51 Bible Verses about Brothers

And Jehovah said to Moses, Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them, There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people. But for his kin that is near him, for his mother and for his father and for his son and for his daughter and for his brother and for his sister, a virgin, who is near to him, who has had no husband, for her he may be defiled.

All the days that he separates to Jehovah, he shall not come near any dead body. He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, or for his brother, or for his sister, when they die, because his separation to his God is upon his 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 rest of his sons which he has left;

A man who has friends may be broken up, but there is a Lover who sticks closer than a brother.

And he shall not come near any dead person to defile himself; but they may defile themselves for father, or for mother, or for son, or for daughter, for brother, or for sister who has had no husband.

If brothers live together, and one of them dies and has no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry outside to a stranger. Her husband's brother shall go in to her and take her as a wife for himself, and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her. And it shall be, the first-born whom she bears shall succeed in the name of his dead brother, so that his name may not be put out of Israel. And if the man does not want to take his brother's wife, then let his brother's wife go up to the gate to the elders and say, My husband's brother refuses to raise up a name in Israel to his brother. He will not perform my levirate.read more.
Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak to him. And if he stands and says, I do not desire to take her, then his brother's wife shall come to him in the presence of his elders, and take off his shoe from his foot, and spit in his face, and shall answer and say, So shall it be done to that man who will not build up his brother's house. And his name shall be called in Israel, The house of him who has his shoe taken off.

And Judah took a wife for Er his first-born, whose name was Tamar. And Er, Judah's first-born, was wicked in the sight of Jehovah. And Jehovah killed him. And Judah said to Onan, Go in to your brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to your brother.read more.
And Onan knew that the seed would not be his. And it happened when he went in to his brother's wife, that he spilled on the ground, not giving seed to his brother. And what he did was evil in the eyes of Jehovah. Therefore He killed him also. Then said Judah to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, Remain a widow at your father's house until Shelah my son is grown. For he said, Lest perhaps he die also, as his brothers did. And Tamar went and lived in her father's house.

On that day the Sadducees came to Him, who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked Him, saying, Master, Moses said, If a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up seed to his brother. Now there were with us seven brothers. And the first, when he had married a wife, died. And, having no issue, he left his wife to his brother.read more.
The second also did likewise, and the third, to the seventh. And last of all the woman also died. Therefore in the resurrection, whose wife shall she be, of the seven? For they all had her. Jesus answered and said to them, You 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 the Sadducees came to Him, who say there is no resurrection. And they asked Him, saying, Teacher, Moses wrote to us, If a man's brother die and leaves his wife, and leaves no children, his brother should take his wife and raise up seed to his brother. And there were seven brothers. And the first took a wife, and dying left no seed.read more.
And the second took her, and died; neither did he leave any seed. And the third likewise. And the seven had her, and left no seed. Last of all the woman also died. In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as a wife. And answering Jesus said to them, Do you not err because of this, not knowing Scriptures, nor the power of God? For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but they are as the angels in Heaven.

And certain of the Sadducees came, those speaking against a resurrection, that it was not to be. And they asked Him, saying, Teacher, Moses wrote to us, If anyone's brother dies, having a wife, and if he dies without children, his brother should take his wife and raise up seed to his brother. Therefore there were seven brothers. And the first took a wife and died without children.read more.
And the second took her as a wife, and he died childless. And the third took her. And likewise the seven left no children and died. Last of all the woman also died. Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be? For the seven had her as a wife. And answering, Jesus said to them, The sons of this world marry and are given in marriage, but they who shall be counted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage. Nor can they die any more, for they are equal to the angels, and are the sons of God, being the sons of the resurrection.

And Shechem said to her father and to her brothers, Let me find grace in your eyes, and whatever you shall say to me I will give. Heap upon me ever so much price and dowry, and I will give according as you shall say to me. But give me the girl for a wife. And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father, speaking with deceit because he had defiled Dinah their sister.read more.
And they said to them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised. For it is a reproach to us. But in this we will agree with you, if you will be as we are, that every male of you be circumcised, then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will live with you, and we will become one people. But if you will not listen to us, to be circumcised, then we will take our daughter, and we will go.

And Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing has come forth from Jehovah. We cannot speak to you bad or good. Behold! Rebekah is before you; take her and go. And let her be the wife of your master's son, even as Jehovah has spoken. And it happened, when Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the earth to Jehovah, bowing himself to the earth.read more.
And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and clothing, 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 with him, and stayed all night. And they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me away to my master. And her brother and her mother said, Let the young woman stay with us perhaps ten days. After that she shall go. And he said to them, Do not hinder me, since Jehovah has prospered my way. Send me away, that I may go away to my master. And they said, We will call the young woman and inquire at her mouth. And they called Rebekah, and said to her, Will you go with this man? And she said, I will go. And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and his men. And they blessed Rebekah, and said to her, Our sister, be the mother of thousands of millions, and let your seed possess the gate of those who hate them.

And it happened after this 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 troubled that he fell sick for his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin. And Amnon thought it hard for him to do anything to her. And Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of David's brother Shimeah. And Jonadab was a very crafty man.read more.
And he said to him, Why are you, the king's son, lean from day to day? Will you not tell me? And Amnon said to him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister. And Jonadab said to him, Lay down on your bed and make yourself sick. And when your father comes to see you, say to him, Please let my sister Tamar come and give me food, and prepare the food in my sight so that I may see and eat it at her hand. And Amnon lay down and made himself sick. And when the king had come to see him, Amnon said to the king, Please let my sister Tamar come and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, so that I may eat at her hand. And David sent home to Tamar, saying, Go now to your brother Amnon's house, and prepare food for him. And Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house. And he had lain down. And she took flour and kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and baked the cakes. And she took a pan and poured them out before him. But he refused to eat. And Amnon said, Make every man go out from me. And every man went out from him. And Amnon said to Tamar, Bring the food into the room so that I may eat out of your hand. And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the room to Amnon her brother. And when she had brought them to him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her, Come lie with me, my sister. And she answered him, No, my brother, do not humble me. For no such thing ought to be done in Israel. Do not do this folly. And I, where shall I cause my shame to go? And as for you, you shall be as one of the fools in Israel. But now please speak to the king. For he will not withhold me from you. But he would not listen to her voice; but being stronger than she, he forced her and lay with her. Then Amnon hated her with a great hatred. And the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, Get up and go. And she said to him, There is no cause. This evil in sending me away is greater than the other that you did to me. But he would not listen to her. And he called his servant who waited on him and said, And put this woman out from me, and bolt the door after her. And she had a robe of many colors upon her, for the king's virgin daughters were clothed with such robes. And his servant brought her out and bolted the door after her. And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the robe of many colors that was on her, and laid her hand on her head, and went on, crying. And Absalom her brother said to her, Has Amnon your brother been with you? But now hold your peace, my sister. He is your brother. Do not set your heart on this thing. And Tamar remained desolate in the house of her brother Absalom. And when King David heard of all these things, he was very angry. And Absalom did not speak to his brother Amnon, neither good nor bad, for Absalom hated Amnon because he had forced his sister Tamar. And it happened after two full years Absalom had sheepshearers in Baal-hazor, beside Ephraim. And Absalom invited all the king's sons. And Absalom came to the king and said, Behold now, your servant has shearers. Please let the king and his servants go with your servant. And the king said to Absalom, No, my son, let us not all go now, lest we be too heavy upon you. And he pressed him. He would not go, however, but blessed him. Then Absalom said, If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us? And the king said to him, Why should he go with you? But Absalom pressed him, so that he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him. And Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, And watch when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, Strike Amnon, you shall kill him. Do not fear. Have I not commanded you? Be courageous, and be brave. And the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. And all the king's sons arose. And they each got on his mule and fled. And it happened while they were in the way, news came to David, saying, Absalom has killed all the king's sons, and there is not one of them left. And the king arose and tore his garments, and lay on the earth. And all his servants stood by with their clothes torn. And Jonadab, the son of David's brother Shimeah answered and said, Let not my lord think that they have killed 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 humbled his sister Tamar. And now 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 all that went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor and to Shechem his son. And every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city. And it happened on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, took each his sword and came upon the city boldly, and killed all the males. And they killed 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 plundered 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 plundered even all that was in the house. And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, You have troubled me, to make me stink among those who live in the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. And I, being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and kill me. And I shall be destroyed, my house and I. And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with a harlot?

