Levirate Marriage: Duty, Covenant, and Fulfillment. The practice of levirate marriage is one of the most curious and often misunderstood features of biblical law. At first glance, it may seem strange, even scandalous: a man marrying his brother’s widow to raise up offspring in his brother’s name. Yet within its cultural and covenantal context, levirate marriage reveals God’s concern for justice, family preservation, and ultimately, the unfolding of His promises.