51 Bible Verses about Brothers

And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto the priests, the sons of Aaron, and tell them to not be defiled for the dead among his people. But for his kin, that is near unto him, that is, for his mother and for his father and for his son and for his daughter and for his brother and for his virgin sister, that is near unto him, who has had no husband; for her he may be defiled.

All the days that they separate themselves unto the LORD they shall come in unto no dead body. They shall not make themselves unclean for their father or for their mother, for their brother or for their sister, when they die because the consecration of their God is upon their head.

The man that is tender among you and very delicate, his eye shall be evil toward his brother and toward the wife of his bosom and toward the remnant of his children which he shall leave,

The man that has friends must show himself to be a friend, and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.

And they shall come near no dead person to defile themselves; but for father, or for mother, or for son, or for daughter, for brother, or for sister that has had no husband, they may defile themselves.

When brethren dwell together and one of them dies and has no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry outside unto a stranger; her husband's brother shall go in unto her and take her to him to wife and perform the duty of a husband's brother unto her. And it shall be that the firstborn which she bears shall be raised up in the name of his brother who is dead that his name be not blotted out of Israel. And if the man does not desire to take his brother's wife, then let his brother's wife go up to the gate unto the elders and say, My husband's brother refuses to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel; he will not perform the duty of my husband's brother.read more.
Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak unto him, and if he stands and says, I desire not to take her; then shall his brother's wife come unto him in the presence of the elders and loose his shoe from off his foot and spit in his face and shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto that man that will not build up his brother's house. And his name shall be called in Israel, The house of him that is barefoot.

And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar. And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD and the LORD slew him. Then Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife and marry her and raise up seed to thy brother.read more.
And Onan knew that the seed would not be his, and it came to pass when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he corrupted it on the ground, to not give seed to his brother. And the thing which he did displeased the LORD, and he slew him also. Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, Remain a widow at thy father's house until Shelah, my son, is grown; for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.

The same day the Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, saying, Master, Moses said, If a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up seed unto his brother. Now there were with us seven brothers, and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no seed, left his wife unto his brother;read more.
likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh. And last of all the woman died also. Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her. Then Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.

Then come unto him the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying, Master, Moses wrote unto us, If a man's brother dies and leaves his wife behind him and leaves no children, that his brother should take his wife and raise up seed unto his brother. Now there were seven brethren, and the first took a wife and dying left no seed.read more.
And the second took her, and died, neither left he any seed; and the third likewise. And the seven had her and left no seed; last of all the woman died also. In the resurrection, therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife. Then Jesus, answering, said unto them, Do ye not therefore err because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God? For when they shall rise from the dead, neither shall they marry nor husbands take women nor women, husbands; but are as the angels who are in the heavens.

Then certain of the Sadducees came, who deny that there is any resurrection, and they asked him, saying, Master, Moses wrote unto us, If any man's brother dies, having a wife, and he dies without children, that his brother should take his wife and raise up seed unto his brother. There were therefore seven brethren, and the first took a wife and died without children.read more.
And the second took her to wife, and he died childless. And the third took her; and in like manner the seven also, and they left no children and died. Last of all the woman died also. Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be? for seven had her to wife. And Jesus answering said unto them, The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are accounted worthy to obtain that age and the resurrection from the dead neither marry, nor are given in marriage; for neither can they die any more, for they are equal unto the angels and are the sons of God, being the sons of the resurrection.

And Shechem also said unto her father and unto her brethren, Let me find grace in your eyes, and what ye shall say unto me I will give. Ask me for as much dowry and gift as ye desire, and I will give according as ye shall say unto me; but give me the damsel to wife. And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully and talked because he had defiled Dinah their sister:read more.
And they said unto them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised, for among us that is a reproach. But with this condition we will consent unto you: If ye will become as we are that every male of you be circumcised, then we will give our daughters unto you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people. But if ye will not hearken unto us, to be circumcised, then we will take our daughter, and we will be gone.

Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceeds from the LORD; we cannot speak unto thee bad or good. Behold, Rebekah is before thee; take her and go and let her be thy master's son's wife, as the LORD has spoken. And it came to pass that when Abraham's slave heard their words, he worshipped the LORD, bowing himself to the earth.read more.
And the slave brought forth vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother. And they ate and drank, he and the men that were with him, and slept; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me away unto my master. Then her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go. And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the LORD has prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master. Then they said, We will call the damsel and enquire at her mouth. And they called Rebekah and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go. So they sent away Rebekah, their sister, and her nurse and Abraham's slave and his men. And they blessed Rebekah and said unto her, Thou art our sister; be thou the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let thy seed possess the gate of those who hate them.

And it came to pass after this that Absalom, the son of David, had a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar, and Amnon, the son of David, loved her. And Amnon was so distressed that he fell sick for his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and Amnon thought it difficult for him to do any thing to her. But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother, and Jonadab was a very astute man.read more.
And he said unto him, Why art thou, being the king's son, becoming thinner from day to day? Wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said unto him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister. And Jonadab said unto him, Lay thee down on thy bed and pretend to be sick; and when thy father comes to see thee, say unto him, I pray thee, let my sister Tamar come and give me food and make the food in my sight that I may see it and eat it at her hand. So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick, and when the king came to see him, Amnon said unto the king, I pray thee, let Tamar, my sister, come, and make me a couple of cakes in my sight that I may eat at her hand. Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, Go now to thy brother Amnon's house and make him something to eat. So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house, and he was lying down. And she took flour and kneaded it and made cakes in his sight and baked the cakes. Then she took a pan and poured them out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, Send everyone out from me. And they all went out from him. Then Amnon said unto Tamar, Bring the food into the chamber that I may eat from thy hand. And Tamar took the cakes which she had made and brought them into the chamber to Amnon, her brother. And when she had brought them unto him to eat, he took hold of her and said unto her, Come lie with me, my sister. And she answered him, No, my brother, do not force me, for no such thing ought to be done in Israel. Do not commit this folly. And I, where shall I go with my reproach? And as for thee, thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. Now, therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the king, for he will not withhold me from thee. Howbeit, he would not hearken unto her voice, but, being stronger than she, forced her and lay with her. Then Amnon hated her exceedingly so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said unto her, Arise, be gone. And she said unto him, There is no cause; this evil in sending me away is greater than the other that thou didst unto me. But he would not hearken unto her. Then he called his servant that ministered unto him and said, Put now this woman out from me and bolt the door after her. And she had a garment of different colours upon her, for with such robes were the king's daughters that were virgins apparelled. Then his servant brought her out and bolted the door after her. And Tamar put ashes on her head and rent her garment of different colours that was on her and laid her hand on her head and went on crying. And Absalom, her brother, said unto her, Has Amnon thy brother been with thee? But now remain silent, my sister; he is thy brother; do not regard this thing in thy heart. So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom's house. But when King David heard of all these things, he was very angry. And Absalom spoke neither good nor bad unto his brother Amnon, for Absalom hated Amnon because he had forced his sister Tamar. And it came to pass after two full years that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baalhazor, which is beside Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king's sons. And Absalom came to the king and said, Behold now, thy slave has sheepshearers; let the king, I beseech thee, and his slaves go with thy slave. And the king said to Absalom, No, my son, let us not all go lest we be burdensome unto thee. And he pressed him; however, he would not go but blessed him. Then said Absalom, If not, I pray thee, let my brother Amnon go with us. And the king said unto him, Why should he go with thee? But because Absalom pressed him, he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him. Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, Mark ye now when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say unto you, Smite Amnon, then kill him. Fear not; have I not commanded you? Be courageous, and be valiant. And the servants of Absalom did unto Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king's sons arose, and they all got upon their mules and fled. And it came to pass, while they were in the way, that the rumour came to David, saying, Absalom has slain all the king's sons, and there is not one of them left. Then the king arose and tore his garments and lay on the earth; and all his slaves stood by with their clothes rent. And Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother, answered and said, Do not let my lord suppose that they have slain all the young men, the king's sons, for only Amnon is dead, for by the mouth of Absalom this has been determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar. Now, therefore, do not let my lord the king take the thing to his heart, to think that all the king's sons are dead, for only Amnon is dead.

