Brothers

The son of one's parents, or of either mother or father. God's people may be referred to collectively as brothers, all being children of one heavenly Father.

Close relationship between brothers

Leviticus 21:1–3 See also Numbers 6:6–7; Deuteronomy 28:54; Proverbs 18:24; Ezekiel 44:25

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Speak to Aaron’s sons, the priests, and tell them that a priest is not to defile himself for a dead person among his people, except for his immediate family — his mother, father, son, daughter, or brother, or his unmarried sister who is near to him, since she has no husband.

Duties of brothers

Levirate marriage

Deuteronomy 25:5–10 See also Genesis 38:6–11; Matthew 22:23–30 parallels Mark 12:18–25, Luke 20:27–36

When brothers dwell together and one of them dies without a son, the widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother is to take her as his wife and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law for her. The first son she bears will carry on the name of the dead brother, so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel. But if the man does not want to marry his brother’s widow, she is to go to the elders at the city gate and say, “My husband’s brother refuses to preserve his brother’s name in Israel. He is not willing to perform the duty of a brother-in-law for me.” Then the elders of his city shall summon him and speak with him. If he persists and says, “I do not want to marry her,” his brother’s widow shall go up to him in the presence of the elders, remove his sandal, spit in his face, and declare, “This is what is done to the man who will not maintain his brother’s line.” And his family name in Israel will be called “The House of the Unsandaled.”

Participation in arrangement of marriages for sisters

Genesis 34:11–17 See also Genesis 24:50–60

Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Grant me this favor, and I will give you whatever you ask. Demand a high dowry and an expensive gift, and I will give you whatever you ask. Only give me the girl as my wife!” But because Shechem had defiled their sister Dinah, Jacob’s sons answered him and his father Hamor deceitfully. “We cannot do such a thing,” they said. “To give our sister to an uncircumcised man would be a disgrace to us. We will consent to this on one condition, that you become circumcised like us — every one of your males. Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves. We will dwell among you and become one people. But if you will not agree to be circumcised, then we will take our sister and go.”

Protection of sisters

2 Samuel 13:1–33 See also Genesis 34:24–31; Leviticus 21:3

Younger brothers taking news of older brothers to their father

1 Samuel 17:17–18 See also Genesis 37:12–17

One day Jesse said to his son David, “Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp. Take also these ten portions of cheese to the commander of their unit. Check on the welfare of your brothers and bring back an assurance from them.

The priority of the eldest brother

Deuteronomy 21:15–17 See also Genesis 43:33, Genesis 44:12; 1 Samuel 20:29; 1 Chronicles 5:1–2; 2 Chronicles 21:1–3; Psalm 89:27; Hebrews 12:16

If a man has two wives, one beloved and the other unloved, and both bear him sons, but the unloved wife has the firstborn son, when that man assigns his inheritance to his sons he must not appoint the son of the beloved wife as the firstborn over the son of the unloved wife. Instead, he must acknowledge the firstborn, the son of his unloved wife, by giving him a double portion of all that he has. For that son is the firstfruits of his father’s strength; the right of the firstborn belongs to him.

Examples of younger brothers superseding their elder brothers

Genesis 25:21–23 See also Genesis 48:8–20; Deuteronomy 33:13–17; 1 Samuel 16:6–13; 1 Kings 2:22

Later, Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. And the LORD heard his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived. But the children inside her struggled with each other, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So Rebekah went to inquire of the LORD, and He declared to her: “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.”

Brothers as heirs

Numbers 27:8–11 See also Ecclesiastes 4:8

Furthermore, you shall say to the Israelites, ‘If a man dies and leaves no son, you are to transfer his inheritance to his daughter. If he has no daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. And if his father has no brothers, give his inheritance to the next of kin from his clan, that he may take possession of it. This is to be a statutory ordinance for the Israelites, as the LORD has commanded Moses.’”

Twin brothers

Genesis 25:24–26 See also Genesis 38:27–30; Malachi 1:2–3

When her time came to give birth, there were indeed twins in her womb. The first one came out red, covered with hair like a fur coat; so they named him Esau. After this, his brother came out grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. And Isaac was sixty years old when the twins were born.

Half-brothers

Judges 11:1–2 See also Genesis 21:8–9; Judges 8:30–31, Judges 9:1–6

Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor; he was the son of a prostitute, and Gilead was his father. And Gilead’s wife bore him sons who grew up, drove Jephthah out, and said to him, “You shall have no inheritance in our father’s house, because you are the son of another woman.”

Brothers-in-law

Numbers 10:29–32 See also Genesis 38:8; Deuteronomy 25:5, Deuteronomy 25:7; Judges 4:11

Then Moses said to Hobab, the son of Moses’ father-in-law Reuel the Midianite, “We are setting out for the place of which the LORD said: ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will treat you well, for the LORD has promised good things to Israel.” “I will not go,” Hobab replied. “Instead, I am going back to my own land and my own people.” “Please do not leave us,” Moses said, “since you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you can serve as our eyes. If you come with us, we will share with you whatever good things the LORD gives us.”

