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Deuteronomy Chapter
Twenty-two
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 22
In
this chapter are various laws, concerning care of a neighbour's cattle gone
astray or in distress, and of anything lost by him, Deuteronomy 22:1,
forbidding one sex to wear the apparel, of another, Deuteronomy 22:5
and the taking away of the dam with the young found in a bird's nest, Deuteronomy 22:6,
ordering battlements to be made in a new house, Deuteronomy 22:8,
prohibiting mixtures in sowing, ploughing, and in garments, Deuteronomy 22:9,
requiring fringes on the four quarters of a garment, Deuteronomy 22:12,
fining a man that slanders his wife, upon producing the tokens of her
virginity, Deuteronomy 22:13
but if these cannot be produced, then orders are given that she be put to
death, Deuteronomy 22:20,
then follow other laws, punishing with death the adulterer and adulteress, and
one that hath ravished a betrothed damsel, Deuteronomy 22:22,
amercing a person that lies with a virgin not betrothed and she consenting, and
obliging him to marry her, and not suffering him to divorce her, Deuteronomy 22:28
and another against a man's lying with his father's wife, Deuteronomy 22:30.
Deuteronomy 22:1 “You shall not see your brother’s ox or his sheep going
astray, and hide yourself from them; you shall certainly bring them back to
your brother.
YLT
1`Thou dost not see the ox
of thy brother or his sheep driven away, and hast hidden thyself from them,
thou dost certainly turn them back to thy brother;
Thou shall not see thy brother's ox or his sheep go astray,.... Or
"driven away"F18נדחים
"expulsos", Montanus; "impulsos", Munster;
"depulsos", Piscator. ; frightened and starved away from the herd or
from the flock by a wolf or dog; and the ox and sheep are put for every other
creature a man has, as camels, asses, &c. which last sort is after
mentioned; and a brother means not one in the natural relation of kindred only,
for it is supposed, in the next verse, that he might not only be at a distance,
but unknown; nor by religion only, or one of the commonwealth or church of the
Jews, for what is enjoined is a piece of humanity the law of nature requires
and directs unto, and is even to be done to enemies, Exodus 23:4 and
hide thyself from them; make as if he did not see them, and so be entirely
negligent of them, and takes no care and show no concern about them, but let
them go on wandering from the herd and flock from whence they were driven, and
to which they cannot find the way of themselves:
thou shalt in any case bring them again to thy brother: to his herd
or flock, or to his house, and deliver them into his own hands, or to the care
of his servants.
Deuteronomy 22:2 2 And if your brother is not near you, or if you do not
know him, then you shall bring it to your own house, and it shall remain with
you until your brother seeks it; then you shall restore it to him.
YLT
2and if thy brother [is] not
near unto thee, and thou hast not known him, then thou hast removed it unto the
midst of thy house, and it hath been with thee till thy brother seek it, and
thou hast given it back to him;
And if thy brother be not nigh unto thee,.... Does not
live in the same neighbourhood, but at some considerable distance; so that he
cannot soon and easily be informed of his cattle, or they be sent to him:
or if thou know him not; the owner of them, what
is his name, or where he lives:
then thou shall bring it into thine house; not into his
dwelling house, but some out house, barn, or stable:
and it shall be with thee; remain in his custody,
and be taken care of by him; and, as the Targum of Jonathan says, "be fed
and nourished by him"; for, according to the Jewish canonF19Misn.
Bava Metzia, c. 2. sect. 7. , whatsoever could work and eat, that should work
and eat, and whatsoever did not work and eat was to be sold; for which there
was a set time, as the commentators sayF20Maimon. & Bartenora in
ib. , for large cattle, as oxen, twelve months; for lesser cattle, as sheep,
goats, &c. three months, here it is fixed:
until thy brother seek after it; though in the mean while
the finder was to make use of means, whereby the owner might be informed of it;
for whatsoever was lost, in which were marks and signs by which inquiries might
be made, were to be proclaimedF21Misn. ib. sect. 5, 6, 7. ; (and it
is asked) how long a man was obliged to proclaim? until it was known to his
neighbours; same say (he must proclaim it) at three feasts, and seven days
after the last feast, so that he may go home three days, and return three days,
and proclaim one day; if (the owner) tells what is lost, but does not tell the
marks or signs, he may not give it him; and a deceiver, though he tells the
signs, he may not give it him, as it is said, "until thy brother seek
after it"; until thou inquirest of thy brother whether he is a deceiver or
not: and elsewhere it is saidF23T. Bab. Bava Metzia, fol. 28. 2. ,
formerly if a man lost anything, and gave the signs or marks of it, he took it;
but after deceivers increased, it was ordered to be said to him, bring
witnesses that thou art not a deceiver, and take it; and in the same place it
is observed, that there was at Jerusalem a stone, called Eben Toim, "the
stone of strays", and whoever had lost or found anything repaired thither,
and gave the signs and marks of it, and took it:
and thou shalt restore it to him again; he having
made it fully to appear to be his, and having defrayed all expenses in
advertising and keeping it; but if no owner appear to claim it, or not to
satisfaction, the finder was to keep it as his own; but otherwise he was by all
means to restore it, or, as in Deuteronomy 23:1
"in restoring thou shalt restore them"F24השב תשיבם "reducendo reduces
eos", Pagninus, Montanus. , that is, certainly restore them; and
continually wherever it so happens: the Jewish canon isF25,"if
he restores it, and afterwards it strays away, and he restores it again and it
strays away, even though four or five times, he is bound to restore it; as it
is said, "in restoring thou shalt restore them"; Maimonides saysF26Hilchot
Gazelah ve abadah, c. 11. sect. 14. , that even an hundred times he is bound to
restore them.'
Deuteronomy 22:3 3 You shall do the same with his donkey, and so shall you do
with his garment; with any lost thing of your brother’s, which he has lost and
you have found, you shall do likewise; you must not hide yourself.