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

And Jesse said to his son David, Please take for your brothers an ephah of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to your brothers. And carry these ten cuttings of cheeses to the commander of their thousand, and see how your brothers are faring, and take their pledge.

And his brothers went to feed his father's flock in Shechem. And Israel said to Joseph, Do not your brothers feed the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them. And he said to him, Here I am. And he said to him, please go see whether it is well with your brothers and well with the flocks. And bring me word again. And 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 are you looking for? And he said, I am seeking for my brothers. Please tell me where they are feeding. And the man said, They are gone from here, for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brothers, and found them in Dothan.

If a man has two wives, one beloved and another hated, and they have borne him sons, the beloved and the hated; and if the first-born son was of her that was hated, then it shall be in the day when he makes his sons to inherit what he has, he may not cause to inherit the son of the beloved first-born before the son of the hated one, he who is truly the first-born. But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated as the first-born by giving him a double portion of all that he has. For he is the beginning of his strength. The right of the first-born is his.

And they sat before him, the first-born according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth. And the men marveled at one another.

And he searched first at the oldest and with the youngest last. And the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.

and he said, Please send me away, for we have a family sacrifice in the city. And my brother commanded me to be there. And now, if I have found favor in your eyes, I pray you let me get away and see my brothers. And he does not come to the king's table.

And the sons of Reuben, the first-born of Israel (for he was the first-born; but since he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel, and the genealogy is not to be counted according to the birthright; For Judah prevailed among his brothers, and from him came the chief ruler, but the birthright was Joseph's);

And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And Jehoram his son reigned in his place. And he had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat, Azariah, and Jehiel, and Zechariah, and Azariah, and Michael, and Shephatiah. All these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel. And their father gave them great gifts of silver and of gold and of precious things, with fortified cities in Judah. But the kingdom he gave to Jehoram, because he was the first-born.

And I will make him My first-born, higher than the kings of the earth.

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

And Isaac prayed to Jehovah for his wife, because she was barren. And Jehovah heard him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. And the sons struggled together within her. And she said, If it is so, why am I this way? And she went to inquire of Jehovah. And Jehovah said to her, Two nations are in your womb, and two kinds of people shall be separated from your bowels. And the one people shall be stronger than the other people, the older shall serve the younger.

And Israel beheld Joseph's sons, and said, Who are these? And Joseph said to his father, They are my sons, whom God has given me in this place. And he said, Please bring them to me, and I will bless them. And the eyes of Israel were dim for age; he could not see. And he brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them.read more.
And Israel said to Joseph, I had not thought I would see your face, and, lo, God has showed me also your seed. And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed his face to the earth. And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left, and Manasseh in his left toward Israel's right hand. And he brought them near to him. And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it on Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left on Manasseh's head, crossing his hands. For Manasseh was the first-born. And he blessed Joseph and said, May God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who fed me all my life to this day, the Angel who redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads. And let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and let them grow like the fishes into a multitude in the midst of the earth. And Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, and it was evil in his eyes. And he held up his father's hand to remove it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. And Joseph said to his father, Not so, my father. For this is the first-born. Put your right hand on his head. And his father refused and said, I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great, but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he is, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations. And he blessed them that day, saying, In you shall Israel bless, saying, God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh. And he put Ephraim before Manasseh.

And of Joseph he said, Blessed of Jehovah be his land, with the precious things of the heavens, for the dew, and for the deep that crouches beneath, and for the precious fruits of the sun, and with the best yield of the months. And with the first of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the everlasting hills,read more.
and for the precious things of the earth and fullness of it, and for the good will of Him who lived in the Bush. Let the blessing come on the head of Joseph, and on the top of the head of him who was separated from his brothers. His glory is like the first-born of his bull, and his horns are like the horns of the wild ox. With them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth. And they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.

