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Deuteronomy Chapter
Twenty-four
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 24
This
chapter contains various laws concerning divorces, Deuteronomy 24:1;
the discharge of a newly married man from war and business, Deuteronomy 24:5;
about taking pledges, Deuteronomy 24:6;
man stealing, Deuteronomy 24:7;
the plague of leprosy, Deuteronomy 24:8;
and giving servants their hire in due time, Deuteronomy 24:14;
concerning doing justice in capital cases, and towards the stranger,
fatherless, and widow, Deuteronomy 24:16;
and of charity to the poor, in allowing them the forgotten sheaf, and the
gleanings of their oliveyards and vineyards, Deuteronomy 24:19.
Deuteronomy 24:1 “When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that
she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some uncleanness in her,
and he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends
her out of his house,
YLT
1`When a man doth take a
wife, and hath married her, and it hath been, if she doth not find grace in his
eyes (for he hath found in her nakedness of anything), and he hath written for
her a writing of divorce, and given [it] into her hand, and sent her out of his
house,
When a man hath taken a wife and married her,.... That is,
when a man has made choice of a woman for his wife, and has obtained her
consent, and the consent of her parents; and has not only betrothed her, but
taken her home, and consummated the marriage:
and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes; is not
agreeable to him, he takes no delight in her person, nor pleasure in her
company and conversation; but, on the contrary, his affections are alienated
from her, and he cannot bear the sight of her:
because he hath found some uncleanness in her; something
that he disliked, and was disagreeable to him, and which made their continuance
together in the marriage state very uncomfortable; which led him on to be very
ill-natured, severe, and cruel to her; so that her life was exposed to danger,
or at least become very uneasy; in which case a divorce was permitted, both for
the badness of the man's heart, and in favour of the woman, that she might be freed
from such rigorous usage. This word "uncleanness" does not signify
adultery, or any of the uncleannesses forbidden in Leviticus 18:6;
because that was punishable with death, when it could be proved; and where
there was only a suspicion of it, the husband might make use of the bitter
water: though the house of Shammai seem to take it in this sense; for they say
a man might not divorce his wife unless he found her in some unclean thing,
something dishonest and wicked, and which they ground upon these words; but the
house of Hillell say, if she burnt his food, or spoiled it by over salting, or
over roasting it; and Akiba says, even if he found another woman more beautiful
than her or more agreeable to him. But neither his sense, nor that of the house
of Shammai, are approved of by the Jews in general, but that of the house of
HillellF13Misn. Gittin, c. 9. sect. 10. & Maimon. &
Bartenora in ib. ; and they suppose a man might divorce his wife for any ill
qualities of mind in her, or for any ill or impudent behaviour of hers; as if
her husband saw her go abroad with her head uncovered, and spinning in the
streets, and so showing her naked arms to men; or having her garments slit on
both sides; or washing in a bath with men, or where men use to wash, and
talking with every man, and joking with young men; or her voice is sonorous and
noisy; or any disease of body, as the leprosy, and the like; or any blemishes,
as warts, are upon her; or any disagreeable smell that might arise from any
parts of the body, from sweat, or a stinking breathF14T. Bab.
Gittin, fol. 90. 1. 2. Misn. Cetubot, c. 7. sect. 6, 7. & Maimon. &
Bartenora in ib. :
then let him write her a bill of divorcement; Jarchi says,
this is a command upon him to divorce her, because she finds not favour in his
eyes; and so the JewsF15 generally understand it, and so they did in
the time of Christ, Matthew 19:7;
whereas it was no more than a permission, for reasons before given. A man might
not dismiss his wife by word of mouth, which might be done hastily, in a
passion, of which he might soon repent; but by writing, which was to be drawn
up in form; and, as the Targum of Jonathan, before the sanhedrim, in a court of
judicature, which required time, during which he might think more of it, and
either recede from his purpose before the case was finished, or do it upon
mature deliberation; and a firm resolution. The Jews sayF16Misn.
