The Fifth Book of Moses, called Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy 24
Chapter XXIV · Vol. I, pp. 516–518
1 The law of divorce. 5 A new married man is exempt from war. 6, 10 Of pledges. 7 Of manstealers. 8 Of leprosy. 14 The hire is to be given. 17 Of justice. 19 Of charity.
1 WHEN a aman hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness1 in her; then let him write her a bill of divorcement,2 and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.3
a Mat.5.30,31; 19.7-9. Mar.10.4.
1 Heb. matter of nakedness.
2 Heb. cutting off.
3 Divorce is not here commanded, but permitted, and the manner of it prescribed; and, to prevent rashness, it was to be transacted very solemnly.—[This is to be understood as part of the judicial law, and to be carried into effect under the eye of the civil magistrate. The moral law of the seventh commandment, and all that is implied in it, as illustrated and enforced by our Lord, still remained the same. And the permission of separation on the terms here specified was not a relaxation of the moral law, but an accommodation of the judicial to the existing habits and circumstances of the people of Israel, with the benevolent intention of preventing cruelty to those wives who might be discovered to have some bodily defect, disease, or ceremonial defilement. But to prevent rash and capricious divorces, the husband in such a case must have a regularly prepared and authenticated legal instrument; and the parties can never come together again. Our Lord tells us the reason of this permission of the judicial law: 'because of the hardness of their hearts — but from the beginning it was not so.' In the moral law, as interpreted by him, it is expressly prohibited.—I.]
3 And 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;
4 Herc former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the LORD: and thou shalt not dcause the land to sin, ewhich the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.
5 Whenf a man hath taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall he be charged with any business,4 but he shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer up his wife which he hath taken.
f ch.20.7. Pr.5.18,19. Thus their affection was fixed.
4 Heb. not any thing shall pass upon him.
6 Nog man shall take the nether or the upper millstone to pledge: for he taketh a man's hlife to pledge.
g Ex.22.26,27. They used handmills for grinding.
h Means of it, Ge.9.4.
7 Ifi a man be found stealing any 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.5
i Ex.21.16. ch.21.14. 1 Ti.1.10.
5 It is no longer the crime and disgrace of Great Britain, that, 'if one stayed at home and stole a horse or sheep, he was put to death;' but if he took a voyage to Africa, he might steal, or purchase of those who do steal, hundreds of men and women, and not only escape with impunity, but grow great 'like a prince;' this horrid traffic having been prohibited.—I.
8 Takek heed in the plague of leprosy, that thou observe diligently, and do according to all that the priests the Levites shall teach you; as I commanded them, so ye shall observe to do.
k Le. xiii. xiv. Ac.17.11. He.13.7,17. Here the people are commanded to abide by the decision of the priests.
9 Rememberl what the LORD thy God did unto Miriam by the way, after that ye were come forth out of Egypt.
l Nu.12.10. Lu.17.32. 1 Co.10.6-11. How God punished her, and she humbled herself.
10 When thou dost lend6 thy brother any thing, thou shalt not go into his house to fetch his pledge.
6 Heb. lend the loan of anything, &c. The giver of the pledge had it in his power to give what he could best spare.
11 Thou shalt stand abroad, and the man to whom thou dost lend shall bring out the pledge abroad unto thee.
12 And if the man be poor, thou shalt not sleep with his pledge:
13 Inm any case thou shalt deliver him the pledge again when the sun goeth down, that he may sleep in his own raiment, and bless thee; and it nshall be righteousness7 unto thee before the LORD thy God.
m Ex.22.26. Job 31.16-20. 2 Ti.1.16-18. 2 Co.9.8-14.
n Ps.106.31; 112.5,9. ch.6.25; 15.9,10.
7 'Abraham believed God,' and both Moses and Paul testify that 'it was counted to him for,' or rather, as it should be translated, and would then be less exposed to misapprehension — 'it was counted to him unto righteousness.' That is, as leading his view to Christ, the promised seed, and who alone is 'the end of the law for righteousness,' Ro. 10. 4. Not Abraham's faith, but Abraham's Saviour, was his righteousness. So in the text, the act of obedience becomes righteousness, being, like the faith of Abraham, an instance and evidence of a soul 'looking unto Jesus,' who is alone 'the Lord our righteousness.'—C.
14 Thouo shalt not oppress 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 gates:
15 Atp his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and qsetteth his heart upon it: lest he cry against thee unto the LORD, and it be sin unto thee.
16 Ther fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.
17 Thous shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger, nor of the fatherless, nor take the widow's raiment to pledge:
18 But tthou 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.
t ver.22; ch.5.15; 16.12; 7.8. Is.51.1.
19 Whenu thou cuttest 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 xmay bless thee in all the work of thine hands.8
u Le.19.9,10; 23.22. Ru.2.16. ver.20,21.
x ch.23.20; 28.1-14. Pr.11.25,26; 14.21; 19.17. Mat.25.40,45.
8 Another example of the Mosaic poor-laws; and, like every other provision, at once an example of benevolence and excitement to industry.—C.
20 When thou beatest thine olive-tree,9 thou shalt not go over the boughs again:1 it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.
9 When the olive-berries are ripe, the trees are shaken by vigorous hands, and the branches beaten with long rods and canes to bring down the fruit.—P.
1 Heb. thou shalt not bough it after thee.
Notes
Reflections.—Harmony in sin often issues in mutual hatred and angry separation. And it is mournful to observe, that, for the cruelty and hatred of husbands to wives, or other injurious effects of sin, God should see it necessary to permit the divorcement of them. But such a separation ought to be taken with great deliberation, as there is such hardship connected with it, and no recalling of it. Happy is it when the mutual affection of married persons is fixed at first, and remains with prudent tenderness. How necessary is it to observe God's ordinances, however shameful they may be to us! It is better now to confess our sin and be pardoned, than to conceal it and be lost. Superiors, and especially judges, who are the substitutes of God, ought to conduct themselves in every case with equity and truth. And with great compassion ought we to treat our neighbours, especially the poor, as their circumstances may require: though they cannot recompense us with their wealth or labour, they may do it with their prayers. And let us consider the great compassion God has towards them. But how great his kindness in leaving to us, sinners of the Gentiles, in his word, such plentiful gleanings of divine truth!