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Levirate marriage in Deuteronomy 25:5–10 required a man to marry his deceased brother’s widow when the brothers lived together and the deceased brother had no son. Their first son would carry on the deceased man’s name. This law shows God’s care for widows and the importance of preserving a family’s name and inheritance in Israel.
As we study this part of what the Bible teaches about marriage, we will also consider its relationship to Ruth and Boaz and the picture of Christ’s redemption developed in their story.
Table of contents
Our nation provides many services to widows. Here are five, but there are more:
- Hope for Widows helps financially and strives to build a community among widowed women worldwide.
- Wings for Widows provides coaching and education to help widows achieve financial wellness.
- Modern Widows Club provides in-person and virtual support groups, clubs, and travel opportunities.
- The Widow Connection provides skill training for widows to build economic independence.
- The Sisterhood of Widows is an online site offering compassion and encouragement for widows.
None of these services can replace losing a spouse, but they are intended to help financially, mentally, socially, and emotionally.
The ancient world was a cruel place to live. They didn’t have the social services we have today. Women, in general, had it bad. Widows had it worse. And widows with no sons to care for them had it worst of all. They were the picture of helplessness and vulnerability.
God expressed His heart for widows and commanded His people to care for them:
- Psalm 68:5 Protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.
- Psalm 146:9 The Lord…upholds the widow.
- Isaiah 1:17 [God says to], “Learn to do good [and] plead the widow’s cause.”
Levirate Marriage Cared for the Widow
God commanded levirate marriage in the Mosaic law to care for widows: when a man died, his brother married his wife. This is also where the word “levirate” comes from: it has nothing to do with the tribe of Levi. The word comes from the Latin levir, which means “a husband’s brother.”
When I first learned about levirate marriage, to be honest, it seemed pretty weird to me: a man is commanded to marry his dead brother’s wife. And if we’re all honest, we would probably admit this isn’t the only part of the Mosaic law that seems weird. We look at other parts and say, “Why would God command this?” But as I studied levirate marriage this past week, it made sense to me. If we lived in the ancient world, we would see that levirate marriage was compassionate toward both the widow and her deceased husband.
When we encounter something in the Old Testament that seems weird or troubling, often it’s because of two things. First, we don’t live in that culture. If we did, the things we read would make more sense. Second, we aren’t familiar enough with what we are reading. If we study Scripture enough, we often see that what God did was wise and beneficial.
And with that, let’s take a look at Deuteronomy 25:5-10, which are the verses commanding levirate marriage:
Deuteronomy 25:5 “If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead man shall not be married outside the family to a stranger. Her husband’s brother shall go in to her and take her as his wife and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her.
Notice God said it is the living brother’s “duty” to do this. God commanded Israelite men to care for Israelite women in this way. John MacArthur wrote, “Obviously, this required that the [living] brother be unmarried.”1
There are two requirements for levirate marriage.
- The brothers must dwell together. This doesn’t mean they share the same house, but it does mean they live close enough to each other that the widow and living brother knew each other. This prevented the widow from having to marry someone she didn’t know.
- The second requirement was that the deceased brother didn’t have a son. Why is that a requirement? Because if he had a son, there would be no reason for the living brother to marry his wife and provide a son.
If these two conditions were met, the deceased man’s brother, the widow’s brother-in-law, should marry her.
Levirate Marriage Carried on the Deceased Man’s Name
Deuteronomy 25:6 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.
Notice it says the first son they have together “shall succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel.” In our day, men like to have sons to carry on their name, but it was crucial in the Old Testament because these were God’s covenant people. They were divided by tribe, clan, and then families. It was important for each family to continue. When God wanted to punish evil men, one of the strongest things He would do to them was end their line.
With levirate marriage, the firstborn son was considered the legal descendant of the deceased man and would carry on his name.
Levirate Marriage Carried on the Deceased Man’s Inheritance
The second thing that was important in Israel was for the land to stay within families so they didn’t become destitute and so no nobody developed a monopoly:
Numbers 36:7 The inheritance (or land) of the people of Israel shall not be transferred from one tribe to another, for every one of the people of Israel shall hold on to the inheritance (or land) of the tribe of his fathers.
God established the year of Jubilee when all land returned to the original owner:
Leviticus 25:23 “The land shall not be sold [permanently]…24 in all the country you possess, you shall allow a redemption of the land.
This means the land had to be able to return to the original owner. This is probably why Naboth would not sell his vineyard to Ahab. After Ahab made his offer:
1 Kings 21:3 Naboth said to Ahab, “The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.”
Naboth didn’t say he didn’t want to sell the land. He said God forbade him from doing so because he knew God wanted land to remain within the family.