YLT
3and so thou dost to his
ass, and so thou dost to his garment, and so thou dost to any lost thing of thy
brother's, which is lost by him, and thou hast found it; thou art not able to
hide thyself.
In like manner shall thou do with his ass,.... As with
his ox or sheep when astray, and found, keep it until it is owned, and then
restore it; this is expressly mentioned in Exodus 23:4.
and so shalt thou do with his raiment; if that is
lost and found, it must be restored to the owner, he describing it; a garment
is particularly mentioned, it is saidF1Bartenora in Misn. Bava
Metzia, c. 2. sect. 5. , because in every garment there is a mark or sign by
which the owners can inquire about it; for it is made by the hands of men, and
does not come from anything common:
and with all lost things of thy brother's, which he hath lost, and
thou hast found, shalt thou do likewise: this comprehends
everything that is lost, that is properly so; it is askedF2Misn. ib.
sect. 9. ;"what is a lost thing? if a man finds an ox or a cow feeding in
the way, this is not a lost thing; an ass whose instruments are inverted, and a
cow running among the vineyards, this is a lost thing:"
thou mayest not hide thyself: from seeing it and
taking care of it, in order to restore it to the right owner; or dissemble a
sight of it, and pretend he never saw it, and so entirely neglect it. In some
instances the Jews allow they were not obliged to take any notice or care of
it, as,"if a man find a cow in a cow house (which is not shut), he is not
obliged (to take care of it); if in a public place, he is obliged; if it is in
a burying ground he may not defile himself for itF3Ib. sect. 10. .'
Deuteronomy 22:4 4 “You shall not see your brother’s donkey or his ox fall
down along the road, and hide yourself from them; you shall surely help him
lift them up again.
YLT
4`Thou dost not see the ass
of thy brother, or his ox, falling in the way, and hast hid thyself from them;
thou dost certainly raise [them] up with him.
Thou shall not see thy brother's ox or his ass fall down by the
way,.... And lie under his burden, not being able to rise with it of
himself, nor with all the assistance about it, without further help:
and hide thyself from them; cover thine eyes, or
turn them another way, and make as if thou didst not see them in distress:
thou shalt surely help him to lift them up again; that is, help
the brother and owner of it, the ox and ass; assist him in getting them up
again, and lay on their burden, and fasten them aright, which either were
rolled off by the fall, or were obliged to be taken off in order to raise them
up; and if this was to be done for an enemy, then much more for a brother, as
is required; see Gill on Exodus 23:5, or
"lifting up, thou shall lift them up with him"F4הקם תקים "erigendo
eriges", Pagninus, Montanus. ; that is, most certainly do it, and lift
with all his strength, and as often as there is occasion; if they fell down
again after raised up, help is still to be continued, even, as MaimonidesF5Hilchot
Rotzeach, c. 13. sect. 5. says, though it was an hundred times.
Deuteronomy 22:5 5 “A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man,
nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment, for all who do so are an
abomination to the Lord your God.
YLT
5`The habiliments of a man
are not on a woman, nor doth a man put on the garment of a woman, for the
abomination of Jehovah thy God [is] any one doing these.
The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man,.... It being
very unseemly and impudent, and contrary to the modesty of her sex; or there
shall not be upon her any "instrument of a man"F6כלי גבר "instrumentum
virile", Pagninus, Junius et Tremellius; "instrumentum viri",
Vatablus. , any utensil of his which he makes use of in his trade and business;
as if she was employed in it, when her business was not to do the work of men,
but to take care of her house and family; and so this law may be opposed to the
customs of the Egyptians, as is thought, from whom the Israelites were lately
come; whose women, as HerodotusF7Euterpe, sive, l. 2. c. 35.
relates, used to trade and merchandise abroad, while the men kept at home; and
the word also signifies armourF8"Arma viri", Munster. , as
Onkelos renders it; and so here forbids women putting on a military habit and
going with men to war, as was usual with the eastern women; and so MaimonidesF9Hilchot
Obede Cochabim, c. 12. sect. 10. illustrates it, by putting a mitre or an
helmet on her head, and clothing herself with a coat of mail; and in like
manner JosephusF11Antiqu. l. 4. c. 8. sect. 43. explains
it,"take heed, especially in war, that a woman do not make use of the
habit of a man, or a man that of a woman;'nor is he to be found fault with so
much as he is by a learned writerF12Cunaeus de Repub. Heb. l. 2. c.
22. , since he does not restrain it wholly to war, though he thinks it may have
a special regard to that; for no doubt the law respects the times of peace as
well as war, in neither of which such a practice should obtain: but the Targum
of Jonathan very wrongly limits it to the wearing fringed garments, and to
phylacteries, which belonged to men:
neither shall a man put on a woman's garment; which would
betray effeminacy and softness unbecoming men, and would lead the way to many
impurities, by giving an opportunity of mixing with women, and so to commit
fornication and adultery with them; to prevent which and to preserve chastity
this law seems to be made; and since in nature a difference of sexes is made,
it is proper and necessary that this should be known by difference of dress, or
otherwise many evils might follow; and this precept is agreeably to the law and
light of nature: it is observed by an Heathen writerF13Laert. Vit.
