Deuteronomy 22ASV
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Deuteronomy22

American Standard Version · Public Domain

1Thou shalt not see thy brother’s ox or his sheep go astray, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt surely bring them again unto thy brother.

2And if thy brother be not nigh unto thee, or if thou know him not, then thou shalt bring it home to thy house, and it shall be with thee until thy brother seek after it, and thou shalt restore it to him.

3And so shalt thou do with his ass; and so shalt thou do with his garment; and so shalt thou do with every lost thing of thy brother’s, which he hath lost, and thou hast found: thou mayest not hide thyself.

4Thou shalt not see thy brother’s ass or his ox fallen down by the way, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt surely help him to lift them up again.

5A woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment; for whosoever doeth these things is an abomination unto Jehovah thy God.

6If a bird’s nest chance to be before thee in the way, in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs, and the dam sitting upon the young, or upon the eggs, thou shalt not take the dam with the young:

7thou shalt surely let the dam go, but the young thou mayest take unto thyself; that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days.

8When thou buildest a new house, then thou shalt make a battlement for thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon thy house, if any man fall from thence.

9Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with two kinds of seed, lest the whole fruit be forfeited, the seed which thou hast sown, and the increase of the vineyard.

10Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together.

11Thou shalt not wear a mingled stuff, wool and linen together.

12Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four borders of thy vesture, wherewith thou coverest thyself.

13If any man take a wife, and go in unto her, and hate her,

14and lay shameful things to her charge, and bring up an evil name upon her, and say, I took this woman, and when I came nigh to her, I found not in her the tokens of virginity;

15then shall the father of the damsel, and her mother, take and bring forth the tokens of the damsel’s virginity unto the elders of the city in the gate;

16and the damsel’s father shall say unto the elders, I gave my daughter unto this man to wife, and he hateth her;

17and, lo, he hath laid shameful things to her charge, saying, I found not in thy daughter the tokens of virginity; and yet these are the tokens of my daughter’s virginity. And they shall spread the garment before the elders of the city.

18And the elders of that city shall take the man and chastise him;

19and they shall fine him a hundred shekels of silver, and give them unto the father of the damsel, because he hath brought up an evil name upon a virgin of Israel: and she shall be his wife; he may not put her away all his days.

20But if this thing be true, that the tokens of virginity were not found in the damsel;

21then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death with stones, because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the harlot in her father’s house: so shalt thou put away the evil from the midst of thee.

22If a man be found lying with a woman married to a husband, then they shall both of them die, the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away the evil from Israel.

23If there be a damsel that is a virgin betrothed unto a husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her;

24then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them to death with stones; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbor’s wife: so thou shalt put away the evil from the midst of thee.

25But if the man find the damsel that is betrothed in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her; then the man only that lay with her shall die:

26but unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death: for as when a man riseth against his neighbor, and slayeth him, even so is this matter;

27for he found her in the field, the betrothed damsel cried, and there was none to save her.

28If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, that is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found;

29then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel’s father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife, because he hath humbled her; he may not put her away all his days.

30A man shall not take his father’s wife, and shall not uncover his father’s skirt.

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Deuteronomy 22.

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Chapter Summary

In this chapter: Of humanity towards brethren. (1–4). Various precepts. (5–12). Against impurity. (13–30).

vv1-4

If we duly regard the golden rule of “doing to others as we would they should do unto us,” many particular precepts might be omitted. We can have no property in any thing that we find. Religion teaches us to be neighbourly, and to be ready to do all good offices to all men. We know not how soon we may have occasion for help.

vv5-12

God's providence extends itself to the smallest affairs, and his precepts do so, that even in them we may be in the fear of the Lord, as we are under his eye and care. Yet the tendency of these laws, which seem little, is such, that being found among the things of God's law, they are to be accounted great things. If we would prove ourselves to be God's people, we must have respect to his will and to his glory, and not to the vain fashions of the world. Even in putting on our garments, as in eating or in drinking, all must be done with a serious regard to preserve our own and others' purity in heart and actions. Our eye should be single, our heart simple, and our behaviour all of a piece.

vv13-30

These and the like regulations might be needful then, and yet it is not necessary that we should curiously examine respecting them. The laws relate to the seventh commandment, laying a restraint upon fleshly lusts which war against the soul.

Cross References

Deuteronomy 22
v1Exodus 23:4thematic

Parallels the command to return lost animals, specifically extending the duty even to an enemy's beast.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v9Leviticus 19:19thematic

Direct parallel forbidding mixtures of seeds, livestock breeding, and blended garments.

Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB

v4Exodus 23:5thematic

Direct parallel command to assist in lifting up a fallen animal belonging to another.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v12Numbers 15:38thematic

The primary institutional command to make fringes on the borders of garments.

Supported by JFB

v30Leviticus 18:8thematic

Parallel prohibition against uncovering the nakedness of a father's wife.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v5Zephaniah 1:8thematic

Prophetic condemnation of those clothed with strange apparel, echoing the prohibition of unnatural clothing.

Supported by JFB

New Testament moral/spiritual application of not being unequally yoked (plowing with different beasts).

Supported by JFB

v22Leviticus 20:10thematic

The Levitical law prescribing the death penalty for both partners in adultery.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v23Matthew 1:18thematic

Illustrates Jewish betrothal custom where Mary was espoused to Joseph before they came together.

Supported by Matthew Henry

The formal curse pronounced upon anyone who lies with his father's wife.

Supported by Matthew Henry

New Testament correction of incest involving a man taking his father's wife.

Supported by Matthew Henry

New Testament discussion on maintaining natural, gender-distinct hair and head coverings in worship.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v82 Samuel 11:2thematic

Historical example of walking on a flat roof, highlighting the necessity of battlements.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v22John 8:5thematic

The Pharisees cite this Mosaic stoning penalty in the case of the woman caught in adultery.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v28Exodus 22:16thematic

Parallel law regarding the seduction of an unbetrothed virgin and financial restitution.

Supported by Matthew Henry