Ruth, Continued

Ruth includes an example of the practice of levirate marriage. In this type of marriage, if a man died, his brother, or next closest male relative was required to take her as wife (even if he was already married). The first male to be born from that union would be reckoned to be the son of the dead man, and would inherit the dead man's property.

If he didn't take her, there would be a ceremony whereby the widow would publicly take off his sandal, spit in his face, and say, "Thus shall it be done to the man who will not build up his brother's house." His house would be called "the house of the man who had his shoe loosed." By the time of the Judges, this ceremony was no longer practiced, you you can see in chapter 4 of Ruth.

Another example of levirate "marriage" i in Genesis 38, when Judah failed to follow the law of levirate marriage for his daughter- in-law Tamar. She then posed as a prostitute, and tricked Judah into impregnating her. She was not punished. He was the guilty one for not providing for her as he should have. This is still introductory to Ruth. Stay tuned for Ruth.