Platonis, l. 3. p. 238. , that there is a twofold distribution of the law, the
one written, the other not written; what we use in civil things is written,
what is from nature and use is unwritten, as to walk naked in the market, or to
put on a woman's garment: and change of the clothes of sexes was used among the
Heathens by way of punishment, as of the soldiers that deserted, and of
adulteressesF14; so abominable was it accounted: indeed it may be
lawful in some cases, where life is in danger, to escape that, and provided
chastity is preserved:
for all that do so are an abomination to the Lord thy God; which is a
reason sufficient why such a practice should not be used. Some from this clause
have been led to conclude, that respect is had to some customs of this kind
used in idolatrous worship, which are always abominable to the Lord. So
MaimonidesF15Moreh Nevochim, par. 3. c. 37. observes, that in a book
of the Zabians, called "Tomtom", it is commanded, that a man should
wear a woman's garment coloured when he stood before the star of Venus, and
likewise that a woman should put on a coat of mail and warlike armour when she
stood before the star of Mars; which he takes to be one reason of this law,
though besides that he gives another, because hereby concupiscence would be
excited, and an occasion for whoredom given: that there was some such customs
among the Heathens may be confirmed from MacrobiusF16Saturnal. l. 3.
c. 8. , and ServiusF17In Virgil. Aeneid. l. 2. as has been observed
by Grotius; the former of which relates, that Philochorus affirmed that Venus
is the moon, and that men sacrificed to her in women's garments, and women in
men's; and for this reason, because she was thought to be both male and female;
and the latter says, there was an image of Venus in Cyprus with a woman's body
and garment, and with the sceptre and distinction of a man, to whom the men
sacrificed in women's garments, and women in men's garments; and, as the above
learned commentator observes, there were many colonies of the Phoenicians in
Cyprus, from whom this custom might come; and to prevent it obtaining among the
Israelites in any degree, who were now coming into their country, it is thought
this law was made; for the priests of the Assyrian Venus made use of women's
apparelF18Jul. Firmic. de Relig. Prophan. p. 6. , and in the feasts
of Bacchus men disguised themselves like womenF19Lucian. .
Deuteronomy 22:6 6 “If a bird’s nest happens to be before you along the
way, in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs, with the mother
sitting on the young or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the
young;
YLT
6`When a bird's nest cometh
before thee in the way, in any tree, or on the earth, brood or eggs, and the
mother sitting on the brood or on the eggs, thou dost not take the mother with
the young ones;
If a bird's nest chance to be before thee in any tree, or on the
ground,.... Which are the usual places in which birds build their nests;
and this, as Jarchi observes, excepts such nests that are prepared, that is,
that are purposely made for fowls kept at home; and with which agrees the
Jewish canon, which saysF20Misn. Cholin, c. 12. sect. 1. "the
letting go (the dam out of) the nest is not used but of a fowl, and it is not
used but of what is not prepared; what is that which is not prepared? such as
geese and hens, whose nest is in an orchard; but if their nest is in the house,
and so doves kept at home, a man is free from letting (the dam) go;'that is, he
is not obliged to let it go; and this is to be understood of clean birds only;
so the Targum of Jonathan,"the nests of clean birds;'agreeably to the same
canons and the explanation of themF21Ib. sect. 2. ,"an unclean
bird is free from letting go; so an unclean bird, that sits upon the eggs of a
clean bird, also a clean bird that sits upon the eggs of an unclean bird, are
free from letting go,'or persons are not obliged to let such go:
whether they be young ones or eggs; that are in the nest;
and the Jewish canon isF23Ib. sect. 3. ,"if there is but one
young one, or one egg, a man is obliged to let go the dam, as it is said a
nest: a nest is a word of a large sense:"
and the dam sitting upon the young or upon eggs, thou shalt not
take the dam with the young; according to the above canon,"if she
is flying at the time her wings reach the nest, a man is bound to let her go;
but if her wings touch not the nest, he is free from letting her go--if the
young ones are capable of flying, or the eggs rotten, he is free from letting
her go, as it is said, and the dam sitting, &c. as the young are alive, so
the eggs must be firm and sound, rotten ones are excepted; and as eggs have
need of their dam, so the young have need of their dam; those (therefore) that
can fly are excepted:'the dam is not to be taken with her young upon any
account; yea, it is saidF24Misn. Cholin, c. 12. sect. 5. , not even
to cleanse a leper; and whoever does take her is to be beaten: this law was
made partly to preserve the species of birds, and prevent the decrease of them;
for a dam let go might breed again, and to this purpose are the verses ascribed
to PhocylidesF25 μηδε τις
ορνιθας, &c. Poem. admon. l. 80, 81. , which contain the
substance of this law, and this reason of it: and partly, as Maimonides
observesF26Moreh Nevochim, par. 3. c. 48. , that the dam might not
be afflicted at the sight of the spoil of her young; for this law does not
prohibit the taking of her in any other place but in her nest, nor after her
young are taken, but not together; and, as the same writer remarks, if the law
would have such care taken of beasts and birds, that they might be freed from
sorrow and distress, how much more of man? Wherefore the intention of this law
is to teach humanity, compassion, and pity in men to one another, and to forbid
cruelty, covetousness, and such like vices; as also to instruct in the doctrine
of Providence, which has a respect to birds; and our Lord may be thought to
have this law in view, Luke 12:6.
Deuteronomy 22:7 7 you shall surely let the mother go, and take the young
for yourself, that it may be well with you and that you may prolong your
days.
YLT
7thou dost certainly send
away the mother, and the young ones dost take to thyself, so that it is well
with thee, and thou hast prolonged days.
But thou shall in any wise let the dam go, and take the young to
thee,.... Or "in letting go, let go", or "in sending,
send away"F1שלח תשלח
"dimittendo dimittes", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus; so Ainsworth. ;
that is, willingly, certainly, entirely, frequently, always; so the Jewish
canonsF2Misn. Cholin, c. 12. sect. 3. ,"if anyone lets her go,
and she returns, even four or five times, he is obliged to let her go, as it is
said, "in letting go, let go";'nay, Maimonides saysF3In
Misn. ib. , even a thousand times; the canon proceeds,"if anyone says, lo,
I take the dam and let go the young, he is obliged to let her go; if he takes
the young, and returns them again to the nest, and after that returns the dam
to them, he is free from letting her go;"
that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy
days; the Targum of Jonathan is,"that it may be well with thee in
this world, and thou mayest prolong thy days in the world to come:'the same
blessing that is promised to observers of the fifth command, which is one of
the weightier matters of the law, is made to this; which the Jews sayF4Misn.
ib. sect. 5. is but as the value of a farthing, or of little account in
comparison of others; wherefore, as Fagius rightly observesF5In loc.
