Deuteronomy 25

Deuteronomy · Chapter 25

Deuteronomy 25:7

1If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them; then they shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked.2And it shall be, if the wicked man be worthy to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, according to his fault, by a certain number.3Forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed: lest, if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee.4Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.5If 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.6And it shall be, that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel.7And 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.8Then 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;9Then 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.10And his name shall be called in Israel, The house of him that hath his shoe loosed.11When men strive together one with another, and the wife of the one draweth near for to deliver her husband out of the hand of him that smiteth him, and putteth forth her hand, and taketh him by the secrets:12Then thou shalt cut off her hand, thine eye shall not pity her.13Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small.14Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures, a great and a small.15But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.16For all that do such things, and all that do unrighteously, are an abomination unto the LORD thy God.17Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt;18How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God.19Therefore it shall be, when the LORD thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
7And 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.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.”And if the man like not to take his brother’s wife, then his brother’s wife shall 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 a husband’s brother unto me.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and ifוְאִם־ve-'im-H0518A
if

אִם (im) : if/whether_or/though 1) if 1a) conditional clauses 1a1) of possible situations 1a2) of impossible situations 1b) oath contexts 1b1) no, not 1c) if...if, whether...or, whether...or...or 1d) when, whenever 1e) since 1f) interrogative particle 1g) but rather

notלֹ֤אlo'H3808
not

לֹא (lo) 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

he will desireיַחְפֹּץ֙yach-POTZH2654A
to delight in

חָפֵץ (cha.phets) 1) to delight in, take pleasure in, desire, be pleased with 1a) (Qal) 1a1) of men 1a1a) to take pleasure in, delight in 1a1b) to delight, desire, be pleased to do 1a2) of God 1a2a) to delight in, have pleasure in 1a2b) to be pleased to do

the manהָאִ֔ישׁha-'ISHH0376G
man

אִישׁ (ish) : man 1) man 1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female) 1b) husband 1c) human being, person (in contrast to God) 1d) servant 1e) mankind 1f) champion 1g) great man 2) whosoever 3) each (adjective)

to takeלָקַ֖חַתla-KA-chatH3947I
to take: take

לָקַח (la.qach) : take 1) to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to take, take in the hand 1a2) to take and carry along 1a3) to take from, take out of, take, carry away, take away 1a4) to take to or for a person, procure, get, take possession of, select, choose, take in marriage, receive, accept 1a5) to take up or upon, put upon 1a6) to fetch 1a7) to take, lead, conduct 1a8) to take, capture, seize 1a9) to take, carry off 1a10) to take (vengeance) 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be captured 1b2) to be taken away, be removed …

brother's wife hisיְבִמְתּ֑וֹye-vim-TOH2994
sister-in-law

יְבֵ֫מֶת (ye.ve.met) sister-in-law, brother's wife, brother's widow

and she will go upוְעָלְתָה֩ve-'al-TAHH5927G
to ascend: rise

עָלָה (a.lah) : rise/go 1) to go up, ascend, climb 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to go up, ascend 1a2) to meet, visit, follow, depart, withdraw, retreat 1a3) to go up, come up (of animals) 1a4) to spring up, grow, shoot forth (of vegetation) 1a5) to go up, go up over, rise (of natural phenomenon) 1a6) to come up (before God) 1a7) to go up, go up over, extend (of boundary) 1a8) to excel, be superior to 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be taken up, be brought up, be taken away 1b2) to take oneself away 1b3) to be exalted 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to bring up, cause to ascend or climb, cause to go up 1c2) to bring up, bring against, take away …

brother's wife hisיְבִמְתּ֨וֹye-vim-TOH2994
sister-in-law

יְבֵ֫מֶת (ye.ve.met) sister-in-law, brother's wife, brother's widow

the gate towardsהַשַּׁ֜עְרָהha-SHA'-rahH8179G
gate

שַׁ֫עַר (sha.ar) : gate 1) gate 1a) gate (of entrance) 1b) gate (of space inside gate, i.e. marketplace, public meeting place) 1b1) city, town 1c) gate (of palace, royal castle, temple, court of tabernacle) 1d) heaven

toאֶל־'el-H0413
to(wards)

אֶל (el) 1) to, toward, unto (of motion) 2) into (limit is actually entered) 2a) in among 3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion) 4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character) 5) in addition to, to 6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of 7) according to (rule or standard) 8) at, by, against (of one's presence) 9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

the eldersהַזְּקֵנִ֗יםha-ze-ke-NIMH2205G
old: elder

זָקֵן (za.qen) : elder/leader 1) old 1a) old (of humans) 1b) elder (of those having authority)

and she will sayוְאָֽמְרָה֙ve-'a-me-RAHH0559
to say

אָמַר (a.mar) 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

he has refusedמֵאֵ֨יןme-'EINH3985
to refuse

מָאֵן (ma.en) (Piel) to refuse

husband's brother myיְבָמִ֜יye-va-MIH2993
brother-in-law

יָבָם (ya.vam) brother-in-law, husband's brother

to establishלְהָקִ֨יםle-ha-KIMH6965INo entry
for brother hisלְאָחִ֥יוle-'a-CHIVH0251G
brother: male-sibling

אָח (ach) : male-sibling 1) brother 1a) brother of same parents 1b) half-brother (same father) 1c) relative, kinship, same tribe 1d) each to the other (reciprocal relationship) 1e) (fig.) of resemblance

a nameשֵׁם֙shemH8034
name

שֵׁם (shem) 1) name 1a) name 1b) reputation, fame, glory 1c) the Name (as designation of God) 1d) memorial, monument Aramaic equivalent: shum (שֻׁם "name" H8036)

in Israelבְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔לbe-YIS-ra-'ELH3478
Jacob

יַעֲקֹב (ya.a.qov) A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.25.26; son of: Isaac (H3327) and Rebekah (H7259); brother of: Esau (H6215); married to Rachel (H7354), Leah (H3812), Zilpah (H2153) and Bilhah (H1090A); father of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074), Dinah (H1783), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); also called Jacob frequently Another name of yis.ra.el (יִשְׂרָאֵל "Israel" H3478) § Jacob = "heel holder" or "supplanter" …

notלֹ֥אlo'H3808
not

לֹא (lo) 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

he was willingאָבָ֖ה'a-VAHH0014
be willing

אָבָה (a.vah) 1) to be willing, consent 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be willing 1a2) to consent, yield to, accept 1a3) to desire

to act as a husband's brother for meיַבְּמִֽי׃ya-be-MIH2992
be brother-in-law

יָבַם (ya.vam) 1) (Piel) to perform levirate marriage, perform the duty of a brother-in-law 1a) the duty due to a brother who died childless - to marry his widow and have a son for his name

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.