Old Testament Commentary - Deuteronomy 24

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 24 Laws given concerning divorce, newly married persons, making merchandise of men, taking of pledges, leprosy, oppression of servants, and leaving gleanings of crops.
1 WHEN a man hath taken a ^awife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some ^buncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of ^cdivorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house. 2 And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife. 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 Her 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 ^acause the land to sin, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.
5 ¶ When a man hath taken a new ^awife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall he be charged with any business: but he shall be free at home one year, and shall ^bcheer up his wife which he hath taken.
6 ¶ No man shall take the ^anether or the upper millstone to pledge: for ^bhe taketh a man's life to pledge.
7 ¶ If a man be found ^astealing any of his brethren of the children of Israel, and maketh ^bmerchandise of him, or selleth him; then that thief shall die; and thou shalt put evil away from among you.
8 ¶ Take heed in the plague of ^aleprosy, that thou observe diligently, and do according to all that the priests the Levites shall ^bteach you: as I commanded them, so ye shall observe to do. 9 Remember what the LORD thy God did unto Miriam by the way, after that ye were come forth out of Egypt.
10 ¶ When thou dost lend thy brother any thing, thou shalt not go into his house to fetch his pledge. 11 Thou shalt stand ^aabroad, 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 ^asleep with his pledge: 13 In any case thou shalt deliver him the ^apledge again when the sun goeth down, that he may sleep in his own ^braiment, and bless thee: and it shall be righteousness unto thee before the LORD thy God.
14 ¶ Thou shalt not ^aoppress 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 ^bgates: 15 ^aAt his day thou shalt give him his ^bhire, neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it: lest he ^ccry against thee unto the LORD, and it be sin unto thee. 16 The ^afathers shall not be put to ^bdeath for the children, neither shall the ^cchildren be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his ^down ^esin^a.	16^a for his own sin This is consistent with the second Article of Faith which states 'that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgressions [that is the sins of the fathers]'. Neither is that punishment to be suffered upon the part of another with the exception of that which was suffered upon the part of our Redeemer for us upon the condition of our repentence and acceptance of him as our redeemer.
17 ¶ Thou shalt not ^apervert the ^bjudgment of the stranger, nor of the fatherless; nor take a widow's raiment to pledge: 18 But thou shalt remember that thou wast a ^abondman in Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee thence: therefore I command thee to do this thing.
19 ¶ When 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 ^awidow: that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hands. 20 When thou beatest thine olive tree, thou shalt not go over the boughs again: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow. 21 When 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. 22 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt: therefore I command thee to do this thing.