stranger

The Hebrew in Deuteronomy 25:5 that has been translated in some English versions as “stranger” is translated into Afar as “non-relative.”

complete verse (Deuteronomy 25:5)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Deuteronomy 25:5:

  • Kupsabiny: “When two people who are brothers live in the same place, and then one of those people dies but he has not left behind a child who is a boy, then a person from outside must not marry the wife of that person. But (her) brother-in-law who is the brother to her husband should marry that woman.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “If someone among the brothers living in one house dies without having had a son, the wife of that one who died must not marry outside that family circle. An elder or a younger brother of the one who died must take her as his own wife and fulfill duties of a brother-in-law her.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “‘If the male siblings are-living on one land only, and one of them dies without having a child, his wife should not marry other(-man) aside only from the family of her husband. The sibling of her husband will-be- the one -to-marry her. This is the duty of her brother-in-law to her.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “If two brothers live on the same property, and one of them who has no son dies, the man’s widow should not marry someone who is not a member of his family. The dead man’s brother must marry her and have sex with her. It is his duty to do that.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 25:5

Brothers dwell together: not necessarily in the same house, but on the same family property. Today’s English Version makes this clear, with “live on the same property.” In this instance brothers means blood brothers.

One of them dies and has no son: the Hebrew word is the normal one for son; but the Septuagint has “seed” (meaning descendants, of either sex). As quoted in the Gospels, Mark 13.19 has “has no child,” Matt 22.24 “has no children,” and Luke 20.28 “is childless.” It seems from the context that the meaning here is a male descendant, a son (so also Today’s English Version, Contemporary English Version, New International Version).

The wife of the dead: many languages will have a technical term such as “widow” for this woman, and say for example, “his widow,” or “the widow of the man”; but in other languages “the wife of the dead man” may be preferable.

Shall not be married outside the family to a stranger: the woman was not to be married off to a man belonging to a clan different from the one her dead husband belonged to. The main reason for this, it seems, was to keep property from passing on to another family. Shall not be married suggests that the woman would not take the initiative to choose a partner, but that her family would find a new husband for her. Today’s English Version follows this interpretation with “then his widow is not to be married to.” Contemporary English Version “his widow must not marry” appears to clash with Hebrew custom.

Go in to her, and take her as his wife: this is a normal way in Hebrew of speaking of possessing a woman sexually; in most languages there are more appropriate ways of saying this. In many languages “and take her as his wife” will be sufficient.

In the Hebrew text the noun “brother-in-law,” the verb perform the duty of a husband’s brother, and the noun brother’s wife in verse 7 are all cognates, that is, they come from the same Hebrew root; they appear only here and in Gen 38.8. For perform the duty of a husband’s brother, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “perform the levir‘s duty.” Today’s English Version combines both sentences with “it is the duty of the dead man’s brother to marry her.” This will be a helpful model for many translators.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .