New English Translation
Deuteronomy 25:8
8Then the elders of his city must summon him and speak to him. If he persists, saying, “I don’t want to marry her,”
Deuteronomy 25:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak unto him: and if he stand to it, and say, I like not to take her;
- New International Version (NIV)Then the elders of his town shall summon him and talk to him. If he persists in saying, “I do not want to marry her,”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak to him, and if he persists, saying, 'I do not wish to take her,'
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak to him. But if he stands firm and says, ‘I do not want to take her,’
Context of Deuteronomy 25:8
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!” Then the elders of his city must summon him and speak to him. If he persists, saying, “I don’t want to marry her,” 9then his sister-in-law must approach him in view of the elders, remove his sandal from his foot, and spit in his face. She will then respond, “Thus may it be done to any man who does not maintain his brother’s family line!” 10His family name will be referred to in Israel as “the family of the one whose sandal was removed.”
Read all of Deuteronomy 25Deuteronomy 25:8 word by word
וְקָֽרְאוּ־ל֥וֹ זִקְנֵי־עִיר֖וֹ וְדִבְּר֣וּ אֵלָ֑יו וְעָמַ֣ד וְאָמַ֔ר לֹ֥א חָפַ֖צְתִּי לְקַחְתָּֽהּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Then the eldersזָקֵןzâqên · old: elderH2205
- of his cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- shall callקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
- him, and speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- he standעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975
- and sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- I likeחָפֵץchâphêts · to delight inH2654
- not to takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: marryH3947
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 25:8
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 25:8
- 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
- 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 25:8
In the dictionaries
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
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