Gittin, c. 2. sect. 2, 3, 4, 5. many things of the witnesses before whom it was
to be written and sealed, and at what time, and upon what, and with what it was
to be written, and who were proper persons to write it or not, in a treatise of
theirs, called Gittin, or divorces. In the Hebrew text this bill is called
"a bill of cutting off"F17ספר כריתת "libellum excidii", Montanus, Fagius;
"succisionis", Munster; "abscissionis", Tigurine version. ;
because the marriage was rescinded, and man and wife were cut off and separated
from one another for ever; of the form of such a bill; see Gill on Matthew 5:31,
and give it in her hand; which was to be done
before witnesses, and which is one of the ten things requisite to a divorceF18See
Ainsworth in loc. ; though it made no difference whether it was delivered by
himself, or by a messenger; or whether to her, or to her deputy, appointed by
her before witnesses; or whether it was put into her hand, or in her bosom, so
be it that she was but possessed of it; with which agrees the Jewish
canon,"if he casts a bill to his wife, and she is within the house, or
within the court, she is divorced; if he casts it into her bosom, or into her
work basket, she is divorcedF19Misn. Gittin, c. 8. sect. 1. :"
and send her out of his house; which was a visible
token and public declaration of her divorce; besides, were she to be continued
in his house afterwards, it would give suspicion of cohabitation, which after a
divorce was not lawful.
Deuteronomy 24:2 2 when she has departed from his house, and goes and becomes
another man’s wife,
YLT
2and she hath gone out of
his house, and hath gone and been another man's,
And when she is departed out of his house,.... With her
bill of divorce, by which departure out of his house it is notified to all:
she may go and be other man's wife; it was
permitted her to marry another man, she being by her divorce freed from the law
of her former husband; and who indeed, in express words contained in the
divorce, gave her leave so to do; which ran thus,"thou art in thine own
hand, and hast power over thyself to go and marry any other man whom thou
pleasest; and let no man hinder thee in my name, from this day forward and for
ever; and, lo, thou art free to any man;'See Gill on Matthew 5:31.
Deuteronomy 24:3 3 if the latter husband detests her and writes her a certificate
of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, or if
the latter husband dies who took her as his wife,
YLT
3and the latter man hath
hated her, and written for her a writing of divorce, and given [it] into her
hand, and sent her out of his house, or when the latter man dieth, who hath
taken her to himself for a wife:
And if the latter husband hate her,.... Or less
loves her than another woman, and she is disliked by him as she was by her
former husband:
and write her a bill off divorcement, and giveth it into
her hand,
and sendeth her out of his house: as he had by this law a
permission, in like manner as her former husband had; See Gill on Deuteronomy 24:1,
or if her latter husband die, which took her to be his wife; and she
survives him; as she is then by death loosed from the law of an husband, she
may lawfully marry another man, but not her former husband, as follows.
Deuteronomy 24:4 4 then her former husband who divorced her must not take her back to
be his wife after she has been defiled; for that is an abomination
before the Lord, and you shall not bring sin on the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.
YLT
4`Her former husband who
sent her away is not able to turn back to take her to be to him for a wife,
after that she hath become defiled; for an abomination it [is] before Jehovah,
and thou dost not cause the land to sin which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee
-- an inheritance.
Her former husband which sent her away may not take her again to
be his wife,.... Though ever so desirous of it, and having heartily repented
that he had put her away: this is the punishment of his fickleness and
inconstancy, and was ordered to make men cautious how they put away their
wives; since when they had so done, and they had been married to another, they
could not enjoy them again even on the death of the second husband; yea, though
she was only espoused to him, and he had never lain with her, as Ben Melech
observes, it was forbidden the former husband to marry her; though if she had
only played the whore, according to the same writer, and othersF1Maimon.
& Bartenora in Misn. Sotah, c. 2. sect. 6. , she might return to him:
after that she is defiled; not by whoredom, for in
that case she was not forbidden, as it is interpreted, but by her being married
to another man; when she was defiled, not by him, or with respect to him, nor
with regard to any other man, whom she might lawfully marry after the decease
of her latter husband; but with respect to her first husband, being by her
divorce from him, and by her marriage to another, entirely alienated and
separated from him, and so prohibited to him; and thus R. Joseph Kimchi
interprets this defilement of prohibition, things prohibited being reckoned
unclean, or not lawful to be used:
for that is abomination before the Lord; for a man to
take his wife again, after she had been divorced by him, and married to another
man; and yet, such is the grace and goodness of God to his backsliding people,
that he receives them when they return unto him their first husband, and
forsake other lovers, Jeremiah 3:1,
and thou shalt not cause the land to sin which the Lord thy God
giveth thee for an inheritance; since if this was
allowed, that men might put away their wives, and take them again at pleasure,
and change them as often as they thought fit, no order could be observed, and
the utmost confusion in families introduced, and lewdness encouraged, and which
would subject the land and the inhabitants of it to many evils and calamities,
as the just punishment thereof.
Deuteronomy 24:5 5 “When a man has taken a new wife, he shall not go out
to war or be charged with any business; he shall be free at home one year, and
bring happiness to his wife whom he has taken.
YLT
5`When a man taketh a new
wife, he doth not go out into the host, and [one] doth not pass over unto him
for anything; free he is at his own house one year, and hath rejoiced his wife
whom he hath taken.
When a man hath taken a new wife,.... A wife he has lately
married, new to him, though a widow, as Jarchi observes; but the Targum of
Jonathan says a virgin; however this is opposed to his old wife, and divorced;
for this, as Jarchi and Ben Melech say, excepts the return of a divorced wife,
who cannot be said to be a new one:
he shall not go out to war; this is to be understood
of a man that had not only betrothed, but married a wife; a man that had
betrothed a wife, and not married her, who went out to war, might return if he
would, Deuteronomy 20:7;
but one that had married a wife was not to go out to war:
neither shall be charged with any business; as betrothed
ones were; they, though they had a liberty of returning, yet they were to
provide food and drink for the army, and to prepare or mend the highways, as
Jarchi observes; but these were not obliged to such things, nor even to keep
watch on the walls of the city, or to pay taxes, as MaimonidesF2Hilchot
Melachim, c. 7. sect. 10, 11. writes:
but he shall be free at home
one year; not only from all tributes and taxes, and everything relative to
the affairs of war, but from public offices and employments, which might
occasion absence from home. Jarchi remarks, that his house or home comprehends
his vineyard; and so he thinks that this respects his house and his vineyard,
that if he had built a house and dedicated it, or planted a vineyard and made
it common, yet was not to remove from his house because of the necessities of
war:
and shall cheer up his wife which he hath taken; or rejoice
with his wife which he hath taken, and solace themselves with love; and thereby
not only endear himself to her, but settle his affections on her, and be so
confirmed in conjugal love, that hereafter no jealousies may arise, or any
cause of divorce, which this law seems to be made to guard against. So it is
saidF3Arrian. Expedit Alex. l. 1. , that Alexander after the battle
of Granicus sent home to Macedonia his newly married soldiers, to winter with
their wives, and return at spring; which his master Aristotle had taught him,
and as he was taught by a Jew.
Deuteronomy 24:6 6 “No man shall take the lower or the upper millstone in
pledge, for he takes one’s living in pledge.
YLT
6`None doth take in pledge
millstones, and rider, for life it [is] he is taking in pledge.
No man shall take the nether or the upper millstone to pledge,.... The first
word being of the dual number takes in both stones, wherefore Vatablus renders
the words,"ye shall not take for a pledge both the millstones, nor indeed
the uppermost;'which is the least; so far should they be from taking both, that
they were not allowed to take the uppermost, which was the shortest, meanest,
and lightest; and indeed if anyone of them was taken, the other became useless,
so that neither was to be taken:
for he taketh a man's life to pledge; or with which
his life is supported, and the life of his family; for if he has corn to supply
them with, yet if his mill or millstones are pawned, he cannot grind his corn,
and so he and his family must starve: and in those times and countries they
did, as the Arabs do to this day, as Dr. ShawF4Travels, p. 231.