, God, in bestowing such rewards, has regard not to the works of men, but to
his own grace and kindness; for what merit can there be in letting go or preserving
the life of a little bird?
Deuteronomy 22:8 8 “When you build a new house, then you shall make a
parapet for your roof, that you may not bring guilt of bloodshed on your
household if anyone falls from it.
YLT
8`When thou buildest a new
house, then thou hast made a parapet to thy roof, and thou dost not put blood
on thy house when one falleth from it.
When thou buildest a new house,.... Which is to be
understood of a house to dwell in, not of a granary, barn, or stable, or such
like, and every house that is not four cubits square, as Maimonides observesF6Hilchot
Rotzeach, c. 11. sect. 1. :
then thou shalt make a battlement for thy roof; in the TalmudF7T.
Bab. Cholin, fol. 136. 1. So Maimonides, ib. sect. 2. it is asked, what is the
meaning of, or why is it said, "thy roof?" to except synagogues and
schools; the gloss upon which is, synagogues, &c. do not belong to any
single person, and besides are no dwelling place. A battlement, as Jarrift
describes it, was a fence round the roof; or, as more fully described by KimchiF8Sepher
Shorash. rad. עקה. , it was an edifice made for a
roof round about it, ten hands high, or more, that a person might not fall from
it; so Ben Melech from him. The reason of this law was, because the roofs of
houses in those countries were flat, on which they used to walk for diversion
and recreation, or retire for devotion, meditation, prayer, and social
conversation; such they were in the times of the Canaanites, Joshua 2:6 and in
the times of Saul and David, 1 Samuel 9:25 and
in the times of the New Testament; See Gill on Matthew 10:27; see
Gill on Matthew 24:17; see
Gill on Mark 2:4; see Gill
on Acts 10:9, and so
in later times, and to this day. RauwolffF9Travels, par. 1. c. 2. p.
17. Ed. Ray. , traveller in those parts, relates, that at Tripoli in
Phoenicia,"they have low houses, ill built, and flat at the top, as they
are generally in the east; for they cover their houses with a flat roof or
floor, so that you may walk about as far as the houses go, and the neighbours
walk over the tops of their houses to visit one another; and sometimes in the
summer they sleep on the top of them.'Now to prevent falling from thence, and
mischief thereby, such a battlement as before described was ordered:
that thou bring not blood upon thy house; be not the
occasion of blood being shed, or contract guilt of blood through negligence of
such a provision the law directs to, the guilt of manslaughter, or of shedding
innocent blood in thy house, as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem; hence
the TalmudistsF11T. Bab. Bava Kama, fol. 15. 2. extend this to other
things, and by this law also they suppose men are bound to guard against all
dangers in any other way; as if a man had a well or pit of water in his
courtyard, he ought either to put a cover over it, or to make a fence round it
as high as this battlementF12Maimon. Hilchot Rotzeach, c. 11. sect.
4. :
if any man fall from thence; that is, if a man
walking on the roof of an house should make a slip or a false step, and stumble
and reel, and so be falling, and fall from thence; which might have been
prevented, even his falling from thence or to the ground, if such a battlement
had been made.
Deuteronomy 22:9 9 “You shall not sow your vineyard with different kinds
of seed, lest the yield of the seed which you have sown and the fruit of your
vineyard be defiled.
YLT
9`Thou dost not sow thy
vineyard [with] divers things, lest the fulness of the seed which thou dost
sow, and the increase of the vineyard, be separated.
Thou shall not sow thy vineyards with divers seeds,.... As wheat
and barley between the rows of the vines; and this is to be understood only of
divers sorts of corn, and of divers sorts of herbs, but not of trees; hence we
read of a fig tree in a vineyard, Luke 13:6, and this
only respects what is sown with design, and not what is casual, as the Jews
interpret itF5Misn. Celaim, c. 5. sect. 7. ;"if a man passes
through a vineyard, and seeds fall from him, or they are carried out along with
dung, or with water; or when a man is sowing, and a storm of wind carries it
behind him (i.e. to a vineyard behind him), it is lawful;'that is, it may be
let grow, and the fruit of it enjoyed; the same here is said of the vineyard as
of the field in See Gill on Leviticus 19:19,
lest the fruit of thy seed which thou hast sown, and the fruit of
thy vineyard; be defiled; that is, lest not only the increase of these divers seeds sown,
but also the increase of the vines among which they are sown, become unlawful,
and unfit for use, and so a loss of all be sustained: the Targum of Jonathan
is,"lest it be condemned to burning;'or thou art obliged to burn it; for,
according to the Jewish canonsF6Misn. Temurah, c. 7. sect. 5. , the
mixtures of a vineyard, or the divers seeds of it, and the increase thereof,
were to be burnt; and the commentators of the MisnahF7Maimon. &
Bartenora in Misn. Terumot, c. 10. sect. 6. Orla, c. 3. sect. 7. Kiddushin, c.
2. sect. 9. frequently explain this phrase by "lest it be burnt".
Deuteronomy 22:10 10 “You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together.
YLT
10`Thou dost not plow with an
ox and with an ass together.
Thou shalt not plough with an ox and an ass together,.... They
might be used separately, but not together; nor was it uncommon in some
countries for asses to be employed in ploughing as well as oxen. PlinyF8Nat.
