Obeying the First Part of the Tenth Commandment: Applications from the Levirate Marriage Law
Michael D. Matlock: Asbury Theological Seminary, 204 N. Lexington Ave., Wilmore, KY 40390, USA
Outline:
>Introduction: Exception or Obedience
>Understanding Deuteronomy’s Literary Structure
>The Tenth Commandment
>The Levirate Marriage
>Associations Between the Levirate Marriage and the Tenth Commandment
>Concluding Remarks
Review
The author, Michael D. Matlock had made a deep examination regarding the Tenth Commandment and the levirate marriage. He talks about whether the levirate marriage in (Deuteronomy 25:5-10) is an obedience or an exception on the tenth commandment (Deut. 5:21). In the introduction, the author has given the idea or question whether this matter is really an exception or obedience. He has given examples of different scholars who studied or examined these verses deeply. So in order to know the answer, the author has given the need for “a brief overview of Deuteronomy’s structure; the determination of possible meanings of the tenth commandment and the levirate marriage law, and a careful examination of the precise and specific correlations between the tenth commandment and the levirate marriage law” (297).
First, “understanding Deuteronomy’s Literary Structure which is divided into five sections corresponding to the five headings of the book (1:1; 4:44; 6:1; 29:1; 33:1), it also talks about the sequence of the book and “how the statutes and ordinances in 12-26 are structured and thus how the laws relate to the Decalogue” (299). Next is the study of the Tenth Commandment which signifies that the statutes and ordinance of levirate marriage (25:5-10) seems to provide commentary on the first half of the last commandment” (300). Thus… the mosaic legislation was not intended to cover all customs” (303). Moreover, this also talks about the custom of dowry which regards to wealth of a wife; hence this should not be desired in marriage.
The levirate marriage is also explained that this statutes which has a “concern to preserve human procreative power in extending families” (304). The passage also is concern whether a levir chooses to marry or not. The author cited Ian Cairns who believe “that the custom started with three-fold purpose: to perpetuate the deceased’s name and clan, to preserve the balance in land inheritance and to provide for the widow.” (305). The Israelites has also a great concern for continuance of clan through children, balancing inheritance among tribes, and respect that a widow gains from her son” (306). “The tenth commandment then seems related to economic desire…” (307), with these, the levir then “faces a moral dilemma. He can exhibit obedience or disobedience to his duty” (310); the answer then to this issue is that the levir is obeying the Ten Commandments when consummating the levirate marriage as being concluded by the author.
Matlock, D. Michael. “Obeying the First Part of the Tenth Commandment: Applications from the Levirate Marriage Law:” In Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Vol.3 (2007): 295-310. London: Sage Publications, 2007.
