Deuteronomy 25:5

Deuteronomy 25:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband’s brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband’s brother unto her.
• New International Version (NIV)If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother shall take her and marry her and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"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 husband's brother shall go in to her and take her as his wife and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the widow of the dead man shall not be married to a stranger outside the family; her husband’s brother shall go in to her, take her as his wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her.

Context of Deuteronomy 25:5

3The judge may sentence him to forty blows, but no more. If he is struck with more than these, you might view your fellow Israelite with contempt. 4You must not muzzle your ox when it is treading grain. If brothers live together and one of them dies without having a son, the dead man’s wife must not remarry someone outside the family. Instead, her late husband’s brother must go to her, marry her, and perform the duty of a brother-in-law. 6Then the first son she bears will continue the name of the dead brother, thus preventing his name from being blotted out of Israel. 7But if the man does not want to marry his brother’s widow, then she must go to the elders at the town gate and say, “My husband’s brother refuses to preserve his brother’s name in Israel; he is unwilling to perform the duty of a brother-in-law to me!”

Deuteronomy 25:5 word by word

כִּֽי־יֵשְׁב֨וּ אַחִ֜ים יַחְדָּ֗ו וּמֵ֨ת אַחַ֤ד מֵהֶם֙ וּבֵ֣ן אֵֽין־ל֔וֹ לֹֽא־תִהְיֶ֧ה אֵֽשֶׁת־הַמֵּ֛ת הַח֖וּצָה לְאִ֣ישׁ זָ֑ר יְבָמָהּ֙ יָבֹ֣א עָלֶ֔יהָ וּלְקָחָ֥הּ ל֛וֹ לְאִשָּׁ֖ה וְיִבְּמָֽהּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• If brethrenאָח'âch · brother: male-siblingH251
• dwellיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
• togetherיָחְדָּוyachad · togetherH3162
• and oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• of them dieמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• and have no childבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• the wifeאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
• shall not marry withoutחוּץchûts chûts · outsideH2351
• unto a strangerזוּרzûr · be a strangerH2114
• unto a strangerאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• her husband’s brotherיָבָםyâbâm · brother-in-lawH2993
• shall go inבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• unto her, and takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: marryH3947
• and perform the duty of an husband’s brotherיָבַםyâbam · be brother-in-lawH2992

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 25:5

• Matthew 22:24“Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and father children for his brother.’
• Mark 12:19“Teacher, Moses wrote for us: ‘If a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, that man must marry the widow and father children for his brother.’
• Luke 20:28They asked him, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies leaving a wife but no children, that man must marry the widow and father children for his brother.
• Genesis 38:8Then Judah said to Onan, “Have sexual relations with your brother’s wife and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her so that you may raise up a descendant for your brother.”
• Ruth 1:12Go back home, my daughters! For I am too old to get married again.Even if I thought that there was hope that I could get married tonight and conceive sons,
• Ruth 3:9He said, “Who are you?” She replied, “I am Ruth, your servant. Marry your servant, for you are a guardian of the family interests.”
• Ruth 4:5Then Boaz said, “When you acquire the field from Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the wife of our deceased relative, in order to preserve his family name by raising up a descendant who will inherit his property.”

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 25:5

• 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. 5The phrase fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law refers to the levirate marriage custom. The word levirate comes from a Latin word meaning “brother-in-law.” When a married man died without a son, his brother was encouraged to marry the widow. He would father children in his brother’s name so that the dead man’s family line would continue. For examples of this custom, see Genesis 38:6–11; Ruth 3:12–13; 4:1–12; Luke 20:27–33.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 25:5

• Brother
• Inheritance
• Marriage
• Quotations and Allusions
• Strangers
• Widow

In the dictionaries

• Husband's Brother
• Beat
• Exceed
• Hindmost
• Levirate Law
• Muzzle
• Onan
• Stranger
• Stripe
• Atonement, Day 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