Deuteronomy 22

Chap. XXII. Ver. 1—30. Miscellaneous prohibitions.—If we duly regarded the golden rule of ‘doing to others as we would they should do unto us,’ many particular precepts of God’s word might be omitted. Equity and benevolence would teach us, not to regard trouble and expense in doing a kind action to our neighbour; and would remind us, that we can have no property in any thing that is found, so long as there is a probability of discovering the owner. If a merciful man would assist another’s beast that was fallen down, much more should we hasten to the relief of a brother, who is fallen into distress or poverty: and above all we should be ready to restore in the spirit of meekness, him who has been overcome by temptation, and has fallen into sin; conscious that we may soon want the same meekness and assistance.—If we would approve ourselves to be the peculiar people of God, we must have respect to his will and glory, and not to the vain fashions of the world.

Even in putting on our garments, as well as in eating and drinking, all must be done with a serious regard to the preservation of our own and others’ purity in heart and action; that our garb may testify whose servants we are, and remind us what our conduct ought to be. Our obedience should also be universal, and not only to the weightier, but even to the minuter matters of the law, that it may be well with us. Yea, our eye should be single, our heart simple, and our behaviour in all things consistent.—The violation of chastity, being so great a wickedness, and in females especially of such fatal consequences, how cautious should they be what company they keep, what places they frequent, to what language they listen, what books they see, and enter into what situations they venture!

Indeed, both men and women should seriously and daily meditate on God’s abhorrence of unchastity; on the certain detection and punishment of the wicked in a future state, and the fatal effects which will probably follow in this world: that their minds may be fortified against temptation, by a dread of sin and of its consequences. How parents should keep out of the sight and way of their children, whatever can pollute their imaginations or inflame their passions! and how should all join in execrating those wretches, who wantonly bring ruin upon their fellow-creatures for the sake of gratifying a mean sensual inclination! Nor is the cruelty of those much to be abhorred, who rob the innocent of their reputation by infamous slanders, from malice or any other base passion.—We should never forget the peculiar atrociousness of adultery in every form, and the punishment which awaits those who are guilty of it.

We may also recollect, that all deception in contracting marriage is both very wicked, and a source of future misery; that the nearer we stand related to God, the more inexcusable are our crimes, “folly in Israel” being worse than elsewhere; and that the most favourable construction should be put on doubtful actions, and a discrimination made between different degrees of criminality. Finally, our purity should be dearer to us than our life; and our cry to God for help in temptation should be no less earnest, than the cry of a person in danger of being murdered. When we thus call upon him, he is ever near and ready to assist us, and his grace will be always sufficient for us.—T. Scott.

Notes on the verses

Chap. XXII. Ver. 1—4. Thou shalt not see thy brother’s ox, or his sheep go astray.—These humane precepts are a sort of comment on (Exodus 23:4-5). See (Luke 14:5). Ver. 5. The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth to a man.—(This prohibition was no doubt intended to exclude the idolatrous customs of the heathen, as well as to prevent the evil which would be produced by the introduction of such customs. Nothing was more common among idolaters, than for men, in the worship of several of their gods, to put on the garments worn by women, and the women those worn by men; particularly in the worship of Venus, to which that of Ashtaroth among the Canaanites bore a striking resemblance, the women were accustomed to appear in armour before her, and the men in women’s dress. But independently of this, the practice has produced the greatest confusion in society, and has been productive of the grossest crimes.

Hence Clodius, who dressed himself as a woman, that he might mingle with the Roman ladies in the feast of the Bona Dea, was universally and justly execrated.—Bagster. If used only for merriment, they are highly indecorous, and very likely to lead to scandalous actions. Ver. 7. Let the dam go, &c.—[The extirpation of any species of birds, whether edible, or birds of prey, is often attended with serious consequences, and is always productive of evil; to prevent which was the object of this law. Palestine is situated in a climate producing poisonous snakes and scorpions, and between deserts and mountains from which it would be inundated by them, as well as with immense swarms of flies, locusts, and mice, if the birds which feed upon them were extirpated.

(See Michaelis on the Laws of Moses.) In a moral point of view, it may have been intended to inculcate a spirit of mercy and kindness, and to prevent the exercise of cruelty even towards a sparrow; for he who is guilty of wanton cruelty will, if circumstances be favourable, be cruel to his fellow-creatures.]—Bagster. The poet Phocylides has a maxim in his admonitory poem, very similar to that in the text—‘Nor from a nest take all the birds away; The mother spare, she’ll breed a future day.’ Ver. 8. A battlement.—The eastern houses being built with flat roofs for walking upon, made this necessary; and he that neglected it was answerable for consequences, if any accident occurred. Ver. 8. Divers seeds.—The covetous practice of sowing a temporary crop between the rows of vines, would exhaust the land, harbour vermin, and injure the vine roots.

The penalty was confiscation of the whole produce. Ver. 10. Thou shalt not plough with an ox and an ass together.—This precept was no doubt founded in humanity, as the ass would be overworked; and from their unequal height it must be painful to both. So an ancient writer on agriculture says, “Let no cattle be yoked together except they match.” Plautus alludes to this circumstance, when he makes old Euclio say, when addressing Megadorus, “If I were to give my daughter to you, it occurs to me, that I should be the ass, and you the ox.”—Orient. Lit. No. 337. The late C. Taylor suggests another reason for this prohibition; one being a clean animal, the other unclean.—Expos. Index, p. 74. Possibly St.

Paul may allude to both circumstances, when he forbade Christians to be “unequally yoked with unbelievers.” (2 Corinthians 6:14-15). Ver. 11. A garment of divers sorts.—Linen garments, embroidered with woollen yarn, were used in Egypt as idolatrous symbols. See the figures in Belzoni’s and Richardson’s Travels. See also note above, on Leviticus xix. 19. Ver. 12. Make thee fringes.—See note on Numbers xv. 38. Instead of the superstitious amulets which were common among the heathen, the Israelites were to wear instructive words, or sentences, worked in the hems of their upper robes. Ver. 15. Tokens of the damsel’s virginity.—D’Arvieux describes the bridegroom on the wedding night, as retiring with the bride into the tent where the marriage was to be consummated, and afterwards returning to supper with his friends, taking with him the proofs of her virginity, which, after being shown, were carefully preserved, lest her honour should be aspersed.

Dr. Russel (History of Aleppo) says, these tokens “are expected by all sects in this country, but more indecently exposed by the Turks than any other.”—Orient. Lit. No. 338. Ver. 25. Force her.—Margin, “‘Take strong hold of her.” Rape and adultery were both capital offences under the Mosaic law. Ver. 30. Father’s wife.—(This is to be understood as referring to the case of a step-mother. A man in his old age may have married a young woman, and on his dying, his son by another, or a former wife, may desire to espouse her, which is here forbidden.)—Bagster.