Hist. l. 17. c. 5. makes mention of some fruitful land in Africa, which when it
was dry weather could not be ploughed by oxen, but after showers of rain might
be ploughed by a mean little ass; so Leo AfricanusF9Descriptio
Africae, l. 2. p. 104. says, the Africans only use horses and asses in
ploughing. The reason why they were not to be put together was either (as some
think) lest the law should be broken which forbids the gendering of cattle with
a divers kind, Leviticus 19:19 but
Aben Ezra thinks the reason is, because the strength of an ass is not equal to
the strength of an ox; and therefore he supposes this law is made from the
mercy and commiseration of God extended to all his creatures; though perhaps
the better reason is, because the one was a clean creature, and the other an
unclean, and this instance is put for all others; and with which agree the
Jewish canons, which run thus,"cattle with cattle, wild beasts with wild
beasts, unclean with unclean, clean with clean (i.e. these may be put
together); but unclean with clean, and clean with unclean, are forbidden to
plough with, to draw with, or to be led togetherF11Misn. Celaim, c.
8. sect. 2. .'The mystery of this is, that godly and ungodly persons are not to
be yoked together in religious fellowship: see 2 Corinthians 6:14.
Deuteronomy 22:11 11 “You shall not wear a garment of different sorts, such
as wool and linen mixed together.
YLT
11`Thou dost not put on a
mixed cloth, wool and linen together.
Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts,.... The Jews
say nothing is forbidden under the name of sorts but what is spun and wove, as
it is said, "thou shalt not wear sheatnez", a thing that is carded,
spun, and woveF12Misn. Celaim. c. 9. sect. 8. ; which Ainsworth
translates "linsie woolsie", and is explained by what follows: as
"of woollen and linen together"; of which See Gill on Leviticus 19:19,
whereas JosephusF13Antiqu. l. 4. c. 8. sect. 11. observes, this was
granted to the priests only to wear such garments. BochartF14Hierozoic.
par. 1. l. 2. c. 45. col. 491. affirms it to be false; but that great man is
mistaken; the blue, purple, and scarlet, in the priests' garments, were no
other than dyed wool; and it is a sentiment in general received by the Jews,
that the priests wore no other but woollen and linen in their service; see the
note on the above place; otherwise this law is so strictly observed, as not, to
sew a woollen garment with linen thread, and so on the contraryF15Leo
Modena's History of Rites, &c. l. 1. c. 5. .
Deuteronomy 22:12 12 “You shall make tassels on the four corners of the
clothing with which you cover yourself.
YLT
12`Fringes thou dost make to
thee on the four skirts of thy covering with which thou dost cover [thyself].
Thou shalt make thee fringes,.... Though a different
word is here used from that in Numbers 15:38, yet
the same things are intended, and Onkelos translates both by one and the same
word, and which is no other than a corruption of the Greek word used in Matthew 23:5.
Though there have been some, whom Aben Ezra takes notice of, who supposed that
this is a law by itself, and to be observed in the night, as that in Numbers 15:38 was
in the day; but these he warmly opposes, and calls them liars:
upon the four quarters of thy vesture, wherewith thou coverest
thyself; upon the four skirts of the uppermost vesture, called Talith;
See Gill on Numbers 15:38.
Deuteronomy 22:13 13 “If any man takes a wife, and goes in to her, and
detests her,
YLT
13`When a man taketh a wife,
and hath gone in unto her, and hated her,
If any man take a wife, and go in unto her, and hate her. That is,
marries a wife, and cohabits with her as man and wife, and after some time
dislikes her, and is desirous of parting with her, and therefore takes the
following wicked method to obtain it: this is to be understood of a virgin
taken to wife, as the Targum of Jonathan explains it; and what follows confirms
it.
Deuteronomy 22:14 14 and charges her with shameful conduct, and brings a
bad name on her, and says, ‘I took this woman, and when I came to her I found
she was not a virgin,’
YLT
14and laid against her
actions of words, and brought out against her an evil name, and said, This
woman I have taken, and I draw near unto her, and I have not found in her
tokens of virginity:
And give occasions of speech against her,.... Among her
neighbours, who by his behaviour towards her, and by what he says of her, will
be led in all company and conversation to traduce her character, and speak of
her as a very bad woman:
and bring up an evil name upon her; take away her good name,
and give her a bad one; defame her, and make her appear scandalous and
reproachful to all that know her: though the Jews understand this not of
private slander, but of bringing an action against her in a public court of
judicature, the substance of which follows: "and say, I took this woman,
and when I came to her, I found her not a maid"; the sense is, that he had
married her, and when he came to cohabit with her as man and wife, it appeared
to him that she was vitiated, and not a pure virgin. This is the charge in
court against her, the action laid by him; so Jarchi observes, a man might not
say this but before a magistrate, in a court of judicature, which is thus
represented by MaimonidesF16Hilchot Naarah Betulah, c. 3. sect. 6.
;"a man comes to the sanhedrim, and says, this young woman I married, and
I did not find her virginities; and when I inquired into the matter, it
appeared to me that she had played the whore under me, after I had betrothed
her; and these are my witnesses that she played the whore before them.'
Deuteronomy 22:15 15 then the father and mother of the young woman shall
take and bring out the evidence of the young woman’s virginity to the
elders of the city at the gate.
YLT
15`Then hath the father of
the damsel -- and her mother -- taken and brought out the tokens of virginity
of the damsel unto the elders of the city in the gate,
Then shall the father and the mother of the damsel take,.... Power
from the court, according to the Targum of Jonathan; having leave and licence
granted them to do what follows, these were to, and would, concern themselves
in such an affair, partly for the credit and reputation of their child, and
partly for their own honour, who were in danger, as Jarchi observes, of coming
into contempt for their ill education of her:
and bring forth the tokens of the damsel's virginity; the sheet she
lay in when she first bedded with her husband, in her parents' possession, and
kept by them as a witness of her purity, should there ever be any occasion for
it: and which were to be brought
unto the elders of the city in the gate; which sat in
the gate of the city to try causes: the Targum of Jonathan calls it the gate of
the sanhedrim, or court of judicature; and, according to MaimonidesF17Hilchot
Naarah Betulah, c. 3. sect. 3. , this court was the court of twenty three
judges; for this was a capital crime accused of, a cause relating to life and
death, which could not be heard and tried in a lesser court.
