Deuteronomychapter 25

19 verses · ASV

This chapter sends 126 cross-references outward and receives 96 — heaviest partner: Deuteronomy.

Chapter summary

Various laws; levirate marriage; Amalek. Forty stripes by number, not more — lest the brother be degraded. The ox not muzzled that treadeth out the corn (Paul in 1 Cor 9:9 reads this pastorally). The brother who dies without a son — his widow marries his brother, and the firstborn succeeds in the dead brother's name; the brother's refusal met by the plucking off of his shoe. A just weight and a just measure — ‘all that do unrighteously, are an abomination’. The chapter closes: ‘remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt’ — blot out the remembrance of Amalek.

Drafted from Matthew Henry, Calvin, Gill, Clarke, JFB, and Barnes.

Context

Law · Moses — see the Deuteronomy overview for the book's full setting.

1 If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment, and the judges judge them; then they shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked.

2 And it shall be, if the wicked man be worthy to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, according to his wickedness, by number.

3 Forty stripes he may give him, he shall not exceed; lest, if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee.

4 Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the grain.

5 If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no son, the wife of the dead shall not be married without unto a stranger: her husband’s brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother unto her.

6 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.

7 And if the man like not to take his brother’s wife, then his brother’s wife shall go up to the gate unto the elders, and say, My husband’s brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel; he will not perform the duty of a husband’s brother unto me.

8 Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak unto him: and if he stand, and say, I like not to take her;

9 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 she shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto the man that doth not build up his brother’s house.