John Gill Bible Commentary

And his name shall be called in Israel,.... Not his particular and personal name, but his family; for it seems that not only a mark of infamy was set upon him for refusing to marry his brother's widow, but upon his family also: the house of him that hath his shoe loosed; which, as Leo of Modena says (s), was repeated by her three times; and at every time the people with a loud voice answer and call him, one that had his shoe loosed; and then the Rabbin tells the man that he is at liberty now to marry whom he pleases; and if he desires a certificate from them of this setting free his kinswoman, they presently give him one; and she also had a writing given to her by the judges, certifying the same, that she was free also to marry another; of which the following is a short form or copy (t)."In such or such a session (or court), such an one, the daughter of such an one, plucked off the shoe of such an one, the son of such an one, before us; she brought him before us, and she loosed the shoe of his right foot, and spit before him spittle, which was seen by us upon the ground; and said, so shall it be done to the man that would not build up his brother's house.''A larger form may be seen in Maimonides (u), as well as a type and copy of the matrimonial contract. From this law an high priest was free, Lev 21:14; and so a king, according to the Jewish canon (w). (s) History, ut supra, sect. 5. (Leo Modena's History of Rites, &c. l. 1. sect. 5.) (t) T. Hieros. Sanhedrin, fol. 19. 1. (u) Hilchot Yebum Vechalitzah, c. 4. sect. 29. (w) Misn. Sanhedrin, c. 2. sect. 2.