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Friday, September 12th, 2025
the Week of Proper 18 / Ordinary 23
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Douay-Rheims Bible

Deuteronomy 25:6

And the first son he shall have of her he shall call by his name, that his name be not abolished out of Israel.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Brother;   Inheritance;   Marriage;   Widow;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - First Born, the;   Widows;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Barrenness;   Gate;   Marriage;   Widow;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Inheritance;   Name;   Punishment;   Widow;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Duty;   Immorality, Sexual;   Wealth;   Widow;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Gate;   Levirate Law;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Boaz;   Brother;   Heir;   Shealtiel;   Zerubbabel;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Adoption;   Avenger;   Court Systems;   Family;   Kinsman;   Levirate Law;   Levirate Law, Levirate Marriage;   Resurrection;   Ruth;   Shealtiel;   Spit, Spittle;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ancestor-Worship;   Crimes and Punishments;   Deuteronomy;   Family;   Firstborn;   Inheritance;   Leviticus;   Marriage;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Levirate Law ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Spitting;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Marriage;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Gate;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Heir;   Husband's Brother;   Law in the Old Testament;   Name;   Relationships, Family;   Saul;   Succeed;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Adoption;   Adultery;   Blood-Relationship;   Brother;   Cochin;   Conditions;   Family and Family Life;   ḥaliẓah;   Marriage;   Mishnah;   Nashim;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The first son she bears will carry on the name of the dead brother, so his name will not be blotted out from Israel.
Hebrew Names Version
It shall be, that the firstborn whom she bears shall succeed in the name of his brother who is dead, that his name not be blotted out of Yisra'el.
King James Version
And 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.
Lexham English Bible
And then the firstborn that she bears shall represent his dead brother, so that his name is not blotted out from Israel.
English Standard Version
And the first son whom she bears shall succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel.
New Century Version
The first son she has counts as the son of the dead brother so that his name will not be forgotten in Israel.
New English Translation
Then the first son she bears will continue the name of the dead brother, thus preventing his name from being blotted out of Israel.
Amplified Bible
"It shall be that her firstborn [son] will be given the name of the dead brother, so that his name will not be blotted out of Israel.
New American Standard Bible
"It shall then be that the firstborn to whom she gives birth shall assume the name of his father's deceased brother, so that his name will not be wiped out from Israel.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And the first borne which she beareth, shall succeede in the name of his brother which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel.
Legacy Standard Bible
And it will be that the firstborn whom she bears shall assume the name of his dead brother, so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel.
Complete Jewish Bible
The first child she bears will succeed to the name of his dead brother, so that his name will not be eliminated from Isra'el.
Darby Translation
And it shall be, that the firstborn that she beareth shall stand in the name of his brother who is dead, that his name be not blotted out from Israel.
Easy-to-Read Version
Then the first son she has will be considered the dead man's son in order to keep the dead man's name alive in Israel.
George Lamsa Translation
And it shall be, that the first-born which she bears shall be named after the name of his brother who is dead, that his name may not be forgotten in Israel.
Good News Translation
The first son that they have will be considered the son of the dead man, so that his family line will continue in Israel.
Literal Translation
and it shall be, the first-born which she bears shall rise up for his dead brother's name, and his name shall not be wiped out of Israel.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and the first sonne that she beareth, shal he set vp after the name of his brother which is deed, that his name be not put out of Israel.
American Standard Version
And it shall be, that the first-born that she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother that is dead, that his name be not blotted out of Israel.
Bible in Basic English
Then the first male child she has will take the rights of the brother who is dead, so that his name may not come to an end in Israel.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the eldest sonne whiche she beareth, shall succeede in the name of his brother whiche is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And it shall be, that the first-born that she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother that is dead, that his name be not blotted out of Israel.
King James Version (1611)
And it shall be, that the first borne which she beareth, shall succeede in the name of his brother which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And it shall come to pass that the child which she shall bear, shall be named by the name of the deceased, and his name shall not be blotted out of Israel.
English Revised Version
And 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 blotted out of Israel.
Berean Standard Bible
The first son she bears will carry on the name of the dead brother, so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he schal clepe the firste gendrid sone `of hir bi the name `of hym, `that is, of the deed brothir, that his name be not don awei fro Israel.
Young's Literal Translation
and it hath been, the first-born which she beareth doth rise for the name of his dead brother, and his name is not wiped away out of Israel.
Update Bible Version
And it shall be, that the first-born that she bears shall succeed in the name of his brother that is dead, that his name shall not be blotted out of Israel.
Webster's Bible Translation
And it shall be, [that] the first-born which she beareth, shall succeed in the name of his brother [who is] dead, that his name may not become extinct in Israel.
World English Bible
It shall be, that the firstborn whom she bears shall succeed in the name of his brother who is dead, that his name not be blotted out of Israel.
New King James Version
And it shall be that the firstborn son which she bears will succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel.
New Living Translation
The first son she bears to him will be considered the son of the dead brother, so that his name will not be forgotten in Israel.
New Life Bible
The first son born to her will take the name of the dead brother so his name will not be forgotten in Israel.
New Revised Standard
and the firstborn whom she bears shall succeed to the name of the deceased brother, so that his name may not be blotted out of Israel.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And it shall be, that, the firstborn which she beareth, shall succeed in the name of his brother who is dead, - so shall his name not be wiped out from Israel.
Revised Standard Version
And the first son whom she bears shall succeed to the name of his brother who is dead, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"It shall be that the firstborn whom she bears shall assume the name of his dead brother, so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel.