Edit. 2. relates,"most families grind their wheat and barley at home,
having two portable millstones for that purpose; the uppermost whereof is
turned round by a small handle of wood or iron, that is placed in the rim;'and
these millstones being portable, might be the more easily taken for pledges,
which is here forbidden, for the above reason; and this takes in any other
thing whatever, on which a man's living depends, or by which he gets his breadF5Misn.
Bava Metzia, c. 9. sect. 13. .
Deuteronomy 24:7 7 “If a man is found kidnapping any of his brethren of
the children of Israel, and mistreats him or sells him, then that kidnapper
shall die; and you shall put away the evil from among you.
YLT
7`When a man is found
stealing a person, of his brethren, of the sons of Israel, and hath tyrannized
over him, and sold him, then hath that thief died, and thou hast put away the
evil thing out of thy midst.
If a man be found stealing any of his brethren of the children of
Israel,.... Whether grown up or little, male or female, an Israelite or
a proselyte, or a freed servant; all, as MaimonidesF6Hichot Genibah,
c. 9. sect. 6. says, are included in this general word "brethren";
though Aben Ezra observes, that it is added, "of the children of
Israel", for explanation, since an Edomite is called a
"brother". Now, a man must be "found" committing this fact;
that is, it must plainly appear, there must be full proof of it by witnesses,
as Jarchi explains this word:
and maketh merchandise of him; or rather uses him as a
servant, and employs him in any service to the least profit and advantage by
him, even to the value of a farthing; yea, if he does but lean upon him, and he
supports him, though he is an old man that is stolen; this is serving a man's
self by him, as MaimonidesF7Ib. sect. 2. , which is what is
forbidden as distinct from selling him, as follows:
or selleth him: to others; and both these, according to the
above writerF8Ib. sect. 3. , using him for service, and selling him,
are necessary to make him guilty of death; not the one without the other; but
reading them disjunctively, as we do, gives the better sense of the words:
then that thief shall die; by strangling with a
napkin, as the Targum of Jonathan; and so MaimonidesF9Hilchot
Genibah, c. 9. sect. 1. So R. Sol. Urbin. Ohel Moed, fol. 67. 1. interprets it
of service. says, his death is by strangling:
and thou shall put evil away from among you; both him that
does evil, as the Targum of Jonathan, and the guilt of it by inflicting due
punishment for it; and so deter from such practices, and prevent evil coming
upon the body of the people, should such a sin be connived at; see Exodus 21:16.
Deuteronomy 24:8 8 “Take heed in an outbreak of leprosy, that you
carefully observe and do according to all that the priests, the Levites, shall
teach you; just as I commanded them, so you shall be careful to do.
YLT
8`Take heed, in the plague
of leprosy, to watch greatly, and to do according to all that the priests, the
Levites, teach you; as I have commanded them ye observe to do;
Take heed, in the plague of leprosy,.... Whether in the
bodies of men, or in houses, or in garments, not to hide and conceal it; or, as
Jarchi, weaken the signs of it, or cut out the bright spot; so the Targum of
Jonathan:
that thou observe diligently, and do according to all the priests
the Levites shall teach you: according to the laws and rules given in
such cases, whether they order to shut up persons, houses, or clothes, or
pronounce unclean or clean; in all things they were to do as they directed,
which appeared to be agreeably to the said rules; for the judgment, management,
and ordering of these things, belonged to the priests: of which see Leviticus 13:1,
as I commanded them, so shall ye observe to do: which shows
the they were not to comply with their orders, and conform to them, any further
than they agreed with the commands of God, and the instructions he had given
them in the places referred to.
Deuteronomy 24:9 9 Remember what the Lord your God
did to Miriam on the way when you came out of Egypt!
YLT
9remember that which Jehovah
thy God hath done to Miriam in the way, in your coming out of Egypt.
Remember what the Lord thy God did unto Miriam,.... Who was
stricken with leprosy for speaking against Moses, and was shut up seven days;
and they are reminded of this instance, partly to warn them against
entertaining evil suspicions, and surmises of persons in power and authority,
and speaking evil of them; and partly to expect that punishment would certainly
be inflicted on them, should they be guilty of the same crime; nor should they
think it hard, either to be smitten with leprosy, or to be shut up for it;
since Miriam, a prophetess, and the sister of Moses, was so used; and that when
by the way, after that ye were come out of Egypt: when upon
their journey, and were retarded in it, and obliged to stay at least seven days
before they could proceed on in it; see Numbers 12:14.
