1The law of divorce. 5A newly married man is exempt from war and civil offices for the space of a year. 6, 10Of pledges. 7Of manstealers. 8Of leprosy. 14The hire of a servant must not be detained. 16Every man must be answerable for his own sin. 17Of doing justice to the friendless. 19Of charity.
1WHEN a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found 1some uncleanness in her: 2then let him write her a 3billa of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.
1 Hebr. nakedness, or, shamefulness of a thing. Understand such things whereby the husband takes displeasure at her, except whoredom.
2 Other, and he shall have written her a bill of divorcement, and given it in her hand, and dismissed her out of his house; and so on to the 4th verse.
3 Hebr. a letter, or, book of it, or, cutting off, because the marriage bond was thereby, as it were, cut in twain and the married couple were completely separated. See the explanation of our Lord Jesus Christ upon this law, Mat. 19:3, etc.
a Mat. 5:31; 19:7; Mark 10:4.
2And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife.
3And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife;
4Her former husband, which sent her away, may not 4take her again to be his wife, 5after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the LORD: and thou shalt not cause 6the land to sin, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.
4 Hebr. may not return to take her.
5 Compare Mat. 5:32.
6 That is, bring no guilt and punishment upon the land, or, give the inhabitants of the land no occasion to sin.
5¶When a man hath taken a new wife,b he shall not go out to 7war, 8neither shall he be charged with any business: but he shall be 9free at home one year, and shall cheer up his wife which he hath taken.
b Deut. 20:7.
7 Or, he shall not go forth into the army. See Num. 1 on verse 3.
8 Hebr. not any thing shall pass upon him, that is, no burden.
9 Hebr. innocent, that is, free from burden, as the guiltless person ought to be free from punishment.
6¶No man shall take 10the nether or 11the upper millstone to pledge: for 12he taketh a man’s 13life to pledge.
10 This seems to have respect to the hand-mills, which of old they were wont to have in their families. Compare Exod. 11:5; Num. 11:8; Jer. 25:10.
11 For, the upper millstone does the milling.
12 Who does such a thing.
13 Or, the soul; understand by which a man must live, or, by which a man supports himself.
7¶If a man be found stealingc14any of his brethren of the children of Israel, and maketh merchandise of him, or selleth him; then that thief shall die; and thou shalt put evil away from among you.
c Exod. 21:16.
14 Or, a soul, or a person.
8¶Take heed in the plague of leprosy, that thou observe 15diligently, and do according to all that the priests the Levites shall teach you: as Id commanded them, so ye shall observe to do.
15 Hebr. wholly, speedily.
d Lev. 13:2.
9Remember what the LORD thy God did unto Miriame by the way, after that ye were come forth out of Egypt.
e Num. 12:10.
10¶When thou dost lend thy brother 16any thing, thou shalt not go into his house to fetch his pledge.
16 Hebr. shalt have lent the loan of any thing.
11Thou shalt stand abroad, and the man to whom thou dost lend shall bring out the pledge abroad unto thee.
12And if the man be poor, thou shalt not 17sleep with his pledge:
17 Or, lie down.
1318In any case thou shalt deliverf him the pledge again when the sun goeth down, that he may sleep in his own raiment, and 19bless thee: and 20it shall be righteousness unto thee before the LORD thy God.
18 Hebr. delivering again deliver again.
f Exod. 22:26.
19 That is, be mindful before God of your compassion, and heartily wish and pray for you His Divine blessing.
20 God shall esteem it to be a good work of mercy, which shall be acceptable unto Him in the Messiah; as being done in true faith and to His glory, according to His law, which is a rule of righteousness, according to which those who are justified by faith are to walk, testifying their gratitude and thankfulness unto God. Compare Deut. 6 on verse 25; Deut. 9 on verse 5; Psalm 106:31; Luke 1:74, 75; Rom. 6:18, 19; Gal. 5:6; Philip. 1:11.
14¶Thou shalt not 21oppressg an hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy 22gates:
21 To keep back or to diminish his wages by craftiness or violence.
g Lev. 19:13; James 5:4.
22 That is, cities or dwelling places.
1523At his day thou shalt give him his hire, 24neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth 25his heart upon it: lest he cry against thee unto the LORD, and it be 26sin unto thee.
23 That is, on the same day, when he has worked and earned his wages.
24 That is, you shall take care that he is satisfied before sunset.
25 Hebr. he lifteth up his soul unto, or, after it, namely, his wages. That is, his heart longs after it. See Psalm 24 on verse 4.
26 See Deut. 23 on verse 21.
1627The fathers shall not be put to death forh the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.
27 Moses intimates hereby that judges must see to it that they punish not an innocent person, for, or, with the guilty one. See likewise 2 Chron. 25:4.
h 2 Kings 14:6; 2 Chron. 25:4; Jer. 31:30; Ezek. 18:20.
17¶Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger,inor of 28the fatherless; nor take a widow's raiment to pledge:
i Exod. 22:21, 22; Prov. 22:22; Isa. 1:23; Jer. 5:28; 22:3; Ezek. 22:29; Zech. 7:10.
28 By these must the widow be also understood; as in the following words by the widow the others are also meant.
18But thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee thence: therefore I command thee to do this thing.
19¶When thou cuttestj down thine harvest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow: that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hands.
j Lev. 19:9; 23:22.
20When thou beatest thine olive tree, thou shalt not go over the boughs 29again: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.
29 That is, those which you have left behind, or passed over; and so in the following verse.
21When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean it afterward: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.
22And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt: therefore I command thee to do this thing.