Contextual Overview

5 When brethren dwell together, and one of them dieth without children, the wife of the deceased shall not marry to another: but his brother shall take her, and raise up seed for his brother: 6 And the first son he shall have of her he shall call by his name, that his name be not abolished out of Israel. 7 But if he will not take his brother’s wife, who by law belongeth to him, the woman shall go to the gate of the city, and call upon the ancients, and say: My husband’s brother refuseth to raise up his brother’s name in Israel: and will not take me to wife. 8 And they shall cause him to be sent for forthwith, and shall ask him. If he answer: I will not take her to wife: 9 The woman shall come to him before the ancients, and shall take off his shoe from his foot, and spit in his face, and say: So shall it be done to the man that will not build up his brother’s house: 10 And his name shall be called in Israel, the house of the unshod. 11 If two men have words together, and one begin to fight against the other, and the other’s wife willing to deliver her husband out of the hand of the stronger, shall put forth her hand, and take him by the secrets, 12 Thou shalt cut off her hand, neither shalt thou be moved with any pity in her regard.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the firstborn: Genesis 28:8-10

that his name: Deuteronomy 9:14, Deuteronomy 29:20, Ruth 4:10-12, Psalms 9:5, Psalms 109:13, brother's wife, or, next kinsman's wife, go up, Deuteronomy 21:19, Ruth 4:1-7

Reciprocal: Genesis 38:9 - General Ruth 3:2 - is not Boaz Ruth 4:5 - to raise up 2 Samuel 14:7 - so they Matthew 14:4 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 16:3
She took Agar the Egyptian her handmaid, ten years after they first dwelt in the land of Chanaan, and gave her to her husband to wife.
Genesis 21:14
So Abraham rose up in the morning, and taking bread and a bottle of water, put it upon her shoulder, and delivered the boy, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Bersabee.
Genesis 25:1
And Abraham married another wife named Cetura:
Genesis 25:2
Who bore him Zamram, and Jecsan, and Madan, and Madian, and Jesboc, and Sue.
Genesis 25:11
And after his death, God blessed Isaac his son, who dwelt by the well named Of the living and seeing.
Genesis 25:13
And these are the names of his children according to their calling and generations. The firstborn of Ismael was Nabajoth, then Cedar, and Adbeel, and Mabsam,
Genesis 25:14
And Masma, and Duma, and Massa,
Genesis 25:15
Hadar, and Thema, and Jethur, and Naphis, and Cedma.
Genesis 30:4
And she gave him Bala in marriage: who,
Genesis 30:9
Lia perceiving that she had left of bearing, gave Zelpha, her handmaid, to her husband.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And it shall be [that] the firstborn that she beareth,.... To her husband's brother, now married to her:

shall succeed in the name of his brother [which is] dead; the meaning is, as the Targum of Jonathan,