Deuteronomy 24:10 10 “When you lend your brother anything, you shall not go
into his house to get his pledge.
YLT
10`When thou liftest up on
thy brother a debt of anything, thou dost not go in unto his house to obtain
his pledge;
When thou dost lend thy brother anything,.... Any sum
of money he stands in need of, or demanded a debt of him, as Jarchi; money he
is indebted to thee, which is the sense of the Septuagint version; and he is
not able to pay it, but offers something: in pawn till he can pay it:
thou shall not go into his house to fetch his pledge; which would
be an exercise of too much power and authority, to go into a neighbour's house,
and take what was liked; and besides, as no doubt he would take the best, so he
might take that which the poor man could not spare: and indeed, according to
the Jewish canonsF11Misn. Bava Metzia, c. 9. sect. 13. , he could
not take any pledge at all, but with the knowledge, and by the leave, of the
sanhedrim, or court of judicature.
Deuteronomy 24:11 11 You shall stand outside, and the man to whom you lend
shall bring the pledge out to you.
YLT
11at the outside thou dost
stand, and the man on whom thou art lifting [it] up is bringing out unto thee
the pledge at the outside.
Thou shall stand abroad,.... Without doors, in
the street, as the Targum of Jonathan, while the borrower or debtor looks out,
and brings forth what he can best spare as a pledge:
and the man to whom thou dost lend shall bring out the pledge
abroad unto thee; now as, on the one hand, if the lender or creditor had been
allowed to go in and take what he pleased for a pledge, he would choose the
best; so, on the other hand, the borrower or debtor would be apt to bring the
worst, what was of the least value and use; wherefore the Jews made it a rule
that it should be of a middling sort, between both, lest it should be a
discouragement and hinderance to lend upon pledgesF12Misn. Gittin,
c. 5. sect. 1. Maimon. & Bartenora in ib. .
Deuteronomy 24:12 12 And if the man is poor, you shall not keep his
pledge overnight.
YLT
12`And if he is a poor man,
thou dost not lie down with his pledge;
And if the man be poor,.... Which may be thought
to be the case of everyone that gives pledges for a debt he owes, or a sum of
money he borrows; yet there might be a difference: some might be so very
destitute of goods and raiment in their houses, that whatever they parted with
was distressing to them, and they could not well do without it:
thou shalt not sleep with his pledge; nor keep it a
night; but deliver it to him, before he went to bed, and laid himself down to
sleep.
Deuteronomy 24:13 13 You shall in any case return the pledge to him again
when the sun goes down, that he may sleep in his own garment and bless you; and
it shall be righteousness to you before the Lord your God.
YLT
13thou dost certainly give
back to him the pledge at the going in of the sun, and he hath lain down in his
own raiment, and hath blessed thee; and to thee it is righteousness before
Jehovah thy God.
