Deuteronomy 25:7
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It’s easy to see this as simply a woman appealing to authorities, but her words reveal the profound weight of family and legacy in ancient Israel. By declaring, "My husband's brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel," she's not just stating a personal grievance; she's highlighting a failure to fulfill a sacred duty that impacts the deceased's eternal remembrance and the continuation of his lineage within God's covenant people.
And if the man does not wish to take his brother’s wife, then his brother’s wife shall go up to the gate to the elders and say, ‘My husband’s brother refuses to perpetuate his brother’s name in Israel; he will not perform the duty of a husband’s brother to me.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage is part of a series of laws designed to ensure that a deceased man's name and inheritance would continue in Israel, even if he died childless. It outlines the next step in the levirate marriage law: if the brother-in-law initially refused to marry the widow, she was to publicly bring the matter before the city elders. If he still refused, a specific public ceremony would follow to release him from his obligation and allow her to remarry.
Imagine a world where family lines are incredibly important – so important that a whole law exists to keep them going, even after death. This is the backdrop for our verse.
Deuteronomy 25:5-10 lays out the Levirate marriage law (from the Latin 'levir,' meaning 'brother-in-law'). If a man died without a son, his brother was obligated to marry the widow.
Why this Law?
When a man refused his duty, it wasn't just a private matter. The widow had a specific, public way to seek justice and her dignity.
Our verse details the process for a widow whose brother-in-law refused to marry her. She wasn't powerless; she had recourse.
The Process:
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This was crucial for her protection and for upholding the integrity of the law. It ensured that a man's refusal didn't leave a woman vulnerable or a family line unfulfilled without a community-recognized process.
Understand the original words
sha'ar · Hebrew Noun
The legal and judicial center of an ancient Israelite city. Elders met here to settle disputes, conduct legal business, and administer justice in the presence of the community.
zaqen · Hebrew Noun
Leaders appointed to govern, judge, and represent the community. They were typically respected older men responsible for upholding the Law of Moses in their local jurisdiction.
yabam · Hebrew Noun
A custom requiring a man to marry his deceased brother's widow to secure an heir for the deceased. It was a duty of familial loyalty to ensure the brother's lineage and property remained in the family.
This passage beautifully illustrates the levirate marriage law in action when Boaz acts as the kinsman-redeemer, showing the community's involvement and the ultimate goal of preserving a family line.
Matthew 22:23-32Jesus addresses the Sadducees' trick question about marriage in the resurrection, directly referencing the levirate law in Deuteronomy to explain that the resurrected life operates under different principles than earthly familial and marital bonds.
Genesis 38:1-30This narrative shows the tragic consequences when the levirate duty is not fulfilled, as seen with Onan, highlighting the seriousness of the command and the divine displeasure when it's deliberately avoided.
1 Corinthians 7:10-11While not directly about levirate marriage, this passage speaks to the importance of marital commitment and the spiritual implications of separation or refusal to fulfill spousal duties, echoing the seriousness of honoring familial obligations described in Deuteronomy.
calvinDeuteronomy 25:5-10: "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."
- 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…
gillDeuteronomy 25:7: "And if the man like not to take his brother's wife, then let his brother's wife go up to the gate unto the elders, and say, My husband's brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel, he will not perform the duty of my husband's brother."
And the man like not to take his brother's wife,.... The provision here made by this law, when this was the case, is such as did not take place before it became a law; for then Onan would have taken the advantage of it, and…
It’s easy to see this as simply a woman appealing to authorities, but her words reveal the profound weight of family and legacy in ancient Israel. By declaring, "My husband's brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel," she's not just stating a personal grievance; she's highlighting a failure to fulfill a sacred duty that impacts the deceased's eternal remembrance and the continuation of his lineage within God's covenant people.
This passage is part of a series of laws designed to ensure that a deceased man's name and inheritance would continue in Israel, even if he died childless. It outlines the next step in the levirate marriage law: if the brother-in-law initially refused to marry the widow, she was to publicly bring the matter before the city elders. If he still refused, a specific public ceremony would follow to release him from his obligation and allow her to remarry.
This passage is part of a series of laws designed to ensure that a deceased man's name and inheritance would continue in Israel, even if he died childless. It outlines the next step in the levirate marriage law: if the brother-in-law initially refused to marry the widow, she was to publicly bring the matter before the city elders. If he still refused, a specific public ceremony would follow to release him from his obligation and allow her to remarry.
"And if the man does not wish to take his brother’s wife, then his brother’s wife shall go up to the gate to the elders and say, ‘My husband’s brother refuses to perpetuate his brother’s name in Israel; he will not perform the duty of a hus…" — It’s easy to see this as simply a woman appealing to authorities, but her words reveal the profound weight of family and legacy in ancient Israel. By declaring, "My husband's brother refuseth to rais…
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Last reviewed October 2026
