Deuteronomy 25:9

Deuteronomy 25:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then shall his brother’s wife come unto him in the presence of the elders, and loose his shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face, and shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto that man that will not build up his brother’s house.
• New International Version (NIV)his brother’s widow shall go up to him in the presence of the elders, take off one of his sandals, spit in his face and say, “This is what is done to the man who will not build up his brother’s family line.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)then his brother's wife shall go up to him in the presence of the elders and pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face. And she shall answer and say, 'So shall it be done to the man who does not build up his brother's house.'
• New King James Version (NKJV)then his brother’s wife shall come to him in the presence of the elders, remove his sandal from his foot, spit in his face, and answer and say, ‘So shall it be done to the man who will not build up his brother’s house.’

Context of Deuteronomy 25:9

7But if the man doesn’t want to marry his brother’s widow, she must go to the leaders of the city at the city gate. She must say, “My brother-in-law refuses to let his brother’s name continue in Israel. He doesn’t want to do his duty as my brother-in-law.” 8Then the leaders of the city must summon him and talk to him. If he persists in saying that he doesn’t want to marry her, his brother’s widow must go up to him in the presence of the leaders. She must take off one of his sandals and spit in his face. She must make this formal statement: “This is what happens to a man who refuses to continue his brother’s family line.” 10Then in Israel his family will be called the Family of the Man Without a Sandal. 11This is what you must do when two men are fighting and the wife of one of them comes to rescue her husband from the man who is beating him. If she tries to stop the fight by grabbing the other man’s genitals,

Deuteronomy 25:9 word by word

וְנִגְּשָׁ֨ה יְבִמְתּ֣וֹ אֵלָיו֮ לְעֵינֵ֣י הַזְּקֵנִים֒ וְחָלְצָ֤ה נַעֲלוֹ֙ מֵעַ֣ל רַגְל֔וֹ וְיָרְקָ֖ה בְּפָנָ֑יו וְעָֽנְתָה֙ וְאָ֣מְרָ֔ה כָּ֚כָה יֵעָשֶׂ֣ה לָאִ֔ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־יִבְנֶ֖ה אֶת־בֵּ֥ית אָחִֽיוRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Then shall his brother’s wifeיְבֵ֫מֶתyebêmeth · sister-in-lawH2994
• comeנָגַשׁnâgash · to approach: approachH5066
• unto him in the presenceעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eye: before(the eyes)H5869
• of the eldersזָקֵןzâqên · old: elderH2205
• and looseחָלַץchâlats · to rescueH2502
• his shoeנַ֫עַלna‛al na‛ălâh · sandalH5275
• from off his footרֶ֫גֶלregel · footH7272
• and spitיָרַקyâraq · to spitH3417
• in his faceפָּנֶהpânîym · faceH6440
• and shall answerעָנָה‛ânâh · to answerH6030
• and sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• So shall it be doneעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• unto that manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• that will not build upבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
• his brother’sאָח'âch · brother: male-siblingH251
• houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 25:9

• Ruth 4:7(This is the way it used to be in Israel concerning buying back property and exchanging goods: In order to make every matter legal, a man would take off his sandal and give it to the other man. This was the way a contract was publicly approved in Israel.)
• Isaiah 20:2At that time the Lord told Isaiah, son of Amoz, “Take off the sackcloth that you are wearing, and take off your sandals!” Isaiah did this and walked around barefoot and naked.
• Mark 1:7He announced, “The one who comes after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to bend down and untie his sandal straps.
• John 1:27He’s the one who comes after me. I am not worthy to untie his sandal strap.”
• Numbers 12:14The Lord replied to Moses, “If her own father had spit in her face, wouldn’t she be excluded from the community for seven days? She must be put in isolation outside the camp for seven days. Then she can be brought back.”
• Job 30:10Since they consider me disgusting, they keep their distance from me and don’t hesitate to spit in my face.
• Isaiah 50:6I will offer my back to those who whip me and my cheeks to those who pluck hairs out of my beard. I will not turn my face away from those who humiliate me and spit on me.
• Matthew 26:67Then they spit in his face, hit him with their fists, and some of them slapped him.
• Matthew 27:30After they had spit on him, they took the stick and kept hitting him on the head with it.
• Mark 10:34They will make fun of him, spit on him, whip him, and kill him. But after three days he will come back to life.”
• Genesis 38:8Then Judah said to Onan, “Go sleep with your brother’s widow. Do your duty for her as a brother-in-law, and produce a descendant for your brother.”
• Ruth 4:10In addition, I have bought as my wife the Moabite Ruth, Mahlon’s widow, to keep the inheritance in the dead man’s name. In this way the dead man’s name will not be cut off from his relatives or from the public records. Today you are witnesses.”
• 1 Samuel 2:30“Therefore, the Lord God of Israel declares: I certainly thought that your family and your father’s family would always live in my presence. “But now the Lord declares: I promise that I will honor those who honor me, and those who despise me will be considered insignificant.

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 25:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9And loose his shoe - It is difficult to find the reason of these ceremonies of degradation. Perhaps the shoe was the emblem of power; and by stripping it off, deprivation of that power and authority was represented. Spitting in the face was a mark of the utmost ignominy; but the Jews, who are legitimate judges in this case, say that the spitting was not in his face, but before his face on the ground. And this is the way in which the Asiatics express their…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5-10Verses 5-10 The law of levirate marriage. The law on this subject is not unique to the Jews, but is found (see Genesis 38:8) in all essential respects the same among various Oriental nations, ancient and modern. The rules in these verses, like those upon divorce, do but incorporate existing immemorial usages, and introduce various wise and politic limitations and mitigations of them. The root of the obligation here imposed upon the brother of the deceased…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-12Verses 5-12 The custom here regulated seems to have been in the Jewish law in order to keep inheritances distinct; now it is unlawful.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9remove his sandal: By removing his sandal, which touched the ground, the brother-in-law gave up his right to his dead brother’s property. This action showed publicly that he would not carry out his duty (Ruth 4:7). spit in his face: Spitting in someone’s face was a strong sign of shame and rejection. It showed deep dishonor and contempt (see Numbers 12:14).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 5-105-10. the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband's brother ... shall take her to him to wife--This usage existed before the age of Moses (Ge 38:8). But the Mosaic law rendered the custom obligatory (Mt 22:25) on younger brothers, or the nearest kinsman, to marry the widow (Ru 4:4), by associating the natural desire of perpetuating a brother's name with the preservation of property in the Hebrew families and tribes. If the…Read the comment

Topics related to Deuteronomy 25:9

• Brother
• Government
• Inheritance
• Marriage
• Shoe
• Spitting
• Widow

In the dictionaries

• Brother's Wife
• Beat
• Exceed
• Hindmost
• Levirate Law
• Muzzle
• Stripe
• Atonement, Day of
• Criticism
• Exodus, the Book of

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 25

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings