Laws Concerning Levirate Marriage
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h "If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the widow of the dead man shall not be married to a stranger outside the family; her husband's brother shall go in to her, take her as his wife, and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her.
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"And it shall be that the firstborn son which she bears i will succeed to the name of his dead brother, that j his name may not be blotted out of Israel.
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"But if the man does not want to take his brother's wife, then let his brother's wife go up to the k gate to the elders, and say, 'My husband's brother refuses to raise up a name to his brother in Israel; he will not perform the duty of my husband's brother.'
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"Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak to him. But if he stands firm and says, l 'I do not want to take her,'
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"then his brother's wife shall come to him in the presence of the elders, m 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 n build up his brother's house.'
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"And his name shall be called in Israel, 'The house of him who had his sandal removed.'
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Cross References
Matthew 22:24
Saying: "Teacher, Moses said that if a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.
Mark 12:19
Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, and leaves his wife behind, and leaves no children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.
Luke 20:28
Saying: "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife, and he dies without children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.
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Cross References
Genesis 38:9
But Onan knew that the heir would not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in to his brother's wife, that he emitted on the ground, lest he should give an heir to his brother.
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Cross References
Ruth 4:5
Then Boaz said, "On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also buy it from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance.
Ruth 4:10
"Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, I have acquired as my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren and from his position at the gate. You are witnesses this day."
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Cross References
Ruth 4:1
Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there; and behold, the close relative of whom Boaz had spoken came by. So Boaz said, "Come aside, friend, sit down here." So he came aside and sat down.
Ruth 4:2
And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, "Sit down here." So they sat down.
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Cross References
Ruth 4:6
And the close relative said, "I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I ruin my own inheritance. You redeem my right of redemption for yourself, for I cannot redeem it.
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Cross References
Ruth 4:7
Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging, to confirm anything: one man took off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was a confirmation in Israel.
Ruth 4:8
Therefore the close relative said to Boaz, "Buy it for yourself." So he took off his sandal.
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Cross References
Ruth 4:11
And all the people who were at the gate, and the elders, said, " We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house of Israel; and may you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.