In any case thou shalt deliver him the pledge again, when the sun
goeth down,.... If it was a night covering, as Jarchi remarks; but if it was
his day clothes, he was to return it in the morning, when the sun arose; and
this was to be done every day, which resist occasion a great deal of trouble,
and the pledge of little use; so that it seems as though they might as well be
without it as have it, and lend freely; but the Jews say, that there was an
advantage by it; for it is said in answer to such a question,"of what
profit is the pledge? by this means the debt is not released on the seventh
year, (when all other debts were released, Deuteronomy 15:1)
nor could the borrower dispose of his goods to his children, but payment was
made from the pledge after his deathF13Maimon Hilchot Milvah Velovah,
c. 3. sect. 5. :'now this delivery of the pledge at sun setting was ordered:
that he may sleep in his own raiment; have his
night covering to sleep in, his pillow, and bolster, and bedding to lie on, and
bed clothes to cover him; and indeed the clothes they wore were made in such
form, as would serve for covering to sleep in at night, as well as to wear in
the day; and such is the clothing of the Arabs now, which they call
"hykes"."The usual size of them (Dr. Shaw saysF14Travels,
p. 224. Ed. 2. ), is six yards long, and five or six feet broad, serving the
Arab for a complete dress in the day; and as they "sleep in their
raiment", it serves likewise for his bed and covering by night:"
and bless thee: for using him so mercifully and kindly, as
to return him his pledge, which is so necessary to his comfortable repose in
the night; and not only will he praise him, and speak well of him for it, and
give him thanks; but will pray to God to bless him in soul, body, and estate,
for such kindness shown him:
and it shall be righteousness unto thee before the Lord thy God; not his
justifying righteousness before God, for by the deeds of the law shall no flesh
living be justified in his sight; but it shall be owned and approved of as a
good and righteous action, and answerable to the intention of this law, which
is, that mercy should be shown to persons in distress; in which sense the word
"righteousness" is sometimes used, even for a merciful action, Psalm 112:9; so
alms is called δικαιοσυνη,
"righteousness", Matthew 6:1, in
some copies.
Deuteronomy 24:14 14 “You shall not oppress a hired servant who is
poor and needy, whether one of your brethren or one of the aliens who is
in your land within your gates.
YLT
14`Thou dost not oppress a
hireling, poor and needy, of thy brethren or of thy sojourner who is in thy
land within thy gates;
Thou shall not oppress an hired servant,.... That is
hired by the day, as appears by Deuteronomy 24:15;
though the law may include such as are hired by the week, or month, or year;
neither of whom are to be oppressed by any means, and chiefly by detaining
their wages; so the Jerusalem Targum explains the phrase,"ye shall not
detain by force the hire of the hired servant;'nor by fraud, as in James 5:4,
that is poor and needy; and so cannot
bear the lest oppression of this kind, nor to have his wages detained from him
any time, and much less wholly to be defrauded of them:
whether he be of thy
brethren; an Israelite, and so a brother both by nation and religion:
or of thy strangers that are in thy land, within thy gates; Jarchi
interprets this, both of proselytes of righteousness, and of proselytes of the
gate; which latter are plainly described by this clause, and the former must be
included; for, if proselytes of the gate are not to be oppressed, much less
proselytes of righteousness, who were in all respects as Israelites, the same
law was to them both. Jarchi says, the phrase "in thy land" is
intended to comprehend the hire of beasts, and of vessels; and these in the
MisnahF15Bava Metzia, c. 9. sect. 12. are said to be comprehended in
this precept, as well as the hire of man.
Deuteronomy 24:15 15 Each
day you shall give him his wages, and not let the sun go down on it, for
he is poor and has set his heart on it; lest he cry out against you to
the Lord, and it be sin to you.
YLT
15in his day thou dost give
his hire, and the sun doth not go in upon it, for he [is] poor, and unto it he
is lifting up his soul, and he doth not cry against thee unto Jehovah, and it
hath been in thee -- sin.
At his day thou shalt give him his hire,.... At the
close of the day, when his work is done, the hire agreed for must be paid him;
and, by the same rule, all such that were hired by the week, month, or year,
were to have their wages paid them at the day their time was up:
neither shall the sun go down upon it; it was to be
paid before sun setting, or at it; see Leviticus 19:13,
for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it; being poor,
he cannot wait any longer for the payment of it; his personal and family wants
are such as require immediate payment; and besides, he has been eagerly
expecting it, and earnestly desiring it, that he may satisfy the craving
necessities of himself and family; and therefore it would be a great balk and
disappointment to him to have his wages detained:
lest he cry against thee to the Lord; having none
to apply unto but him, who is the patron of the poor and needy, not being able
to help himself, nor having interest in any to interpose on his behalf; and his
cry, and the cry of his hire too, enter into the ears of the Lord of hosts, and
is regarded by him, James 5:4,
and it be sin unto thee: be imputed to him, the
guilt charged on him, and punishment inflicted for it.
Deuteronomy 24:16 16 “Fathers shall not be put to death for their
children, nor shall children be put to death for their fathers; a person
shall be put to death for his own sin.
