Deuteronomy 25

Deuteronomy · Chapter 25

Deuteronomy 25:9

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
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.his brother’s widow shall go up to him in the presence of the elders, remove his sandal, spit in his face, and declare, “This is what is done to the man who will not maintain his brother’s line.”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 she shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto the man that doth not build up his brother’s house.

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 she will draw nearוְנִגְּשָׁ֨הve-ni-ge-SHAHH5066G
to approach: approach

נָגַשׁ (na.gash) : approach 1) to draw near, approach 1a) (Qal) to draw or come near 1a1) of humans 1a1a) of sexual intercourse 1a2) of inanimate subject 1a2a) to approach one another 1b) (Niphal) to draw near 1c) (Hiphil) to cause to approach, bring near, bring 1d) (Hophal) to be brought near 1e) (Hithpael) to draw near Also means: na.gash (נָגַשׁ ": bring" H5066H)

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

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

to himאֵלָיו֮'e-LAVH0413
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)

to [the] eyes ofלְעֵינֵ֣יle-'ei-NEIH5869JNo entry
the eldersהַזְּקֵנִים֒ha-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 draw offוְחָלְצָ֤הve-chal-TZAHH2502A
to rescue

חָלַץ (cha.lats) 1) to draw off or out, withdraw 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to draw, draw off 1a2) to withdraw 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be delivered 1b2) to be saved 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to pull out, tear out 1c2) to rescue, deliver, set free 1c3) to take away, plunder

sandal hisנַעֲלוֹ֙na-'a-LOH5275
sandal

נַ֫עַל (na.al) sandal, shoe

from onמֵעַ֣לme-'ALH5921A
upon

עַל (al) prep 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) …

foot hisרַגְל֔וֹrag-LOH7272
foot

רְגַל (re.gal) foot Aramaic of re.gel (רֶ֫גֶל "foot" H7272)

and she will spitוְיָרְקָ֖הve-ya-re-KAHH3417
to spit

יָרַק (ya.raq) (Qal) to spit

in face hisבְּפָנָ֑יוbe-fa-NAVH6440H
face: before

פָּנֶה (pa.neh) : before/to/front 1) face 1a) face, faces 1b) presence, person 1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim) 1d) face (of animals) 1e) face, surface (of ground) 1f) as adv of loc/temp 1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before 1g) with prep 1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of

and she will answerוְעָֽנְתָה֙ve-'a-ne-TAHH6030B
to answer

עָנָה (a.nah) 1) to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to answer, respond to 1a2) to testify, respond as a witness 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to make answer 1b2) to be answered, receive answer Aramaic equivalent: a.nah (עֲנָה "to answer" H6032)

and she will sayוְאָ֣מְרָ֔הve-'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)

thusכָּ֚כָהKA-khahH3602
thus

כָּ֫כָה (ka.khah) like this, thus

let it be doneיֵעָשֶׂ֣הye-'a-SEHH6213A
to make: do

עָשָׂה (a.sah) : do/perform 1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to do, work, make, produce 1a1a) to do 1a1b) to work 1a1c) to deal (with) 1a1d) to act, act with effect, effect 1a2) to make 1a2a) to make 1a2b) to produce 1a2c) to prepare 1a2d) to make (an offering) 1a2e) to attend to, put in order 1a2f) to observe, celebrate 1a2g) to acquire (property) 1a2h) to appoint, ordain, institute 1a2i) to bring about 1a2j) to use 1a2k) to spend, pass 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be done 1b2) to be made 1b3) to be produced 1b4) to be offered 1b5) to be observed 1b6) to be used 1c) (Pual) to be made

to the manלָאִ֔ישׁla-'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)

whoאֲשֶׁ֥ר'a-SHERH0834A
which

אֲשֶׁר (a.sher) A: 1) (relative part.) 1a) which, who 1b) that which 2) (conj) 2a) that (in obj clause) 2b) when 2c) since 2d) as 2e) conditional if B: Beth+ 1) in (that) which 2) (adv) 2a) where 3) (conj) 3a) in that, inasmuch as 3b) on account of C: Mem+ 1) from (or than) that which 2) from (the place) where 3) from (the fact) that, since D: Kaph+ 1) (conj.), according as, as, when 1a) according to that which, according as, as 1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since 1c) with a temporal force: when

notלֹא־lo'-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 buildיִבְנֶ֖הyiv-NEHH1129
to build

בְּנָה (be.nah) 1) to build 1a) (P'al) to build 1b) (Ithp'il) to be built

[the] house ofבֵּ֥יתbeitH1004MNo entry
brother hisאָחִֽיו'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

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