Examples of brothers failing to live up to expectations of them

Genesis 4:8–12 See also Genesis 37:3–4, Genesis 37:12–33, Genesis 38:6–10; Judges 9:1–5; 2 Chronicles 21:4

Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. And the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I do not know!” he answered. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” “What have you done?” replied the LORD. “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it will no longer yield its produce to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”

Application of the term ``brothers''

To siblings

Genesis 42:32 See also Genesis 16:9–12, Genesis 25:18; Judges 16:31; 1 Samuel 17:17–22, 1 Samuel 22:1; 2 Chronicles 21:13; Nehemiah 1:2, Nehemiah 5:14; Job 19:17, Job 42:11; Proverbs 17:17; Matthew 10:21 parallels Mark 13:12, Luke 21:16; Matthew 13:55 parallel Mark 6:3; John 7:3–5

We are twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in the land of Canaan.’

To relatives

Ruth 4:3 See also Numbers 36:2; Proverbs 27:10

And he said to the kinsman-redeemer, “Naomi, who has returned from the land of Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our brother Elimelech.

To members of the same tribe

2 Samuel 19:11–12 See also Numbers 8:26

Then King David sent this message to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests: “Say to the elders of Judah, ‘Why should you be the last to restore the king to his palace, since the talk of all Israel has reached the king at his quarters? You are my brothers, my own flesh and blood. So why should you be the last to restore the king?’

To Israelites

Deuteronomy 3:18 See also Deuteronomy 10:9, Deuteronomy 17:15; Judges 20:23; 2 Samuel 19:41; 1 Chronicles 13:2; Jeremiah 7:15

At that time I commanded you: “The LORD your God has given you this land to possess. All your men of valor are to cross over, armed for battle, ahead of your brothers, the Israelites.

To descendants of a common ancestor

Numbers 20:14 See also Deuteronomy 2:4, Deuteronomy 23:7

From Kadesh, Moses sent messengers to tell the king of Edom, “This is what your brother Israel says: You know all the hardship that has befallen us,

To equals and fellow-citizens

Leviticus 19:17 See also Deuteronomy 1:16, Deuteronomy 15:3, Deuteronomy 22:1, Deuteronomy 23:19; 2 Samuel 2:26; Matthew 5:22–24, Matthew 7:3–5 parallel Luke 6:41–42

You must not harbor hatred against your brother in your heart. Directly rebuke your neighbor, so that you will not incur guilt on account of him.

Love for God must exceed love for brothers

Luke 14:26 See also Deuteronomy 33:9; Matthew 19:29 parallels Mark 10:29–30, Luke 18:29–30

“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters — yes, even his own life — he cannot be My disciple.

Jesus Christ calls his disciples his ``brothers''

Matthew 12:49–50 parallels Mark 3:34–35, Luke 8:21 See also Matthew 25:34–40, Matthew 28:10; John 20:17; Hebrews 2:11

Pointing to His disciples, He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers. For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”

The fraternal relationship among God's people

Fellow Christians called brothers

Matthew 23:8 See also Acts 15:23, Acts 28:14; 1 Corinthians 5:11; 2 Corinthians 1:1, 2 Corinthians 9:3, 2 Corinthians 11:9, 2 Corinthians 12:18; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Philemon 1:1

But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers.

Believers urged to love each other

1 Thessalonians 4:10 See also Romans 12:10; James 2:14–17; 1 Peter 2:17; 2 Peter 1:5–9

And you are indeed showing this love to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to excel more and more

The church referred to as ``the brothers''

Acts 14:2 See also Acts 9:30, Acts 11:1, Acts 11:29, Acts 15:3, Acts 16:2, Acts 17:14, Acts 21:17

But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.

Brother as an honorific term

Equals called ``brothers''

Genesis 29:4 See also 1 Samuel 30:22–23; 2 Samuel 1:26, 2 Samuel 20:9; 1 Kings 13:29–30; Acts 1:16, Acts 2:37, Acts 3:17, Acts 7:2, Acts 22:1, Acts 28:17

“My brothers,” Jacob asked the shepherds, “where are you from?” “We are from Haran,” they answered.

Fellow Christians called ``brothers''

1 Corinthians 1:10 See also Acts 9:17, Acts 22:13; Romans 8:12, Romans 11:25; 1 Corinthians 2:1, 1 Corinthians 7:24; 2 Corinthians 8:1; Galatians 4:31; 1 Thessalonians 2:14; Hebrews 3:1; James 1:16, James 5:10

I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree together, so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be united in mind and conviction.