Deuteronomy 25:9Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

During the era of the prophets, a distinct command was established for devout women, requiring them to marry out of duty rather than personal inclination, so that the people of God would increase, serving as a foreshadowing of the prophets of Christ. Furthermore, the individuals themselves, whether aware or unaware of the deeper meaning of their actions, were vessels for the prophetic lineage leading to the flesh of Christ. Consequently, the Law admonished those who failed to bear children for Israel, emphasizing the sacred calling of these righteous women, who were driven not by carnal desires but by a profound sense of divine obedience. Thus, it is plausible to assert that they would not have pursued physical relations had there been any alternative means for procreation.

This representation of the Church reflects a rejection of the Jewish people, who have cast aside the spiritual heritage bestowed upon them. In doing so, they have turned away from making a dwelling for Immanuel, who, by being born of the Virgin, became a brother to the descendants of Jacob.

Why does Moses instruct that one should spit in the face of a man who refuses to marry his deceased brother's widow (Deuteronomy 25:9)? This act serves to shame the individual for neglecting familial duty and failing to uphold brotherly love among the Israelites. It would have been more fitting for him to honor natural obligations by caring for the deceased, yet since not everyone adheres to the natural law, the lawgiver imposes this form of disgrace to compel them to recognize their responsibilities.

In Moses' Law, it was established that a surviving brother should marry the widow of his deceased childless sibling, and in his name, bear children with her, ensuring that if he declined to marry her, she had the right to spit upon him and he must remove his sandal to give it to her as a symbol of his refusal. This dwelling was thereafter referred to as "the house of the sandal of the one who removed his sandal" (Deuteronomy 25:5-10; Ruth 4:7). Our deceased brother is Jesus Christ, who, following His resurrection, instructed the Myrrh-bearers, saying: "go and tell my brethren" (Matt. 28:10). He died in a sense childless, as the count of the elect had not reached its completion.