What is the meaning of Deuteronomy 25:10? And his family name The passage begins by spotlighting “his family name,” underscoring the weight Scripture places on a man’s line and reputation. • A name signified identity and legacy (Genesis 12:2; 2 Samuel 7:9; Proverbs 22:1). • In the levirate-law setting (Deuteronomy 25:5-6), the brother’s refusal to raise up offspring allows the widow’s deceased husband’s name to die out. The offender’s own name is now at stake instead. • God’s law protects and honors faithful lines and allows shame to fall on those who shirk covenant obligations (Numbers 25:12-13; Psalm 112:6). in Israel The shame was not private; it was “in Israel,” the covenant community. • Israel’s law often brought matters before the elders at the gate so that righteousness—or unrighteousness—was witnessed publicly (Deuteronomy 21:19; 22:15; Ruth 4:1). • By making the designation national, God ensured the lesson would warn every tribe and town: family duty is sacred, and neglect invites disgrace (Deuteronomy 29:20-21). • The phrase reminds us that obedience or rebellion always affects more than the individual (Joshua 7:1; 1 Corinthians 5:6). will be called This is not a passing insult but an abiding label. • In Scripture, to “be called” something is to carry that identity forward (Genesis 17:5; Isaiah 62:2; Matthew 1:21). • The passive construction hints at divine authority: God allows the community to brand the man with a name that mirrors His own verdict (Malachi 1:4). • Once pronounced, the title stands as a living reminder each time the family appears in records or social exchange. “The House of the Unsandaled.” The heart of the verse is the symbolic phrase fixed on this family. • Sandals represented rightful possession and the willingness to act. When Boaz redeemed Ruth, another kinsman confirmed the transfer “by removing his sandal” (Ruth 4:7-8). • Here, the sandal taken off by the widow (Deuteronomy 25:9) signals the brother’s refusal to “walk in” his duty: – He forfeited his role as redeemer. – He surrendered honor before God and neighbors. – He accepted a badge of shame that would echo through generations. • Similar acts highlight humiliation in Scripture—God told Isaiah to go “barefoot” as a sign of disgrace (Isaiah 20:2-4); John the Baptist felt unworthy to unfasten the Messiah’s sandals (Mark 1:7). • Thus, “The House of the Unsandaled” becomes a perpetual monument, warning every Israelite household that covenant responsibility cannot be shrugged off without lasting consequence. summary Deuteronomy 25:10 seals the judgment on a man who refuses his levirate duty. His family, once pledged to extend life and blessing, is instead stamped with an enduring mark of shame—“The House of the Unsandaled.” God’s people learn that names matter, obedience is public, and failing to protect the vulnerable invites a reputation no one would wish to bear. |
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