Levirate Marriage in the Book of Ruth

“If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother shall take her and marry her and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her. The first son she bears shall carry on the name of the dead brother so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel” Deuteronomy 25:5-6

The preceding verses describe something called Levirate Marriage. “Levir” meaning the husbands brother. Levirate marriage was not an exclusive practice for Jews. In fact, it was commonly practiced historically among many peoples.

You might conclude from the text that this only applies to a deceased husband who had brothers.

However, the Bible gives examples of others it applies to. For example, Tamar was married to Judah’s first born Er. But God killed Er because he was wicked. Judah then instructs his second son, Onan, to impregnate his brothers widow. He too was evil and God killed him.

Ultimately, Judah himself impregnated Tamar and gave him twins… Perez and Zerah. Who became his sons and grandsons.

Ruth (widow of Mahlon) married a near-relative of her father-in-law Elimilech. A man named Boaz. Boaz might have been a cousin or an uncle or nephew of Elimilech, but not a brother to the deceased Mahlon. In fact, if God indeed wanted an heir sired by Boaz, then Elimilech, Mahlon and Chilion had to die. If anyone of them survived they would have been obligated to take Ruth as a wife.

And Boaz and the house of Perez would have been excluded from the lineage of David and Jesus Christ.