Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

25:3 The limit of forty stripes was to prevent the guilty man from being degraded or abused, presumably anticipating his restoration to the community. For fear of miscounting and going beyond 40, later Jews limited flogging to 39, as in the case of Paul (2 Cor. 11:24).

25:4 Even an animal was entitled to food while it worked. Paul applied this principle to the work of evangelism and disciple-making (1 Cor. 9:9; 1 Tim. 5:18).

25:5 husband's brother. In Latin, brother-in-law is levir, hence the term "levirate marriage" is applied to this law. Its purpose was protection for the widow and is a case where polygamy was allowed (i.e., the brother-in-law may have already been married). See also Gen. 38:8-10. The law reflects the strong sense of obligation placed on family, as well as a desire to preserve the family line (see Deut. 25:9). Ruth 4:1-12 seems to combine this institution with redemption by the closest kinsman (see Introduction to Ruth: Key Themes). In Matt. 22:23-33 the Sadducees use this law in an effort to disprove the idea of resurrection, and Jesus reveals their faulty reasoning. It is possible that Paul's advice in 1 Cor. 7:39, allowing a widow to marry "whom she wishes," was addressed to Christians who thought this law was still applicable.

25:7 gate. See 22:15 and note on 22:14-15.

25:9 pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face. This public event brings shame on the brother-in-law (Num. 12:14; Job 30:10). He is not, however, forced into taking the widow as his wife--which would have protected her from a reluctant husband.

25:13-16 two kinds of weights . . . two kinds of measures. A dishonest person could use one set of weights or measures for selling and another for buying, in order to buy more goods for the set price or to sell less produce for the price. See Lev. 19:35-36. See also Prov. 11:1; 16:11; Amos 8:5. days may be long. See Deut. 5:16 and note.