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Deuteronomy 25:5-7
New Catholic Bible
Deuteronomy 25:5-7
New Catholic Bible
Family Marriage.[a] 5 If brothers are living together, and one of them dies without having a son, then the widow of the deceased is not to marry outside of the family. Her husband’s brother will take her as his wife and thus perform the duty of her husband’s brother. 6 The first son will bear the name of the deceased brother, so his name not be extinguished in Israel. 7 However, if the man does not want to marry his brother’s wife, let the brother’s wife go to the elders of the town at the gate and say, “My husband’s brother refuses to ensure the continuance of his brother in Israel. He will not perform the duty expected of a husband’s brother.”
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- Deuteronomy 25:5 The levirate (from Latin, levir, “husband’s brother”) was a common practice among many Eastern peoples (including the Assyrians and Hittites) and had for its purpose to ensure a posterity and, with this, the stability of inherited property (see the case proposed to Jesus by the Sadducees in Mt 22:23-26).