Deuteronomy 22:16 16 And the young woman’s father shall say to the elders,
‘I gave my daughter to this man as wife, and he detests her.
YLT
16and the father of the
damsel hath said unto the elders, My daughter I have given to this man for a
wife, and he doth hate her;
And the damsel's father shall say unto the elders,.... Not her
mother; hence we learn, says Jarchi, that a woman has not power (or is not
allowed) to speak before men; that is, in public see 1 Corinthians 14:34
and it was most proper for a father to appear in court for her, and defend her;
and if she had no parents living then, those that brought her up, her
guardians, that had the education of her, and placing her out in marriage, were
to undertake her cause; or, as JosephusF18Antiqu. l. 4. c. 8. sect.
23. says, those that were next akin to her; or, as, Aben Ezra, one appointed by
the court:
I gave my daughter unto this man to wife; and, by the
Jewish canonsF19Misn. Sotah, c. 3. sect. 8. , a man might give his
daughter in marriage, but a woman might not:
and he hateth her; has taken a dislike to her, and wants to be
rid of her, and therefore has brought this infamous action against her.
Deuteronomy 22:17 17 Now he has charged her with shameful conduct, saying,
“I found your daughter was not a virgin,” and yet these are the
evidences of my daughter’s virginity.’ And they shall spread the cloth
before the elders of the city.
YLT
17and lo, he hath laid
actions of words, saying, I have not found to thy daughter tokens of virginity
-- and these [are] the tokens of the virginity of my daughter! and they have
spread out the garment before the elders of the city.
And, lo, he hath given occasion of speech against her,.... In the
neighbourhood where they dwell; has been the cause of persons speaking
reproachfully of her, as one of ill fame:
saying, l found not thy daughter a maid; so that it
seems he said this not only to his neighbours, and before a court of
judicature, but to the parents of the damsel:
and yet these are the tokens of my daughter's virginity; which were
brought with him, and produced in open court:
and they shall spread the cloth before the elders of the city; that they
might have ocular proof and evidence of the truth of what he said, by having
spread before them the sheet stained with the blood of her virginity upon her
husband's first congress with her. It seems that the mother, as well as the
father, were present and concerned in this action: for it is said, "they
shall spread"; and though the mother might not speak, she was the proper
person to bring this cloth and spread it; and indeed it was particularly in her
care and keeping; for we are toldF20Nachman. apud Fagium in loc.
Schindler. Lex: Pentaglott. col. 260, 261. , that two persons, called שושבינים, "the friends" of the bride and
bridegroom, went first into their bedchamber, and thoroughly examined the bed,
whether there was anything relating to the sign of virginity, by which one
might impose upon another; and they stood all night keeping watch with great
joy and cheerfulness, as if they had been the guards of a king and queen; (to
which is thought the allusion is in John 3:29) their
business was, when the bridegroom and bride came out, to rush in immediately,
and examine all things again; and knowing and owning the former linen sheets in
which they had lain, took them and delivered them to the mother. Nor need
spreading such a cloth before the court be thought unlikely because of the
indecency of it, when it is observed that persons and things much more filthy
came under the cognizance and examination of the priests, as leprous,
menstruous, and profluvious persons, and their respective disorders; nor is it
at all improbable that there should be such evident tokens as are said to be
given, when it is observed, especially of the Jewish women, at what a tender
age they were marriageable, and were frequently married, namely, when twelve
years and one day old. And the Africans, as we are toldF21Joan.
Leon. Descript. Africae, l. 3. p. 325. , have a custom with them similar to
this at a wedding;"a feast is prepared, and a certain woman waits without,
until the bride is lain with; and then a linen cloth, stained with blood, is
reached out to her, which she carries in her hands, and shows to the guests,
crying out with a loud voice that this was a virgin hitherto not corrupt; then
she, with other women, are splendidly received, first by the parents of the
bridegroom, and then of the bride; but if she does not appear to be a virgin,
she is returned to her parents under the disgrace of all, and the marriage made
null and void.'Indeed there are some Jewish writers, that interpret this cloth
in a parabolical and allegorical sense, and understand by it witnesses that;
would make the case as clear and plain as the spreading out a cloth or garment.
They suppose that before the damsel was lain with she was examined by several matrons,
who declaring her to be a virgin, gave it under their hands in writing to her
parents, which they were capable of producing in court when there was occasion
for it; so Jarchi says, this is a parable; the meaning is, they made things as
clear and as plain as a new cloth; with which agrees the TalmudF23T.
Bab. Cetubot, fol. 46. 1. he seems to have taken it from, where on these words,
and they shall spread the cloth, this remark is made; but the literal sense
seems best.
Deuteronomy 22:18 18 Then the elders of that city shall take that man and
punish him;
YLT
18`And the elders of that
city have taken the man, and chastise him,
And the elders of that city shall take the man, and chastise him. Not with
words, but blows. Jarchi interprets it of beating, and so does the TalmudF24T.
Bab. Cetubot, fol. 46. 1. ; and both the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan render
it,"shall beat him;'
that
is, with the beating or scourging of forty stripes, save one.
Deuteronomy 22:19 19 and they shall fine him one hundred shekels of
silver and give them to the father of the young woman, because he has
brought a bad name on a virgin of Israel. And she shall be his wife; he cannot
divorce her all his days.
YLT
19and fined him a hundred
silverlings, and given to the father of the damsel, because he hath brought out
an evil name on a virgin of Israel, and she is to him for a wife, he is not
able to send her away all his days.
And they shall amerce him in an hundred shekels of silver,.... Which was
about twelve pounds of our money; this was double the dowry he would have been
obliged to have given her, if he had put her away; which he might have done
with less trouble, and with a greater certainty of being rid of her; but being
willing to save that expense, took this wicked method to accuse her falsely;
and therefore is fined double that sum:
and give them unto the father of the damsel; as a sort of
satisfaction or reparation for the scandal brought upon him and his family; if
the damsel was fatherless, MaimonidesF25Hilchot Naarah Betulah, c.