YLT
16`Fathers are not put to
death for sons, and sons are not put to death for fathers -- each for his own
sin, they are put to death.
The fathers shall not be put to death for the children,.... By the
civil magistrates, for sins committed by them of a capital nature, and which
are worthy of death:
neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers; for sins
committed by them that deserve it:
every man shall be put to death for his own sin: which is but
just and reasonable; see Ezekiel 18:4; which
is no contradiction to Exodus 20:5; that
respects what God himself would do, this what Israel, or the civil magistrates
in it, should do; this is a command on Israel, as Aben Ezra observes; that the
declaration of the sovereign Being, who is not bound by any law. Jarchi
interprets these words differently, as that the one should not be put to death
by the testimony of the other; and it is a rule with the Jews,"that an
oath of witness is taken of men, and not of women; of those that are not akin,
and not of those that are nearly relatedF16Misn. Shebuot, c. 4.
sect. 1. :'on which one of the commentators observesF17Bartenora in
ib. that such that are near akin are not fit to bear testimony, because it is
written, "the father shall not be put to death for the children";
that is, for the testimony of the children. Jarchi indeed mentions the other
sense, for the sins of the children, which has been given, and is undoubtedly
the true sense of the text. The Targum of Jonathan gives both;"fathers
should not be put to death, neither by the testimony, nor for the sins of the
children; and children shall not be put to death, neither by the testimony, nor
for the sins of fathers; but every man shall be put to death for his own sin by
proper witnesses.'
Deuteronomy 24:17 17 “You shall not pervert justice due the stranger or the
fatherless, nor take a widow’s garment as a pledge.
YLT
17`Thou dost not turn aside
the judgment of a fatherless sojourner, nor take in pledge the garment of a
widow;
Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger, nor of
the fatherless,.... Who are unable to defend themselves, and have but few, if
any, to take their part; and therefore particular care should be taken by
judges and civil magistrates to do them justice, or God will require it of
them:
nor take a widow's raiment to pledge; nor anything
else, as her ox or cow, Job 24:3; according
to the Jewish canonsF18Misn. Bava Metzia, c. 9. sect. 13. , of a
widow, whether she is poor or rich, a pledge is not taken; the reason given for
which is, that it would raise an ill suspicion, and cause an evil report of her
among her neighboursF19Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Bava Metzia,
c. 9. sect. 13. ; and which is suggested by the Targum of Jonathan"neither
shall any of you take for a pledge the raiment of a widow, lest wicked
neighbours should arise, and bring an evil report upon her, when ye return the
pledge unto her.'But no doubt a poor widow is meant, and the design of the law
is mercy to her, and that she might not be distressed by taking that from her
she needed.
Deuteronomy 24:18 18 But you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt,
and the Lord your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do
this thing.
YLT
18and thou hast remembered
that a servant thou hast been in Egypt, and Jehovah thy God doth ransom thee
from thence; therefore I am commanding thee to do this thing.
But thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt,.... The
remembrance of which may cause sympathy with persons in distress; particularly
the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow:
and the Lord thy God redeemed thee thence; the Targum of
Jonathan,"the Word of the Lord thy God;'which, as it was an act of great
kindness and mercy in God to them, taught them, and laid them under obligation
to show favour to their fellow creatures in distress:
therefore I command thee to do this thing: not to
pervert the judgment of the stranger and fatherless, nor take a widow's raiment
for a pledge; and it may be carried further into the context, and respect the
laws about the pledge of the poor man, and giving the hired servant his wages
in due time.
Deuteronomy 24:19 19 “When you reap your harvest in your field, and forget
a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the
stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.
YLT
19`When thou reapest thy
harvest in thy field, and hast forgotten a sheaf in a field, thou dost not turn
back to take it; to the sojourner, to the fatherless, and to the widow, it is;
so that Jehovah thy God doth bless thee in all the work of thy hands.
