Deuteronomy 25 9

Deuteronomy 25:9 kjv

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 shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto that man that will not build up his brother's house.

Deuteronomy 25:9 nkjv

then his brother's wife shall come to him in the presence of the elders, remove his sandal from his foot, spit in his face, and answer and say, 'So shall it be done to the man who will not build up his brother's house.'

Deuteronomy 25:9 niv

his brother's widow shall go up to him in the presence of the elders, take off one of his sandals, spit in his face and say, "This is what is done to the man who will not build up his brother's family line."

Deuteronomy 25:9 esv

then his brother's wife shall go up to him in the presence of the elders and pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face. And she shall answer and say, 'So shall it be done to the man who does not build up his brother's house.'

Deuteronomy 25:9 nlt

the widow must walk over to him in the presence of the elders, pull his sandal from his foot, and spit in his face. Then she must declare, 'This is what happens to a man who refuses to provide his brother with children.'

Deuteronomy 25 verses

Deuteronomy 25 9 Meaning

Deuteronomy 25:9 describes the public ceremonial act of disgrace for a man who refuses to fulfill the levirate duty of marrying his deceased brother's childless widow. This ritual, performed before the community elders, involves the widow removing the brother-in-law's sandal and spitting in his face, while publicly declaring that this is the fate of one who will not "build up his brother’s house," thus preserving the deceased's name and providing for the widow. It underscores the severity of shirking one's familial and communal obligations under the Mosaic Law.

Deuteronomy 25 9 Context

Deuteronomy 25:9 falls within the specific laws regulating social life and justice in Israel. It is an integral part of the larger statute on levirate marriage (yibbum), detailed in verses 5-10. This law commanded that if a man died without an heir, his brother was to marry the widow to raise up a son for the deceased, thus preserving the family name and inheritance. This duty was not optional but a moral and communal obligation to ensure the deceased's lineage and provide for his vulnerable widow. Verse 9 outlines the prescribed ritual for public humiliation for the brother who refuses to perform this crucial duty, underscoring the severe social disapproval of such dereliction. This law safeguarded against the extinction of family lines and the destitution of widows in a society where land and lineage were paramount.

Deuteronomy 25 9 Word analysis

• Then his brother’s wife: The Hebrew term is יְבֶמֶת (yevamet), meaning "sister-in-law" specifically in the context of levirate marriage. She is the widow of a brother who died without children. Her situation is dire; without heirs, her deceased husband's name might be forgotten, and her future could be precarious. The law is designed to protect her and perpetuate the family.
• shall come unto him: This indicates her active role in initiating the legal process, bringing the matter to public scrutiny. It's not passive, but a deliberate act.
• in the presence of the elders: (לְעֵינֵי הַזְּקֵנִים - le'êynê hazzəqenîm) This highlights the public, formal, and legal nature of the ceremony. The elders functioned as local judges and witnesses, validating the proceedings and ensuring the community was aware of the man's dereliction of duty and subsequent disgrace. This added immense weight to the social consequence.
• and loose his shoe from off his foot: (חָלְצָה נַעֲלוֹ - ḥāləṣâ na‘ălou) This act, known as ḥălîṣāh (halizah) in later tradition, is highly symbolic. In ancient Israel, shoes were often associated with possession, inheritance, and the right to walk on or take possession of land. Removing the shoe publicly signifies the man's relinquishment or refusal of his right and duty to 'redeem' his brother's name and 'take possession' of the marital bond. It parallels the transaction in Ruth 4:7-8 where exchanging a sandal symbolized a legal transfer of property and redemption rights. Here, it signifies the refusal of those rights/duties.
• and spit in his face: (וְיָרְקָה בְּפָנָיו - vəyāroqâ bəfānāw) This is an act of profound public humiliation, scorn, and contempt. Spitting in someone's face was one of the greatest insults and a sign of ultimate degradation (cf. Num 12:14; Job 30:10; Isa 50:6). It communicates intense shame and disgust with the man's refusal to uphold his divine and social obligation.
• and shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto that man: This formal declaration (כָּכָה יֵעָשֶׂה - kākhāh yê‘āśeh) verbalizes the reason for the shaming ritual. It's a legal pronouncement establishing the man's infamy within the community. The phrase "So shall it be done" marks the conclusion of the ceremony, sealing his disgraced status.
• that will not build up his brother’s house: This phrase refers to the refusal to produce an heir for his deceased brother and ensure the continuity of his family name and inheritance. "Building up a house" (בֵּית אָחִיו - bêt 'aḥîw) is an idiom for establishing or continuing a lineage and household, a concept vital to Israelite society. His refusal to fulfill this obligation meant the deceased brother's "house" or family line would potentially be cut off, and the widow left vulnerable.
• Loose his shoe... and spit in his face: These two combined acts constitute a deliberate, choreographed ritual of public shaming and symbolic disinheritance. They signify both the refusal of duty and the accompanying disgrace for that refusal. The visual and physical aspects made the act unforgettable for both the disgraced man and the community.

Deuteronomy 25 9 Bonus section

The specific ceremony of the shoe removal and spitting became known in later Jewish tradition as halizah (or chalitzah), stemming from the Hebrew verb חָלַץ (halatz), "to draw off" or "take off" (the shoe). This detailed procedure codified in the Mishnah, remained the legal alternative to yibbum (levirate marriage) when the brother refused the marriage or it was deemed undesirable. The strong terms of disgrace likely meant that halizah was a rare occurrence; the shame would compel the brother to fulfill his duty or ensure a very strong deterrent for future potential refusals. The purpose of halizah was ultimately to free the widow to marry another man, ensuring she was not perpetually bound to a reluctant brother-in-law or left without provision. It emphasizes that while the ideal was the perpetuation of the name, the practical care for the widow also weighed heavily.

Deuteronomy 25 9 Commentary

Deuteronomy 25:9 is a vivid depiction of Israel's communal ethics, prioritizing family continuity, the welfare of the vulnerable (widows), and obedience to divine law. The levirate marriage itself was a safeguard against the social catastrophe of a name being cut off in Israel, which carried profound implications for land inheritance, social status, and remembrance. The severity of the ritual in verse 9 — involving public removal of a sandal and spitting in the face — reflects the profound seriousness with which the community viewed the man's refusal. It was a failure not just of personal responsibility, but of collective duty towards the deceased, the widow, and the preservation of God’s people’s heritage. The man, by choosing to safeguard his own resources or desires over this sacred obligation, earned an indelible mark of public shame, making him an example of selfishness and dereliction. This ensured that such neglect would be a rare occurrence, reinforcing the sanctity of the family and community welfare in Israelite society. The name given to such a house – "the house of him that hath his shoe loosed" (Deut 25:10) – was a perpetual public identifier of disgrace.