LEVIRATE
E.W. Davies, "Inheritance Rights and the Hebrew Levirate Marriage.
Part I", VT 31 (1981), 133-144. - Although the primary purpose
of levirate marriage in Gen. 38, Deut. 25:5-10 and Ruth
was to provide an heir for the deceased husband, this was not its sole purpose.
It is clear that a man's "name" (Deut. 25:6) was closely
connected with his property (Num. 27:1-11; 2 Sam. 14:4ff;
Ruth 4:10). The levirate marriage was not simply to ensure the continuity
of the family but also to prevent the alienation of the ancestral estate.
Furthermore, the widow by marrying the brother-in-law or nearest kinsman
would have ensured her protection and support even if she remained childless.
(K.W.W.)
E.W. Davies, "Inheritance Rights and the Hebrew Levirate Marriage.
Part 2", VT 31 (1981), 257-268. - The main purpose of Levirate
marriage was to provide a male heir for the deceased husband's estate and
to ensure protection for the widow. However, this may have been limited
by the kinsman's attempts to evade responsibility for a variety of reasons.
The levirate obligation may have been contrary to his own interests since
if there was no male heir the inheritance would normally pass to the dead
man's brother (Num. 27:8-11), or it may have diminished and divided
his own estate (cf. Ruth 4:6) and that of his children. The Deuteronomic
provision (25:5-10) was no longer binding (cf. Gen. 38) and also
provided a ceremony by which the obligation would be renounced. It placed
further restriction on the application of the law since it was now confined
to brothers living together on the undivided family estate. The book of
Ruth probably represents an attempt to extend this restrictive practice
to include more distant relatives where the immediate family was unable
or unwilling to oblige. (K.W.W.)
H.F. Richter, "Zum Levirat im Buch Ruth", ZAW 95
(1983), 123-6. - The relation between Ruth and Boaz in Ruth c.4 fits more
a case of Levirate marriage than that of a "Redeemer" (gÙ'el)
marriage. The practice seems to reflect a situation earlier than that of
Deut. 25:5-10, Ruth 4:14f, represents an erroneous attempt
to restore the text. (R.A.M.)
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