Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 25:5–7

5When brothers dwell together and one of them dies without a son, the widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother is to take her as his wife and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law for her.b 6The first son she bears will carry on the name of the dead brother, so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel.

7But 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.”

Footnotes

  • b 25:5 Cited in Matthew 22:24|MAT 22:24, Mark 12:19, and Luke 20:28

Read all of Deuteronomy 25

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Deuteronomy 25:5

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Whenכִּֽי־kî-ConjunctionH3588 burning, branding
brothersאַחִ֜ים’a·ḥîmNoun - masculine pluralH251 brother
dwellיֵשְׁב֨וּyê·šə·ḇūVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralH3427 sit, remain, dwell
togetherיַחְדָּ֗וyaḥ·dāwAdverbH3162 unitedness
and oneאַחַ֤ד’a·ḥaḏNumber - masculine singularH259 one
of themמֵהֶם֙mê·hemPreposition-m; Pronoun - third person masculine plural
diesוּמֵ֨תū·mêṯConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularH4191 die
withoutאֵֽין־’ên-AdverbH369 nothing, nought
a sonוּבֵ֣ןū·ḇênConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singularH1121 son
the widowאֵֽשֶׁת־’ê·šeṯ-Noun - feminine singular constructH802 woman, wife, female
must notלֹֽא־lō-Adverb - Negative particleH3808 not
marryתִהְיֶ֧הṯih·yehVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singularH1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
outsideהַח֖וּצָהha·ḥū·ṣāhArticle; Noun - masculine singular; third person feminine singularH2351 the outside
Her husband’s brotherיְבָמָהּ֙yə·ḇā·māhNoun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singularH2993 husband's brother
is to take herוּלְקָחָ֥הּū·lə·qā·ḥāhConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular; third person feminine singularH3947 take
as hisל֛וֹlōwPreposition; third person masculine singular
wifeלְאִשָּׁ֖הlə·’iš·šāhPreposition-l; Noun - feminine singularH802 woman, wife, female
and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law for herוְיִבְּמָֽהּ׃wə·yib·bə·māhConjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular; third person feminine singularH2992 marry

Deuteronomy 25:6

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
The first sonהַבְּכוֹר֙hab·bə·ḵō·wrArticle; Noun - masculine singularH1060 first-born
she bearsתֵּלֵ֔דtê·lêḏVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singularH3205 bear, bring forth, beget
will carryיָק֕וּםyā·qūmVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH6965 arise, stand up, stand
onעַל־‘al-PrepositionH5921 height
the nameשֵׁ֥םšêmNoun - masculine singular constructH8034 name
of the deadהַמֵּ֑תham·mêṯArticle; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularH4191 die
brotherאָחִ֖יו’ā·ḥîwNoun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singularH251 brother
so that his nameשְׁמ֖וֹšə·mōwNoun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singularH8034 name
will notוְלֹֽא־wə·lō-Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particleH3808 not
be blotted outיִמָּחֶ֥הyim·mā·ḥehVerb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH4229 wipe, wipe out
from Israelמִיִּשְׂרָאֵֽל׃mî·yiś·rā·’êlPreposition-m; Noun - proper - masculine singularH3478 Israel

Deuteronomy 25:7

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
But ifוְאִם־wə·’im-ConjunctionH518 if
the manהָאִ֔ישׁhā·’îšArticle; Noun - masculine singularH376 man
does notלֹ֤אlōAdverb - Negative particleH3808 not
wantיַחְפֹּץ֙yaḥ·pōṣVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH2654 delight in
to marryלָקַ֖חַתlā·qa·ḥaṯPreposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructH3947 take
his brother’s widowיְבִמְתּ֑וֹyə·ḇim·tōwNoun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singularH2994 sister-in-law
sheיְבִמְתּ֨וֹyə·ḇim·tōwNoun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singularH2994 sister-in-law
is to goוְעָלְתָה֩wə·‘ā·lə·ṯāhConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singularH5927 go up, ascend, climb
toאֶל־’el-PrepositionH413 motion to
the eldersהַזְּקֵנִ֗יםhaz·zə·qê·nîmArticle; Adjective - masculine pluralH2205 old
at the city gateהַשַּׁ֜עְרָהhaš·ša‘·rāhArticle; Noun - masculine singular; third person feminine singularH8179 gate
and sayוְאָֽמְרָה֙wə·’ā·mə·rāhConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singularH559 utter, say
My husband’s brotherיְבָמִ֜יyə·ḇā·mîVerb - Piel - Infinitive construct; first person common singularH2993 husband's brother
refusesמֵאֵ֨יןmê·’ênVerb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singularH3985 refuse
to preserveלְהָקִ֨יםlə·hā·qîmPreposition-l; Verb - Hifil - Infinitive constructH6965 arise, stand up, stand
his brother’sלְאָחִ֥יוlə·’ā·ḥîwPreposition-l; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singularH251 brother
nameשֵׁם֙šêmNoun - masculine singularH8034 name
in Israelבְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔לbə·yiś·rā·’êlPreposition-b; Noun - proper - masculine singularH3478 Israel
He is notלֹ֥אlōAdverb - Negative particleH3808 not
willingאָבָ֖ה’ā·ḇāhVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularH14 be willing, consent
to perform the duty of a brother-in-law for meיַבְּמִֽי׃yab·bə·mîVerb - Piel - Infinitive construct; first person common singularH2992 marry

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Deuteronomy 25:5 Luke 20:28 · Matthew 22:24 · Mark 12:19 · Genesis 38:8–9 · Ruth 1:12–13 · Ruth 3:9 · Ruth 4:5

Deuteronomy 25:6 Psalm 109:13 · Psalm 9:5 · Deuteronomy 21:19 · Ruth 4:10–12 · Deuteronomy 9:14 · Deuteronomy 29:20 · Genesis 28:8–10 · Ruth 4:1–7

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.