And it happened as they came in, he saw Eliab and said, Surely Jehovah's anointed is before Jehovah. But Jehovah said to Samuel, Do not look on his face, nor on his height, because I have refused him. For He does not see as man sees. For man looks on the outward appearance, but Jehovah looks on the heart. And Jesse called Abinadab, and he passed him before Samuel, but he said, Also Jehovah has not chosen this one.read more.
And Jesse passed Shammah by, but he said, Also Jehovah has not chosen this one. And Jesse passed seven of his sons before Samuel, but Samuel said to Jesse, Jehovah has not chosen these. And Samuel said to Jesse, Are all the young men here? And he said, There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he keeps the sheep. And Samuel said to Jesse, Send and bring him, for we will not sit down until he comes here. And he sent and brought him in. And he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and good form. And Jehovah said, Arise, anoint him. For this is he. And Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the spirit of Jehovah came on David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

And King Solomon answered and said to his mother, And why do you ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask the kingdom also for him. For he is my older brother! Even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah!

And you shall speak to the sons of Israel, saying, When a man dies, and has no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter. And if he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. And if he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father's brothers.read more.
And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his nearest relative, of his family, and he shall possess it. And it shall be to the sons of Israel a statute of judgment, as Jehovah commanded Moses.

And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, twins were in her womb! And the first came out red, all over like a hairy garment. And they called his name Esau. And after that his brother came out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel. And his name was called Jacob. And Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

And it happened, in the time of her travail, behold, twins were in her womb. And when she travailed, it happened that one put out a hand. And the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This one came out first. And it happened as he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out. And she said, How have you broken a break for yourself? And his name was called Pharez.read more.
And afterwards his brother came out, on whose hand was the scarlet thread. And his name was called Zarah.

I have loved you, says Jehovah. But you say, In what have You loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? says Jehovah; yet I loved Jacob, and I hated Esau and made his mountains a desolation, and his inheritance to be for the jackals of the wilderness.

Now Jephthah, the Gileadite, was a mighty man of war. And he was the son of a harlot. And Gilead fathered Jephthah. And Gilead's wife bore him sons. And his wife's sons grew up, and they threw Jephthah out and said to him, You shall not inherit in our father's house. For you are the son of another woman.

And the child grew and was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast the day that Isaac was weaned. And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian (whom she had borne to Abraham) mocking.

And Gideon had seventy sons, begotten of his body. For he had many wives. And his concubine, who was in Shechem, also bore him a son whose name he called Abimelech.

And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem, to his mother's brothers. And he talked with them and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying, I pray you, speak in the ears of all the men of Shechem: Which is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh. And his mother's brothers spoke of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem with all these words. And their hearts were bent toward Abimelech, for they said, He is our brother.read more.
And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith, with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless persons who followed him. And he went to his father's house at Ophrah and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy persons, upon one stone. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, was still left; for he hid himself. And all the leaders of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo. And they came and made Abimelech king beside the plain of the pillar in Shechem.

And Moses said to Hobab the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law: We are going to the place of which Jehovah said, I will give it to you. Come with us, and we will do you good. For Jehovah has spoken good concerning Israel. And he said to him, I will not go, but I will go to my own land and to my kindred. And he said, Please do not leave us, because you know how we are to camp in the wilderness, and so you may be to us for eyes.read more.
And it shall be, if you go with us, then it shall be, whatever goodness Jehovah shall do to us, the same will we do to you.

And Judah said to Onan, Go in to your brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to your brother.

If brothers live together, and one of them dies and has no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry outside to a stranger. Her husband's brother shall go in to her and take her as a wife for himself, and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her.

And Heber the Kenite, of the sons of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, had separated himself from the Kenites and pitched his tent toward the plain of Zaanaim, near Kedesh.

And Cain talked with his brother Abel. And it happened when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. And Jehovah said unto Cain, Where is your brother Abel? And he said, I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper? And He said, What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries to Me from the ground.read more.
And now you are cursed more than the ground which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it will not again give its strength to you. And you shall be a vagabond and a fugitive in the earth.

And Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a tunic reaching to the soles of his feet. And when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him.

And Judah took a wife for Er his first-born, whose name was Tamar. And Er, Judah's first-born, was wicked in the sight of Jehovah. And Jehovah killed him. And Judah said to Onan, Go in to your brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to your brother.read more.
And Onan knew that the seed would not be his. And it happened when he went in to his brother's wife, that he spilled on the ground, not giving seed to his brother. And what he did was evil in the eyes of Jehovah. Therefore He killed him also.