural dies וּמֵ֨ת H4191 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular without אֵֽין־ H369 Adverb a son וּבֵ֣ן H1121 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular the widow אֵֽשֶׁת־ H802 Noun - feminine singular construct . . . הַמֵּ֛ת H4191 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular must not לֹֽא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle marry תִהְיֶ֧ה H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular . . . לְאִ֣ישׁ H376 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular vvv זָ֑ר H2114 Adjective - masculine singular outside [the family] הַח֖וּצָה H2351 Article | Noun - masculine singular | third person feminine singular Her husband’s brother יְבָמָהּ֙ H2993 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular is to take her וּלְקָחָ֥הּ H3947 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular | third person feminine singular as his ל֛וֹ Preposition | third person masculine singular wife לְאִשָּׁ֖ה H802 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular vvv יָבֹ֣א H935 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular vvv עָלֶ֔יהָ H5921 Preposition | third person feminine singular and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law for her וְיִבְּמָֽהּ׃ H2992 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular | third person feminine singular

BSB notes

  • Cited in Matthew 22:24, Mark 12:19, and Luke 20:28
Verse 6

Original words

- וְהָיָ֗ה H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular The first son הַבְּכוֹר֙ H1060 Article | Noun - masculine singular - אֲשֶׁ֣ר H834 Pronoun - relative she bears תֵּלֵ֔ד H3205 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular will carry יָק֕וּם H6965 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular on עַל־ H5921 Preposition the name שֵׁ֥ם H8034 Noun - masculine singular construct of the dead הַמֵּ֑ת H4191 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular brother אָחִ֖יו H251 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular so that his name שְׁמ֖וֹ H8034 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular will not וְלֹֽא־ H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle be blotted out יִמָּחֶ֥ה H4229 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular from Israel מִיִּשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ H3478 Preposition-m | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Verse 7

Original words

But if וְאִם־ H518 Conjunction the man הָאִ֔ישׁ H376 Article | Noun - masculine singular does not לֹ֤א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle want יַחְפֹּץ֙ H2654 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular to marry לָקַ֖חַת H3947 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker his brother’s widow יְבִמְתּ֑וֹ H2994 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular she יְבִמְתּ֨וֹ H2994 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular is to go וְעָלְתָה֩ H5927 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular to אֶל־ H413 Preposition the elders הַזְּקֵנִ֗ים H2205 Article | Adjective - masculine plural at the city gate הַשַּׁ֜עְרָה H8179 Article | Noun - masculine singular | third person feminine singular and say וְאָֽמְרָה֙ H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular My husband’s brother יְבָמִ֜י H2993 Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct | first person common singular refuses מֵאֵ֨ין H3985 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular to preserve לְהָקִ֨ים H6965 Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct his brother’s לְאָחִ֥יו H251 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular name שֵׁם֙ H8034 Noun - masculine singular in Israel בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל H3478 Preposition-b | Noun - proper - masculine singular He is not לֹ֥א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle willing אָבָ֖ה H14 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular to perform the duty of a brother-in-law for me יַבְּמִֽי׃ H2992 Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct | first person common singular
Verse 8

Original words

Then the elders זִקְנֵי־ H2205 Adjective - masculine plural construct of his city עִיר֖וֹ H5892 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular shall summon וְקָֽרְאוּ־ H7121 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural him ל֥וֹ Preposition | third person masculine singular and speak וְדִבְּר֣וּ H1696 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural with him אֵלָ֑יו H413 Preposition | third person masculine singular If he persists וְעָמַ֣ד H5975 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular and says וְאָמַ֔ר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular I do not לֹ֥א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle want חָפַ֖צְתִּי H2654 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular to marry her לְקַחְתָּֽהּ׃ H3947 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person feminine singular
Verse 9

Original words

his brother’s widow יְבִמְתּ֣וֹ H2994 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular shall go up וְנִגְּשָׁ֨ה H5066 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular to him אֵלָיו֮ H413 Preposition | third person masculine singular in the presence לְעֵינֵ֣י H5869 Preposition-l | Noun - cdc of the elders הַזְּקֵנִים֒ H2205 Article | Adjective - masculine plural remove וְחָלְצָ֤ה H2502 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular his sandal נַעֲלוֹ֙ H5275 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular - מֵעַ֣ל H5921 Preposition-m - רַגְל֔וֹ H7272 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular spit וְיָרְקָ֖ה H3417 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular in his face בְּפָנָ֑יו H6440 Preposition-b | Noun - common plural construct | third person masculine singular . . . וְעָֽנְתָה֙ H6030 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular and declare וְאָ֣מְרָ֔ה H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular This is what כָּ֚כָה H3602 Adverb is done יֵעָשֶׂ֣ה H6213 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular to the man לָאִ֔ישׁ H376 Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular who אֲשֶׁ֥ר H834 Pronoun - relative will not לֹא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle maintain יִבְנֶ֖ה H1129 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker his brother’s אָחִֽיו H251 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular line בֵּ֥ית H1004 Noun - masculine singular construct
Verse 10

Original words

And his family name שְׁמ֖וֹ H8034 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular in Israel בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל H3478 Preposition-b | Noun - proper - masculine singular will be called וְנִקְרָ֥א H7121 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular The House בֵּ֖ית H1004 Noun - masculine singular construct of the Unsandaled הַנָּֽעַל׃ס H5275 Article | Noun - feminine singular . . . חֲל֥וּץ H2502 Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular construct

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.