"he shall rise up in the inheritance in the name of his brother;''

or, as Jarchi expresses it,

"he shall take the inheritance of the deceased in the goods of his father;''

that is, he shall have his part and share in the inheritance that the deceased brother would have had if he had lived, which would come to him by his father:

that his name be not put out of Israel; that the family be not lost in Israel, and the inheritance belonging to it pass to another. This law was designed to keep families distinct, and inheritances in them, until the Messiah came, and that it might appear from what family he came; as he did from one in whom, as it is generally thought, this law took place: and it might have still a more special respect to him, as Ainsworth suggests; for Christ in the mystical sense may be signified by the deceased brother; he stands in the relation of a brother to his people, and has all the love, friendship, compassion, and condescension of one; he and they are of one and the same father, of the same family, and of the same nature, and have the same inheritance they being co-heirs with him; nor is he ashamed to own the relation. This brother of theirs is deceased; his death was according to the will of God, what he himself agreed to, and was foretold by the prophets; for which purpose he came into the world, and did die as to the flesh, and that for the sins of his people. Now the Jewish church was his wife, by whom he had no children through the law; that church was espoused to him, he stood in the relation of an husband to her, and she in the relation of a wife to him. Very few children were brought forth by her to him, see, Isaiah 54:1; and none by the law, by which there is no regeneration, but by the Gospel; it is through that, and not the law, the Spirit and his graces come; or souls are born again to Christ, renewed and sanctified. The apostles that survived Christ, and the ministers of the Gospel, are his brethren, John 20:17; and who are instruments in begetting souls to Christ; and these are a seed raised up unto him, and are called not after the name of the apostles and ministers of the word, through whose ministry they are begotten, 1 Corinthians 1:12; but after Christ; and have the name of Christians, or anointed ones, from him, and by which means his name is, and will be continued as long as the sun endures, Acts 11:26.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The law of levirate marriage. The law on this subject is not unique to the Jews, but is found (see Genesis 38:8) in all essential respects the same among various Oriental nations, ancient and modern. The rules in these verses, like those upon divorce, do but incorporate existing immemorial usages, and introduce various wise and politic limitations and mitigations of them. The root of the obligation here imposed upon the brother of the deceased husband lies in the primitive idea of childlessness being a great calamity (compare Genesis 16:4; and note), and extinction of name and family one of the greatest that could happen (compare Deuteronomy 9:14; Psalms 109:12-15). To avert this the ordinary rules as to intermarriage are in the case in question (compare Leviticus 18:16) set aside. The obligation was onerous (compare Ruth 4:6), and might be repugnant; and it is accordingly considerably reduced and restricted by Moses. The duty is recognized as one of affection for the memory of the deceased; it is not one which could be enforced at law. That it continued down to the Christian era is apparent from the question on this point put to Jesus by the Sadducees (see the marginal references).

Deuteronomy 25:5

No child - literally, “no son.” The existence of a daughter would clearly suffice. The daughter would inherit the name and property of the father; compare Numbers 27:1-11.

Deuteronomy 25:9

Loose his shoe from off his foot - In token of taking from the unwilling brother all right over the wife and property of the deceased. Planting the foot on a thing was an usual symbol of lordship and of taking possession (compare Genesis 13:17; Joshua 10:24), and loosing the shoe and handing it to another in like manner signified a renunciation and transfer of right and title (compare Ruth 4:7-8; Psalms 60:8, and Psalms 108:9). The widow here is directed herself, as the party slighted and injured, to deprive her brother-law of his shoe, and spit in his face (compare Numbers 12:14). The action was intended to aggravate the disgrace conceived to attach to the conduct of the man.

Deuteronomy 25:10

The house ... - Equivalent to “the house of the barefooted one.” To go barefoot was a sign of the most abject condition; compare 2 Samuel 15:30.


 
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