But there’s one massive problem for a man who dies without a son: he doesn’t have anyone to pass his land or inheritance to. So God commanded levirate marriage to ensure a deceased man’s divinely appointed inheritance could remain with his family.
The Humiliating Ceremony If a Brother Refused to Fulfill His Responsibility
If a man’s brother dies, he gets more of the family’s inheritance because he doesn’t have to split it with his dead brother. Therefore, a man might not want to marry his deceased brother’s wife so he could selfishly keep more of the inheritance for himself. So God described what should happen to such a man who refuses to fulfill his responsibility…
Deuteronomy 25:7 And if the man does not wish to take his brother’s wife, then his brother’s wife shall go up to the gate to the elders and say, ‘My husband’s brother refuses to perpetuate his brother’s name in Israel; he will not perform the duty of a husband’s brother to me.’
The widow would take her case to the elders of the land so they could try to reason with the living brother. They would likely point out what we’ve discussed: “Childless widows need protection. The deceased brother needs an heir to maintain the family name and inheritance.” But if he still refused, he better prepare for this. Look at verse 8:
Deuteronomy 25:8 Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak to him, and if he persists, saying, ‘I do not wish to take her,’ 9 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.’
He had to go through this humiliating ceremony. It is pretty obvious what spitting in his face means: the same thing it means in our day: someone is disgusted with someone else. But what is the deal with removing the sandal? There are two possibilities. First, putting your foot on land was a way to claim it for yourself.2 So, taking off a sandal could signify relinquishing the claim to the property that would have come with marrying the widow.
The other possibility is the poor, mourners, and prisoners of war went barefoot.3 Think of the familiar one with the prodigal son:
Luke 15:22 The father said, “Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.”
He didn’t want his son to look destitute or like a prisoner of war.
Look at the last thing that happens to him:
Deuteronomy 25:10 And the name of his house shall be called in Israel, ‘The house of him who had his sandal pulled off.’
Perhaps because he refused to continue his brother’s name, he gets a new name: “The house of him who had his sandal pulled off.” Notice it says, “his house shall be called.” So, if the brother married later and had a family, this isn’t only his name. It’s the name of his whole family.
As you can see, by refusing to honor his dead brother, the man brought dishonor to himself and his family. There was intense social pressure to ensure obedience to protect the widow and the deceased man’s name and estate.
When Onan Refused His Responsibilities with Tamar
Tamar was married to Judah’s son, Er. Er died, leaving Tamar childless. Even though levirate marriage was not yet commanded in the Mosaic law, it was still commonly practiced; therefore, Judah told one of his other sons, Onan, Er’s brother, to provide Tamar with a child. Onan refused:
Genesis 38:9 Onan knew that the offspring would not be his.
Onan didn’t want Tamar to have a child because he knew it wouldn’t be his son, and God killed him for it:
Genesis 38:10 What [Onan] did was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and [God] put him to death.
Boaz and Ruth’s Levirate Marriage
The Sadducees asked Jesus about levirate marriage when trying to trap Him. However, the most famous example of levirate marriage is in Ruth. Ruth’s husband, Mahlon, died, and she’s living with and caring for her mother-in-law, Naomi, because she also lost her husband, Elimelech. Ruth met a man named Boaz, who is related to her deceased husband, so they could have a levirate marriage. Look at verse 9:
Ruth 3:9 He (this is Boaz) said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer.”
Ruth points out that Boaz could be her kinsman-redeemer, and asking him to spread his wings over her is asking him to marry and protect her. Because God’s law commanded Boaz to marry Ruth, she acted boldly but not inappropriately.
Ruth 3:10 And he said, “May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich.
Boaz thought Ruth would pursue a younger man. Boaz is a contemporary of Elimelech and Naomi, so he’s probably one generation older than Ruth.
Ruth 3:11 And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman. 12 And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I.
Uh oh! There’s a potential problem that Ruth didn’t know about. Ruth’s deceased husband, Mahlon, has a closer relative than Boaz, so he has the right to marry Ruth. This could also be why Boaz had not yet pursued Ruth.
Ruth 3:13 Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.”
Boaz is a man of integrity. He wants to marry Ruth, but he will do things right. He’ll only be with her if the other guy isn’t interested.
Ruth 4:1 Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by. So Boaz said, “Turn aside, friend; sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down.
Business was conducted at the city gate because everyone came in and out through it. Boaz waited there until the closer relative showed up.
Ruth 4:2 And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down. 3 Then he said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech.
