Deuteronomy 23

Deuteronomy 23:30

30. — that the Lord thy God may bless thee] Charity to their poor brethren had many promises of a great reward; and this law was made peculiarly for their relief. It extended indeed to all; but chiefly it was designed, as a provision for the poor and needy; whom they were not to neglect: for God ordered them all to live together, as brethren, children of the same father; and descended, as indeed they all were, from one and the same original. To this end all those precepts were given, which require them to lend gratuitously to their poor brother; to restore the pledge left with them; to leave the corners of their fields unresped; not to gather the gleanings of the harvest and vintage; to observe the year of release and of jubilee; and such like peculiar provisions for the comfort of the poorer sort, that they might share in the happiness which God bestowed upon His elect people. Bp. Patrick. Chap. XXIV. ver. 1. — because he hath found some uncleanness in her:] That is, hath observed some light carriage, or some other defect of mind, or disorder of body. For it is not to be supposed here, that she was guilty of adultery, which was punishable with death: or that the husband was jealous of her on that account, in which case the law had made provision, Numb. v. 19. Bp. Kidder. — a bill of divorcement.] The law rigorously enforced the observance of whatever it enjoined, though some precepts were framed with somewhat of lax and indulgent consideration of what the perverse temper of the Israelites would bear. Thus, as they had long been # CHAP. XXIV.