And unto Hamor and unto Shechem, his son, hearkened all that went out of the gate of his city; and every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city. And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, took each man his sword and came upon the city boldly and slew all the males. And they slew Hamor and Shechem, his son, with the edge of the sword and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went out.read more.
The sons of Jacob came upon the slain and spoiled the city because they had defiled their sister. They took their sheep and their oxen and their asses and that which was in the city and that which was in the field and all their wealth and all their little ones and their wives they took captive and spoiled even all that was in the house. And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house. And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with a harlot?

and for his virgin sister, that is near unto him, who has had no husband; for her he may be defiled.

And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched grain and these ten loaves and run to the camp to thy brethren and carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand and look how thy brethren fare and take their pledge.

And his brethren went to feed their father's sheep in Shechem. And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the sheep in Shechem? Come and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I. And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it is well with thy brethren and well with the sheep and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.read more.
And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field; and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou? And he said, I seek my brethren; tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks. And the man said, They are departed from here; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren and found them in Dothan.

When a man has two wives, one beloved and the other hated, and they have born him sons, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son is of the one that was hated, then it shall be, when he makes his sons to inherit that which he has, that he may not give the right of the firstborn unto the son of the beloved in preference over the son of the hated, who is indeed the firstborn; but he shall acknowledge the son of the hated as the firstborn by giving him a double portion of all that he has; for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.

And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men marvelled one at another.

And he searched and began at the eldest and finished at the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.

And he said, Let me go, I pray thee, for those of our lineage have a sacrifice in the city, and my brother, he has commanded me to be there, and now, if I have found grace in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he has not come unto the king's table.

Now the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn, but because he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel; and he was not counted as the firstborn. For Judah prevailed above his brethren and was their prince, but the birthright was Joseph's:)

Now Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And Jehoram, his son, reigned in his stead. And he had brethren, sons of Jehoshaphat, Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat, king of Israel. And their father had given them great gifts of silver and of gold and of precious things, with fenced cities in Judah, but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn.

Also I will make him my firstborn, high above the kings of the earth.

lest there be any fornicator or profane person as Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright.

And Isaac prayed unto the LORD for his wife because she was barren; and the LORD accepted him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. And the sons struggled together within her; and she said, If this is so, why should I live? And she went to enquire of the LORD. And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of peoples shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.

And Israel beheld Joseph's sons and said, Who are these? And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God has given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them. Now the eyes of Israel were so dim for age that he could not see. And he brought them near unto him, and he kissed them and embraced them.read more.
And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face, and, behold, God has showed me also thy seed. Then Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand and brought them near unto him. Then Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands with understanding; for Manasseh was the firstborn. And he blessed Joseph and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has fed me all my life long unto this day, the Angel who frees me from all evil, bless these young men, and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth. Then Joseph seeing that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head. And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head. And his father refused and said, I know it, my son, I know it; he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of Gentiles. And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh. And he set Ephraim before Manasseh.

And to Joseph he said, Blessed of the LORD is his land, for the gifts of the heavens, for the dew, and for the deep that is stretched out beneath, and for the gifts of the fruits of the sun and for the gifts of the influence of the moon, and for the summit of the ancient mountains and for the gifts of the everlasting hills,read more.
and for the gifts of the earth and fullness thereof, and may the grace of him that dwelt in the bush come upon the head of Joseph and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren. His beauty is like the firstborn of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns; with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth; these are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and these are the thousands of Manasseh.

