Levirate Marriage

Any discussion about "biblical marriage" should include Levirate Marriage. If a man dies, his wives are to be given to the dead man’s brothers or a close male relative.

Deuteronomy 25:5-6 (NET)

If brothers live together and one of them dies without having a son, the dead man’s wife must not remarry someone outside the family. Instead, her late husband’s brother must go to her, marry her, and perform the duty of a brother-in-law. Then the first son she bears will continue the name of the dead brother, thus preventing his name from being blotted out of Israel.

We see this In play in the stories of Onan and Tamar

Gen 38:6 - 10 (NET)

Judah acquired a wife for Er his firstborn; her name was Tamar. But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord killed him. Then Judah said to Onan, “Have sexual relations with your brother’s wife and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her so that you may raise up a descendant for your brother.”  But Onan knew that the child would not be considered his. So whenever he had sexual relations with his brother’s wife, he withdrew prematurely so as not to give his brother a descendant.  What he did was evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord killed him too.

The story of Ruth is another example. Ruth’s first husband died without leaving a child. Boaz was related to Ruth's mother-in-law Naomi. There was another man who was a closer relative, so Boaz had to clear things up with him first before taking Ruth as his wife.

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• Sex with Wife’s Slaves

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• Recently Discovered Chapter of Deuteronomy
• Sexuality of: Heros of The Faith
• Biblical Marriage
• Porneia (Sexual Immorality???)
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