Original Word: ἐπιγαμβρεύω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: epigambreuó
Pronunciation: eh-pee-gam-BREH-o
Phonetic Spelling: (ep-ee-gam-bryoo'-o)
KJV: marry
NASB: marry
Word Origin: [from G1909 (ἐπί - over) and a derivative of G1062 (γάμος - wedding feast)]

1. to form affinity with
2. (specially) in a levirate way

marry.

From epi and a derivative of gamos; to form affinity with, i.e. (specially) in a levirate way -- marry.

see GREEK epi

see GREEK gamos

Word Origin
from epi and gambros (a connection by marriage)
Definition
to marry
NASB Translation
marry (1).

STRONGS NT 1918: ἐπιγαμβρεύω

ἐπιγαμβρεύω: future ἐπιγαμβρεύσω; to be related to by marriage, enter into affinity with;

1. The Sept. for הִתְחַתֵּן, to become anyone's father-in-law or son-in-law: τίνι, Genesis 34:9; 1 Samuel 18:22ff; 2 Chronicles 18:1; 2 Esdr. 9:14; 1 Macc. 10:54, 56.

2. τινα, for יִבֵּם, to marry the widow of a brother who has died childless: Genesis 38:8; Matthew 22:24, where allusion is made to the levirate law recorded in Deuteronomy 25:5-10; cf. Winers RWB, under the word Leviratsehe; (BB. DD., under the word ). (Not found in native Greek authors (except sehol. ad Euripides, Or. 574ff; cf. with 26).)

Definition and Nuanced Sense

The verb translated “shall marry” in Matthew 22:24 describes entering into marriage with the widow of a deceased brother so that the brother’s family line will continue. It is narrower than the common Greek verbs for “to marry,” highlighting a duty-bound union rather than a purely voluntary match.

Biblical Context and Usage

The single New Testament occurrence appears in the Sadducees’ test case about the resurrection (Matthew 22:24). They cite Moses’ instruction in Deuteronomy 25:5 that, if a man dies childless, “his brother shall marry the widow and raise up offspring for him.” By invoking this specialized verb, the evangelist signals that their hypothetical hinges on the legal institution popularly called levirate marriage.

Old Testament Foundations

1. Deuteronomy 25:5–10 outlines the procedure, motives, and public consequences of refusing the obligation.
2. Genesis 38:8 records Judah’s directive to Onan to “fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to the widow” (implicitly using the Hebrew equivalent).
3. Ruth 4 portrays a broader kinsman-redeemer application when Boaz acts on behalf of Elimelech’s line. Although not a deceased brother, the principle of safeguarding inheritance and name is identical.

Levirate Marriage and Covenant Continuity

Israel viewed family lines as custodians of covenant promises and land allotments. To allow a name to be “blotted out” (Deuteronomy 25:6) threatened both identity and inheritance structures. By requiring the next-of-kin to act, the law beautifully displayed God’s concern that no tribe lose its standing within the people of God.

Theological Implications in the Gospel Dialogue

The Sadducees—who denied bodily resurrection—chose this law as ammunition, assuming it created an impasse in the age to come. Jesus’ reply (Matthew 22:29-32) both affirms resurrection and exposes their misunderstanding of Scripture’s power: “He is not the God of the dead, but of the living”. The very statute intended to preserve earthly lineage becomes, in Jesus’ hands, a springboard to proclaim eternal life. The specialized verb therefore serves as a hinge between temporal covenant obligations and the eschatological hope they foreshadow.

Christological and Eschatological Dimensions

Scripture traces a pattern of a kinsman stepping in to preserve a threatened name—Boaz for Ruth, and ultimately Christ for His people. By taking flesh and identifying as our “brother” (Hebrews 2:11-17), Jesus fulfills the deepest intent of the levirate principle, ensuring His brethren receive an imperishable inheritance (1 Peter 1:3-4). The resurrection question in Matthew 22 climaxes in Christ’s own resurrection, validating the promise that no redeemed name will vanish from God’s covenant family.

Historical and Cultural Considerations

Second-Temple Jewish practice had already expanded the obligation beyond a literal brother to the broader clan, reflecting Ezekiel’s exile-era adjustments. Rabbinic literature (Yevamot tractate) debates the limits of the duty, demonstrating its continuing relevance at the time of Jesus. Matthew’s precise vocabulary shows familiarity with that ongoing discussion.

Practical Ministry Insights

• The passage teaches faithfulness to family responsibilities, valuing covenant community above personal convenience.
• It warns against using Scripture as a debating tool while ignoring its redemptive message.
• It provides a bridge for preaching Christ as the ultimate Redeemer-Brother who safeguards every believer’s inheritance.

Doctrinal and Ethical Reflections

1. Authority of Scripture: Jesus settles doctrinal dispute by appealing to the Torah’s verb tense (“I am the God of Abraham”—Matthew 22:32), underscoring both accuracy and reliability.
2. Sanctity of Marriage: Even a duty-bound union is treated with dignity, reinforcing God’s high view of marital commitments.
3. Hope of Resurrection: The temporary, earth-bound nature of levirate marriage anticipates a higher relational order in the resurrection (Matthew 22:30), where no family line is ever lost.

Summary

Though used only once in the Greek New Testament, this verb illumines the covenant logic behind levirate marriage, serves as a strategic pivot in Jesus’ teaching on the resurrection, and ultimately foreshadows the redemptive work of the true Kinsman-Redeemer who guarantees an enduring name and inheritance for all who trust Him.

επιγαμβρεύεται επιγαμβρεύσαι επιγάμβρευσαι επιγαμβρεύσασθε επιγαμβρεύσατο επιγαμβρευσει επιγαμβρεύσει ἐπιγαμβρεύσει επιγαμβρεύσεις επιγάμβρευσον επιγαμίας epigambreusei epigambreúseiInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts