Deuteronomy 25 11

Deuteronomy 25:11 kjv

When 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:

Deuteronomy 25:11 nkjv

"If two men fight together, and the wife of one draws near to rescue her husband from the hand of the one attacking him, and puts out her hand and seizes him by the genitals,

Deuteronomy 25:11 niv

If two men are fighting and the wife of one of them comes to rescue her husband from his assailant, and she reaches out and seizes him by his private parts,

Deuteronomy 25:11 esv

"When men fight with one another and the wife of the one draws near to rescue her husband from the hand of him who is beating him and puts out her hand and seizes him by the private parts,

Deuteronomy 25:11 nlt

"If two Israelite men get into a fight and the wife of one tries to rescue her husband by grabbing the testicles of the other man,

Deuteronomy 25 verses

Deuteronomy 25 11 Meaning

Deuteronomy 25:11 describes a specific legal scenario within ancient Israelite society where two men are engaged in a physical altercation. In an attempt to intervene and protect her husband, the wife of one of the men extends her hand and seizes the assailant by his genitals. This action, while perhaps motivated by defense, is considered a severe transgression against personal honor, modesty, and the established societal order, eliciting a stern legal response detailed in the subsequent verse.

Deuteronomy 25 11 Context

Deuteronomy 25:11 is embedded within a collection of miscellaneous laws given by Moses to Israel before they entered the Promised Land. This section (Deuteronomy 22-25) provides statutes concerning social, family, and economic justice, aiming to maintain order, purity, and the covenant holiness of the community. These laws regulate marriage, property, gleaning, honest weights, and the treatment of others, including judicial processes. The specific context of 25:11–12 deals with rules governing violent interactions between individuals and the extreme boundary-crossing nature of the wife's action. The overall goal is to prevent severe societal disruption and uphold a clear distinction between proper and improper conduct, ensuring justice and moral order in the new society.

Deuteronomy 25 11 Word analysis

• If (כִּי, ki): Introduces a hypothetical but plausible scenario. It signifies a conditional legal statement, a common feature in covenant law.

• two men (שְׁנֵי אֲנָשִׁים, sh'nei anashim): Indicates a confrontation between male combatants, setting the scene for a public dispute rather than an intimate one.

• are fighting (יִנָּצוּ, yinatzu): From the root נָצָה (natzah), meaning "to strive, quarrel, contend." It describes an ongoing, violent physical conflict. The imperfect tense suggests an active struggle.

• and the wife (וְאֵשֶׁת, v'eshet): Introduces a third party, the woman, and identifies her marital status, underscoring her role within the familial structure.

• of one of them (הָאֶחָד, ha'echad): Specifies that she is allied with one combatant, motivated by familial loyalty.

• comes near (וְקָרְבָה, v'karvah): From the root קָרַב (karav), "to draw near." It implies she actively approaches the altercation, intentionally interjecting herself.

• to rescue (לְהַצִּיל, lehatsil): From the root נָצַל (natsal), "to deliver, pluck away, snatch out." Her intention is protective, aiming to free her husband from harm.

• her husband (אִישָׁהּ, ishah): Her male partner in marriage, emphasizing the familial bond motivating her action.

• from the hand (מִיַּד, miyyad): "From the power, grasp, control." The "hand" signifies control or attack.

• of him who is beating him (מַכֵּהוּ, makehu): Describes the opponent as actively striking her husband.

• and she puts out (וְשָׁלְחָה, v'shalcha): From the root שָׁלַח (shalach), "to send, stretch forth." Her deliberate action of extending her hand.

• her hand (יָדָהּ, yadah): The instrument of her action. The focus quickly shifts to what her hand does.

• and seizes him (וְהֶחֱזִיקָה, v'hechezika): From the root חָזַק (chazaq), "to strengthen, seize, hold firmly." Implies a forceful, decisive grasp.

• by his private parts (בִּמְבֻשָׁיו, bim'bushaw): This is the crucial, most controversial part.

  • מְבֻשָׁיו (m'bushaw): From the root בּוּשׁ (bush), "to be ashamed, confounded." It literally means "his shames" or "his shameful parts." This term refers explicitly to the male genitalia, considered deeply private and vulnerable.
  • Significance: The act of seizing a man by his genitals in ancient Israelite culture (and many other cultures) was considered an extreme form of public humiliation, emasculation, and a direct assault on his virility, honor, and potential to procreate. It violated boundaries of modesty and propriety severely, even in a physical fight. It’s an act intended to incapacitate through ultimate degradation, rather than merely subdue. It also reflects a profound transgression of gender-specific norms regarding public physical contact.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "If two men are fighting": Sets up a scenario of public, unrestrained conflict. The law steps in precisely where societal order is threatened.
  • "and the wife of one of them comes to rescue her husband": Establishes the woman's motivation as protective, yet highlights her entry into a realm typically considered male and potentially violent. Her action, though defensive in intent, becomes an offense due to its specific nature.
  • "and she puts out her hand and seizes him by his private parts": Describes the precise, transgressive act. The emphasis is on the direct, aggressive violation of a highly sensitive and honor-laden part of the body. This detail is paramount in understanding the severity of the mandated punishment in the following verse (25:12).

Deuteronomy 25 11 Bonus section

The severity of the punishment indicated in the following verse (Deut 25:12, cutting off her hand) highlights not just the physical assault, but the social and symbolic damage inflicted by her act. The private parts, mebushaw, were not just physical organs but deeply connected to a man's honor, procreative ability, and his family line within Israelite society. The act was considered a de-humanizing act of utter contempt, comparable in disgrace to forced public nakedness or ritual defilement. The law also implies that even protective actions must remain within established norms of modesty and dignity, preventing acts that inflict irreversible dishonor or biological harm that goes beyond proportionality for a brawl.

Deuteronomy 25 11 Commentary

Deuteronomy 25:11 details a specific scenario illustrating the gravity of certain bodily violations in ancient Israelite law. The woman's intervention, though motivated by a desire to protect her husband, crosses an inviolable line of public decency and male honor by directly attacking the opponent's private parts. This action was seen as an ultimate act of humiliation, rendering the man infertile (potentially) or publicly shaming him beyond measure, and thereby attacking his lineage and status. It was not merely physical assault but a deeply symbolic act of emasculation. The law emphasizes the importance of maintaining public decorum, gender distinctions in combat, and the sacredness of the human body, particularly parts related to procreation and lineage. The ensuing punishment (in 25:12) underscores that while self-defense is implicitly allowed, there are boundaries even in crisis, especially regarding acts that undermine societal and moral fabric so severely.