Lexical Summary
yabam: husband's brother
Original Word:יָבָם
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:yabam
Pronunciation:yah-VAHM
Phonetic Spelling:(yaw-bawm')
KJV: husband's brother
NASB:husband's brother
Word Origin:[from (the orig. of)H2992 (יָבַם - husband's brother)]
1. a brother-in-law
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
husband's brother
From (the orig. Of)yabam; a brother-in-law -- husband's brother.
see HEBREWyabam
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originof uncertain derivation
Definitionhusband's brother
NASB Translationhusband's brother (2).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
[] (Late Hebrew
id.; ; see Lag
M ii. 78) — only suffix
Deuteronomy 25:7,
Deuteronomy 25:5, in law of levirate marriage (compare
Genesis 38:8; see also Dr
Deuteronomy 25:5-10).
Topical Lexicon
Definition and Immediate Contextיָבָם (yāḇām) denotes the surviving brother of a deceased, childless man who bears the covenant duty of levirate marriage to the widow (yibbum). The term appears twice, both inDeuteronomy 25, the central biblical statute governing this practice.
Old Testament Occurrences
•Deuteronomy 25:5 – “Her husband’s brother shall take her in marriage and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her”.
•Deuteronomy 25:7 – “My husband’s brother refuses to carry on his brother’s name in Israel.”
Though the word itself is confined to these verses, the institution is illustrated inGenesis 38 (Judah and Tamar), anticipated in Ruth through the kinsman-redeemer Boaz, and referenced by the Sadducees inMatthew 22:24,Mark 12:19, andLuke 20:28.
Levirate Marriage in Ancient Israel
1. Preservation of Lineage: The firstborn of the union would “carry on the name of his dead brother, so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel” (Deuteronomy 25:6). Continuity of covenant inheritance was paramount.
2. Protection of the Widow: In a patriarchal agrarian society, the widow was economically vulnerable. The yāḇām ensured her place within the clan and safeguarded allotted land (Numbers 27:6-11).
3. Corporate Responsibility: The obligation fell on the family, reflecting Israel’s collective identity. Refusal triggered a public ceremony of shame, underscoring the seriousness of covenant loyalty (Deuteronomy 25:8-10).
Historical Background
Archaeological parallels (Nuzi, Hittite laws) reveal similar customs, but Scripture uniquely roots the practice in God’s promise to Abraham’s seed. Israel’s version stresses covenant name and inheritance rather than mere social convention.
Typological and Theological Significance
• Kinsman-Redeemer Motif: The yāḇām foreshadows the goʾel (redeemer). Boaz combines both roles, prefiguring Christ who, as nearest kin through the incarnation, redeems and raises up a spiritual posterity (Ephesians 1:5-7).
• Resurrection Hope: The Sadducees’ question about levirate marriage (Matthew 22:24-28) becomes Jesus’ occasion to affirm resurrection, linking the preserved earthly name to the greater eternal life promised in Him.
• Covenant Faithfulness: The law exhibits God’s concern for the marginalized and His demand that the community reflect His steadfast love (hesed).
Practical Implications for Ministry
1. Sanctity of Family Responsibility: While the civil requirement is not binding under the New Covenant, the principle of familial care (1 Timothy 5:8) remains.
2. Honor of the Vulnerable: Churches are called to protect widows, echoing the spirit of yibbum (James 1:27).
3. Christ-Centered Redemption: Teaching on יָבָם provides a bridge to explain humanity’s lost inheritance through sin and its restoration in the “firstborn among many brothers” (Romans 8:29).
Christological Reflections
Jesus is both the true Brother and Redeemer. By incarnating, He qualifies as kin; by His death and resurrection, He raises up a seed for God’s glory (Isaiah 53:10). The permanence of His priesthood (Hebrews 7:24) guarantees that no covenant heir will ever lack representation.
Summary
יָבָם encapsulates God’s provision for lineage, land, and love within Israel’s covenant community, ultimately pointing to the Messiah who fulfills and transcends the earthly pattern by granting His people an everlasting name (Revelation 2:17).
Forms and Transliterations
יְבָמִ֜י יְבָמָהּ֙ יבמה יבמי yə·ḇā·māh yə·ḇā·mî yəḇāmāh yəḇāmî yevaMah yevaMi
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