H2993 H2993
brother-in-law, husband's brother (in levirate marriage context)
This technical kinship term designates the husband's brother who bears legal responsibility in levirate marriage. When a man dies childless, his brother (yavam) is obligated to marry the widow and raise up offspring for the deceased (Deuteronomy 25:5). The law provides for the brother-in-law to refuse (Deuteronomy 25:7), but this brings social shame. The term appears only in Deuteronomy 25's levirate legislation, though the practice itself appears in Genesis 38 with Judah's sons. Aramaic and rabbinic Hebrew preserve the same term, indicating its technical legal status in family law.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Both occurrences function within Deuteronomy 25:5-10's levirate marriage legislation. Verse 5 establishes the obligation: the husband's brother (yevamah, her brother-in-law) must marry her and perform the brother-in-law's duty. Verse 7 addresses refusal: if my brother-in-law (yevami) refuses to raise up his brother's name, the widow appeals to the elders. The term's technical precision (husband's brother specifically, not general brother-in-law) reflects its legal function. Targum, Mishnaic Hebrew, and Lagarde's morphological studies all confirm this as the standard term for the brother obligated in levirate marriage. 2×
AR["أَخُو-زَوْجِهَا", "أَخُو-زَوْجِي"]·ben["আমার-দেবরের", "তার-দেবর"]·DE["ihr-Bruder-in-Gesetz", "mein-Bruder-in-Gesetz"]·EN["her-brother-in-law", "my-brother-in-law"]·FR["mon-frère-dans-loi", "sa-frère-dans-loi"]·heb["יבמה", "יבמי"]·HI["देवर-उसका", "देवर-मेरा"]·ID["saudara-ipar-laki-lakiku", "saudara-iparnya"]·IT["lei-fratello-in-legge", "mio-fratello-in-legge"]·jav["sedhèrèk-lakinipun", "sedhèrèk-lakinipun-kula"]·KO["그-시동생이", "내-시동생이"]·PT["meu-cunhado", "seu-cunhado"]·RU["деверь-её", "деверь-мой"]·ES["mi-cuñado", "su-cuñado"]·SW["shemeji-wake", "shemeji-yangu"]·TR["kayınbiraderi", "kayınbiraderim"]·urd["اُس-کا-دیور", "میرا-دیور"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [יָבָם] n.m. husband’s brother (NH id.; 𝔗 יַבְמָא; v. LagM ii. 78)—only sf. יְבָמִי Dt 25:7, יְבָמָהּ 25:5, in law of levirate marriage (cf. Gn 38:8; v. also Dr Dt 25:5–10).