The land hadn’t been sold yet, but Naomi was going to sell it because, as a widow, she needed the money, and she knew it would be returned in the Jubilee year.
Ruth 4:4 So I thought I would tell you of it and say, ‘Buy it in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people.’ If you will redeem it, redeem it. But if you will not, tell me, that I may know, for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I come after you.” And he said, “I will redeem it.”
Uh-oh. Things aren’t looking good at this point. The man wants to buy the land.
Ruth 4:5 Then Boaz said, “The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead (referring to Ruth’s previous husband, Mahlon), in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance.”
Boaz told the man that he also had to marry Ruth if he wanted to buy Naomi’s land. If the land belonged to Naomi, why would he marry Ruth instead of Naomi? More than likely, because Naomi was past childbearing age, there wouldn’t be any reason for him to marry her, as he wouldn’t be able to have a child with her to carry on the family name.
Ruth 4:6 Then the redeemer said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”
He wanted the land but didn’t want to marry Ruth because he didn’t want to give his family inheritance to any of the children he would have with her.
Ruth 4:7 Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging: to confirm a transaction, the one drew off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was the manner of attesting in Israel. 8 So when the redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” he drew off his sandal.
This refers to the verses in Deuteronomy 25 describing what happens when a man declines his responsibility as the kinsman redeemer. Ruth is supposed to go up to him, take off one of his sandals, spit in his face, and say, “So shall it be done to the man who does not build up his brother’s house.” And then everyone in Israel refers to his family as “the house of him who had his sandal pulled off.”
They didn’t do all this, but he did take off his sandal. I wonder how he and his family were treated in the years to come.
Ruth 4:9 Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion (this is Elimelech and Naomi’s other son) and to Mahlon. 10 Also Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his native place. You are witnesses this day.”
So, here is the levirate marriage: Boaz marries Ruth to carry on the family name and inheritance.
Levirate Marriage Looks to Christ’s Redemption
Luke 24:27 Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets (referring to the Old Testament), [Jesus] interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
The Old Testament is about Jesus, and He shows up powerfully in Ruth chapters 3 and 4, where the words redeem and redeemer occur nineteen times. It’s tempting only to see Boaz, but we must look past him to see Jesus, the true and greater redeemer:
Ruth 4:14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel!
This was said to Naomi about Boaz, but because Boaz is a dramatic type of Christ, these words can be said even more appropriately to us: “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left US this day without a Redeemer, and may His name be renowned in Israel and throughout the world.”
As kinsman-redeemer to Ruth, Boaz took her as his bride, and as our Kinsman Redeemer, Jesus has taken us, the church, as His bride:
- The kinsman-redeemer had to be a family member, and Jesus added humanity to His deity so He could be kin to us.
- The kinsman-redeemer bought family members out of slavery, and Jesus bought us out of slavery to sin and death.
- The kinsman-redeemer bought back forfeited land, and Jesus will redeem the earth that mankind forfeited to Satan in the garden.
The other relative wanted the land, but Boaz was wealthy and didn’t care about the land. He wanted the treasure that came with the land, referring to Ruth. Think of what Jesus said about himself:
Matthew 13:44 The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
You’re the treasure Jesus found, and finding you brought Him joy…just like:
- The shepherd who found his lost sheep: Luke 15:5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’
- The woman who found her lost coin: Luke 15:9 when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’
It is hard to imagine Jesus doing this joyfully because it meant His death…
Hebrews 12:2 says, “[Jesus] endured the cross for THE JOY THAT WAS SET BEFORE HIM.”
That’s how much Jesus loves us. That’s how valuable we are to Him. He was willing to go to the cross joyfully to redeem us back from sin and death.
Footnotes
- John MacArthur, The MacArthur Bible Commentary, page 227.
- Genesis 13:17 Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.”
Joshua 10:24 And when they brought those kings out to Joshua, Joshua summoned all the men of Israel and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, “Come near; put your feet on the necks of these kings.” Then they came near and put their feet on their necks.
Psalm 60:8 and Psalm 108:9 Moab is my washbasin; upon Edom I cast my shoe; over Philistia I shout in triumph.
- Isaiah 20:2 at that time the Lord spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, “Go, and loose the sackcloth from your waist and take off your sandals from your feet,” and he did so, walking naked and barefoot. 3 Then the Lord said, “As my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Cush, 4 so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptian captives and the Cushite exiles, both the young and the old, naked and barefoot, with buttocks uncovered, the nakedness of Egypt.
Micah 1:8 For this I will lament and wail; I will go stripped and naked; I will make lamentation like the jackals, and mourning like the ostriches.