3. sect. 1. says, she was to have them herself:
because he hath brought up an evil name upon a virgin in Israel: defamed her
among her neighbours and acquaintance, or brought a false accusation against
her in court; alleging she was not a virgin when he married her, when she was
one, which was a very great injury to her character:
and she shall be his wife, he may not put her away all his days: and so he was
disappointed in his view of getting rid of her, and obliged to retain her as
his wife, though hated, and was not suffered to divorce her as long as he
lived; which was permitted and connived at in other men, and which he might
have done before, without bringing such a charge against her; all which must be
very mortifying to him, as to be whipped, to pay a fine, keep his wife, and not
allowed ever to divorce her.
Deuteronomy 22:20 20 “But if the thing is true, and evidences of
virginity are not found for the young woman,
YLT
20`And if this thing hath
been truth -- tokens of virginity have not been found for the damsel –
But if this thing be true,.... Which the husband of
the damsel laid to her charge, that she was no virgin when married to him, and
she had committed whoredom, of which there was plain proof:
and the tokens of virginity be not found for the damsel; by her
parents, or those who had the care of her; or no sufficient reason could be
assigned for the want of them, through any family defect, or any disorder of
her own; which, as MaimonidesF26Hilchot Ishot, c. 11. sect. 12.
says, the judges were to inquire into.
Deuteronomy 22:21 21 then they shall bring out the young woman to the door
of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death with
stones, because she has done a disgraceful thing in Israel, to play the harlot
in her father’s house. So you shall put away the evil from among you.
YLT
21then they have brought out
the damsel unto the opening of her father's house, and stoned her have the men
of her city with stones, and she hath died, for she hath done folly in Israel,
to go a-whoring [in] her father's house; and thou hast put away the evil thing
out of thy midst.
Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father's
house,.... For his greater disgrace, and as a sort of punishment for
his neglect of her education, not taking care to instruct her, and bring her up
in a better manner:
and the men of her city shall stone her with stones, that she die; which was the
death this sort of adulteresses were put to; others was by strangling, and the
daughter of a priest was to be burnt; see Leviticus 20:10,
which shows that this sin was committed by her after her espousals, as Jarchi
and Aben Ezra note; or otherwise it would have been only simple fornication,
which was not punishable with death:
because she hath wrought folly in Israel: a sin, as all
sin is folly, and especially any notorious one, as this was; and which is aggravated
by its being done in Israel, among a people professing the true religion, and
whom God had chosen and separated from all others to be a holy people to
himself:
to play the whore in her father's house; where she
continued after her espousals, until she was taken to the house of her husband,
to consummate the: marriage; and between the one and the other was this sin
committed, and which is another reason for her execution at the door of her
father's house:
so shalt thou put evil away from among you; deter others
from it by such an example, and remove the guilt of it from them, which
otherwise would lie upon them, if punishment was not inflicted; the Targum of
Jonathan interprets it of the putting away of her that did the evil.
Deuteronomy 22:22 22 “If a man is found lying with a woman married to a
husband, then both of them shall die—the man that lay with the woman, and the
woman; so you shall put away the evil from Israel.
YLT
22`When a man is found lying
with a woman, married to a husband, then they have died even both of them, the
man who is lying with the woman, also the woman; and thou hast put away the
evil thing out of Israel.
If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband,..... This law
respects adultery, and is the same with that in Leviticus 20:10.
then they shall both of them die; with the strangling of a
napkin, as the Targum of Jonathan, which is the death such persons were put to;
and is always meant when death is simply spoken of, and it is not specified
what death; See Gill on Leviticus 20:10,
both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman; they were
both to die, and to die the same death:
so shalt thou put away evil from Israel; such that do
it, as the above Targum; See Gill on Deuteronomy 22:21.
Deuteronomy 22:23 23 “If a young woman who is a virgin is betrothed
to a husband, and a man finds her in the city and lies with her,
YLT
23`When there is a damsel, a
virgin, betrothed to a man, and a man hath found her in a city, and lain with
her;
If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband,.... But not
married, not as yet brought home to her husband's house, and the marriage
consummated; for the Jews distinguish between being betrothed or espoused, and
married; and generally there was some time between the one and the other. And a
wife was obtained in this way by three things; by money, which was the most
usual; and by writing, which was to be done before witnesses, and with her
consent; and by copulation, which, though valid, was not so much approved ofF1Misn.
Kiddushin, c. 1. sect. 1. . There is a whole treatise in the Misnah, called
Kiddushin, or Espousals, which largely treats of this matter:
and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; with her consent,
as might be presumed by her not crying out, when, had she, she might have been
heard, being in a city; and her being there also makes against her, since,
being betrothed to a man, she ought to have abode in her father's house till
her husband fetched her home, and not to have gadded abroad in the city, where
she was exposed to temptation.
Deuteronomy 22:24 24 then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that
city, and you shall stone them to death with stones, the young woman because
she did not cry out in the city, and the man because he humbled his neighbor’s
wife; so you shall put away the evil from among you.
YLT
24then ye have brought them
both out unto the gate of that city, and stoned them with stones, and they have
died: -- the damsel, because that she hath not cried, [being] in a city; and
the man, because that he hath humbled his neighbour's wife; and thou hast put
away the evil thing out of thy midst.
Then ye shall bring them
both out unto the gate of the city,.... Where the fact was
committed; the Targum of Jonathan is,"to the gate of the court of
judicature, which is in that city:"
and ye shall stone them with stones, that they die; a man that
lay with a married woman, he and she were to be strangled; but this sort of
adulterers and adulteresses were to be stoned, and it is thought that of this
sort was the woman spoken of in John 8:3,
the damsel because she cried not, being in the city, and the man
because he hath humbled his neighbour's wife; as she was by espousal,
by contract, by promise, and so was guilty of adultery, which was punishable
with death:
so thou shall put away evil from among you; see Deuteronomy 22:21.