And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab and said, Peradventure is the LORD's anointed before him? And the LORD replied unto Samuel, Do not look on his countenance or on the height of his stature because I have refused him, for it is not as man sees, for man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart. Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither has the LORD chosen this one.read more.
Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither has the LORD chosen this one. Again, Jesse made his seven sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD has not chosen these. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are all thy young men here? And he said, There remains yet the youngest, and, behold, he keeps the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send for him, for we will not sit down to the table until he comes here. And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and of a beautiful countenance and handsome. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him, for this is he. Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him from among his brethren; and the Spirit of the LORD prospered David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

And King Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag, the Shunammite, for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also, for he is my elder brother and he also has Abiathar, the priest, and Joab, the son of Zeruiah.

And thou shalt speak unto the sons of Israel, saying, If a man dies and has no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter. And if he has no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren. And if he has no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his father's brethren.read more.
And if his father has no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman that is next to him of his lineage, and he shall inherit it; and it shall be unto the sons of Israel a law of rights, as the LORD commanded Moses.

And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. And the first came out red, all over like a hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. And afterwards his brother came out with Esau's heel grasped in his hand; and his name was called Jacob. And Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them.

And it came to pass in the time of her travail that, behold, twins were in her womb. And it came to pass when she travailed, that the one put out his hand, and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first. And it came to pass as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out; and she said, Why hast thou brought this breach upon thee? Therefore his name was called Pharez.read more.
And afterward his brother that had the scarlet thread upon his hand came out, and his name was called Zarah.

I have loved you, said the LORD. Yet ye say, In what hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? said the LORD; yet I loved Jacob, and I rejected Esau and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.

Now Jephthah existed then, a Gileadite, a mighty man of valour, the son of a harlot unto whom Gilead had begat a son. And Gilead's wife bore him sons; and when his wife's sons grew up, they threw Jephthah out and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father's house, for thou art the son of a strange woman.

And the child grew and was weaned, and Abraham made a great banquet the day that Isaac was weaned. And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had born unto Abraham, mocking.

And Gideon had seventy sons that came out of his loins, for he had many wives. And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bore him a son, whose name he called Abimelech.

And Abimelech, the son of Jerubbaal, went to Shechem unto his mother's brethren and spoke with them and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying, Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, What would seem better unto you, that seventy persons reign over you, all the sons of Jerubbaal; or that one reign over you? Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh. And his mother's brethren spoke for him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words, and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, He is our brother.read more.
And they gave him seventy shekels of silver out of the house of Baalberith, with which Abimelech hired vain and light men who followed him. And coming unto his father's house at Ophrah, he slew his brethren, the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy persons, upon a stone; yet Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, was left, for he hid himself. And all the men of Shechem gathered together with all the house of Millo and went and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem.

Then Moses said unto Hobab, the son of Raguel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, We are journeying unto the place of which the LORD said, I will give it to you. Come thou with us, and we will do thee good; for the LORD has spoken good concerning Israel. And he said unto him, I will not go; but I will depart to my own land and to my kindred. And he said, Leave us not, I pray thee; for thou knowest how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and thou shalt be to us instead of eyes.read more.
And it shall be, if thou go with us, that when we come into the goodness that the LORD shall do unto us, that we will do thee good.

Then Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife and marry her and raise up seed to thy brother.

When brethren dwell together and one of them dies and has no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry outside unto a stranger; her husband's brother shall go in unto her and take her to him to wife and perform the duty of a husband's brother unto her.

Now Heber, the Kenite, of the sons of Hobab, the father-in-law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites and pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh.

And Cain talked with Abel his brother, and it came to pass when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and slew him. And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not, Am I my brother's keeper? And he said, What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother's blood cries unto me from the ground.read more.
And now thou art cursed from the earth, which has opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand; when thou tillest the ground, from now on it shall not yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.

Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his other sons because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a coat of many colours. And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him and could not speak peaceably unto him.

And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar. And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD and the LORD slew him. Then Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife and marry her and raise up seed to thy brother.read more.
And Onan knew that the seed would not be his, and it came to pass when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he corrupted it on the ground, to not give seed to his brother. And the thing which he did displeased the LORD, and he slew him also.