When thou cuttest down thine harvest in thy field,.... Whether
barley harvest or wheat harvest, when either of them are ripe for cutting,
mowing, or reaping, and are cutting down:
and hast forgot a sheaf in the field; Jarchi says
the phrase "in the field" is to include standing corn, some of which
is forgotten in cutting down, and so is subject to this law as well as a sheaf;
and a sheaf claimed by this name is one that is forgotten both by the workman
and the owner; if by the one and not by the other, it could not be so called.
The canon runs thusF20Misn. Peah, c. 5. sect. 7. ,"a sheaf
which the workmen forget, and not the owner, or the owner forgets, and not the
workman, before which the poor stand, or is covered with straw or stubble, is
not a forgotten sheaf.'And about this they have various other rules;"a
sheaf that is near the gate (of a field), or to an heap (of sheaves), or to
oxen, or to instruments, and left, the house of Shammai say it is not to be
reckoned a forgotten sheaf; but the house of Hillell say it is;--two sheaves
are reckoned forgotten, three are not; a sheaf in which there are two seahs
(about a peck and a half), and they leave it, it is not reckoned forgottenF21Misn.
Peah, c. 6. sect. 2,5,6. :"
thou shall not go again to fetch it; which supposes a
remembrance of it, or some intelligence about it when at home, and after the
field has been cleared, and all carried in but this sheaf; then the owner might
not go nor send to fetch it: the beginnings of the rows, they say, show when a
sheaf is forgotten, or not; particularly the adverse sheaf, or that over
against it, shows itF23Ib. sect. 3,4. ; so Jarchi:
it shall be for the stranger; or proselyte; the
proselyte of righteousness; of this there is no doubt, but it seems to be for
the proselyte of the gate also:
for the fatherless and for the widow; which of them
soever should first find it:
that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine
hands; in the culture of their ground the next year, and give them
large and fruitful crops; they either purposely leaving the sheaf for the poor,
or however suffer them to take it unmolested when found by them. The Targum of
Jonathan is, "that the word of the Lord thy God may bless thee",
&c.
Deuteronomy 24:20 20 When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over
the boughs again; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow.
YLT
20`When thou beatest thine
olive, thou dost not examine the branch behind thee; to the sojourner, to the
fatherless, and to the widow, it is.
When thou beatest thine olive tree,.... With sticks and
staves, to get off the olives when ripe:
thou shall not go over the boughs again; to beat off
some few that may remain; they were not nicely to examine the boughs over
again, whether there were any left or not:
it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the
widow; who might come into their oliveyards after the trees had been
beaten, and gather what were left.
Deuteronomy 24:21 21 When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall
not glean it afterward; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless,
and the widow.
YLT
21`When thou cuttest thy
vineyard, thou dost not glean behind thee; to the sojourner, to the fatherless,
and to the widow, it is;
When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard,.... Which was
done much about the same time that the olives were gathered, and both after
wheat harvest, about the latter end of June, or beginning of July; for they
were more forward in those hot countries:
thou shall not glean it afterwards; go over the
vines a second time, to pick off every berry or bunch that escaped them at
first gathering:
it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the
widow; as the forgotten sheaf, and the olive berries left; these are
all supposed to be poor persons, otherwise no doubt there were strangers, and
fatherless persons, and widows, in good circumstances; who, as they needed not,
so neither would give themselves the trouble, but think it beneath them to go
into fields, oliveyards, and vineyards, to gather what was left by the owners.
These laws were made in favour of the poor, that mercy and kindness might be
showed to them, and that they might have a taste of all the fruits of the
earth.
Deuteronomy 24:22 22 And you shall remember that you were a slave in the
land of Egypt; therefore I command you to do this thing.
YLT
22and thou hast remembered
that a servant thou hast been in the land of Egypt; therefore I am commanding
thee to do this thing.
And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of
Egypt,.... When they would have been glad to have enjoyed the like
favours, as small as they might seem to be, even to glean in their fields,
vineyards, and oliveyards:
therefore I command thee to do this thing; to suffer the
poor to take the forgotten sheaf, and to come into their oliveyards and
vineyards, and gather what olives and grapes remained after the first beating
of the one, and the ingathering of the other.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》