Deuteronomy 22:25 25 “But if a man finds a betrothed young woman in the
countryside, and the man forces her and lies with her, then only the man who
lay with her shall die.
YLT
25`And if in a field the man
find the damsel who is betrothed, and the man hath laid hold on her, and lain
with her, then hath the man who hath lain with her died alone;
But if a man find a
betrothed damsel in the field,.... Alone, and where she might cry out, and
none hear, nor were any to help her:
and a man force her, and lie with her; or "take
fast and strong hold on her"F2והחזיק בה "et apprehenderit (in) eam", Pagninus,
Montanus; "et apprehendens eam", Piscator. ; so that she is not able
to get out of his hands, and make her escape, he being stronger than she, and
so commits a rape upon her:
then the man only that lay with her shall die; he being
guilty of adultery, in lying with a woman espoused to another man, but not she,
because she consented not to it.
Deuteronomy 22:26 26 But you shall do nothing to the young woman; there
is in the young woman no sin deserving of death, for just as when a
man rises against his neighbor and kills him, even so is this matter.
YLT
26and to the damsel thou dost
not do anything, the damsel hath no deadly sin; for as a man riseth against his
neighbour and hath murdered him -- the life, so [is] this thing;
But unto the damsel thou
shalt do nothing,.... Neither fine her, nor beat her, and much less punish her
with death:
there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death; because what
was done to her was done without her will and consent, and was what she was
forced to submit unto; but the Targum of Jonathan adds, that the man to whom
she was betrothed might dismiss her from himself by a bill of divorce:
for as when a man riseth against his neighbour, and slayeth him,
even so is this matter; as when a man comes unawares upon another, and lays hold on him,
and kills him, being stronger than he, and none to help; so is the case of a
woman laid hold on by a man in a field, and ravished by him, where no help
could be had; and depriving a woman of her chastity is like taking away a man's
life; from this passage MaimonidesF3Hilchot Yesode Hattorah, c. 5.
sect. 10. concludes, that impurities, incests, and adulteries, are equal to
murder, to capital cases relating to life and death.
Deuteronomy 22:27 27 For he found her in the countryside, and the
betrothed young woman cried out, but there was no one to save her.
YLT
27for in a field he found
her, she hath cried -- the damsel who is betrothed -- and she hath no saviour.
For he found her in the
field,.... Which is a circumstance in her favour, from which it might
he presumed that she was forced, and did not consent; for had the sin been
committed by agreement, they would doubtless have betook themselves to another
place: and the betrothed damsel cried as it might be concluded from the above
circumstance she did, and as she herself declared, and which he could not
gainsay, or however disprove:
and there was none to save her; to help her against him,
and deliver her out of his hands.
Deuteronomy 22:28 28 “If a man finds a young woman who is a virgin,
who is not betrothed, and he seizes her and lies with her, and they are found
out,
YLT
28`When a man findeth a
damsel, a virgin who is not betrothed, and hath caught her, and lain with her,
and they have been found,
If a man find a damsel
that is a virgin, which is not betrothed,.... That is, meets with
one in a field, which is not espoused to a man; and the man is supposed to be
an unmarried man, as appears by what follows:
and lay hold on her, and lie with her, she yielding
to it, and so is not expressive of a rape, as Deuteronomy 22:25
where a different word from this is there used; which signifies taking strong
hold of her, and ravishing her by force; yet this, though owing to his first
violent seizure of her, and so different from what was obtained by enticing
words, professions of love, and promises of marriage, and the like, as in Exodus 22:16 but
not without her consent:
and they be found; in the field together, and in the fact; or
however there are witnesses of it, or they themselves have confessed, it, and
perhaps betrayed by her pregnancy.
Deuteronomy 22:29 29 then the man who lay with her shall give to the young
woman’s father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife
because he has humbled her; he shall not be permitted to divorce her all his
days.
YLT
29then hath the man who is
lying with her given to the father of the damsel fifty silverlings, and to him
she is for a wife; because that he hath humbled her, he is not able to send her
away all his days.
Then the man that lay with
her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty shekels of silver, For the abuse
of his daughter; and besides this was obliged to give her her dowry also, as
PhiloF4De Special. Leg. p. 787. says, which is commonly said to be
fifty more:
and she shall be his wife; if her father and she
agreed to it; and in such a case the man was not at his liberty to refuse, be
she what she would, agreeable or not, handsome or ugly; he must, as the Jews
express it, drink out of his pot, or marry her, if she is lame, or blind, or
full of ulcersF5Misn. Cetubot, c. 3. sect. 5. :
because he hath humbled her he may not put her away all his days: to all the
other parts of his punishment, paying a fine of fifty shekels to the damsel's
father, a dowry of the same sum to her, obligation to marry her whether he
likes her or not, this is added, that he is not allowed to divorce her as long
as he lives; which was permitted to other men, and this was wisely ordered to
preserve chastity.
Deuteronomy 22:30 30 “A man shall not take his father’s wife, nor uncover
his father’s bed.
YLT
30`A man doth not take his
father's wife, nor uncover his father's skirt.
A man shall not take his father's wife,.... Not marry
her, whether his own mother, or a stepmother; or even, as Aben Ezra thinks,
anyone that was deflowered by his father. Jarchi interprets it of his father's
brother's wife, which he was obliged to marry by virtue of the law in Deuteronomy 25:5.
nor discover his father's skirt; or lie with her his
father had thrown his skirt over, or married; and which being the first, is
mentioned here as a sample to all the rest forbidden Leviticus 18:7 or,
as Bishop Patrick expresses it, is a "short memorandum", to make them
careful to observe all the other laws respecting incestuous marriages and
copulations there delivered.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》