Deuteronomy 24

The chapter follows a casuistic (case-law) structure, applying the broad commands of the Torah to specific social, domestic, and economic situations in the Promised Land.

• That the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hands (v19)

• Let him write her a bill of divorcement (v1)
• Thou shalt not go into his house to fetch his pledge (v10)
• Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant (v14)
• The fathers shall not be put to death for the children (v16)
• Thou shalt not glean it afterward (v21)

• Thou shalt not cause the land to sin (v4)
• Lest he cry against thee unto the Lord, and it be sin unto thee (v15)

• Israel is preparing to transition from the wilderness to sedentary life in Canaan; these laws stabilize the new socio-economic order.
• The mention of 'man-stealing' (v7) and regulations for 'pledges' (v10-13) reflect common Near Eastern societal challenges regarding debt and labor exploitation.

• The 'millstone' (v6) was essential for daily food production; taking it was an act of extreme hostility equivalent to preventing someone from eating.
• The 'gleaning' laws (vv19-21) were a primary welfare system for those without land ownership (widows, fatherless, strangers).

• This is part of the 'Second Law' section (Deuteronomy 12-26), where Moses applies the Decalogue to specific communal scenarios.
• The text provides the basis for the debate in the New Testament (Matthew 19) regarding the grounds for divorce.

• The principle of individual justice in v16 is later codified in Ezekiel 18:20 as a defining standard of God's justice.
• The reference to Miriam (v9) connects present communal purity to past failures during the Exodus.

• Matthew 19:7-8 quotes these verses; Jesus explains that Moses allowed divorce due to the hardness of heart, pointing to a higher standard of original creation.

• מָצָא (H4672, 'finds'): In verse 1, it relates to finding 'favor' or 'uncleanness', suggesting an evaluation of the marriage.
• עֶרְוָה (H6172, 'indecency'): A loaded term meaning literally 'nudity', often used for sexual shame or disgrace; historically, this caused a major debate between the School of Hillel (any cause) and the School of Shammai (only sexual infidelity).
• בָּעַל (H1166, 'marries'): Implies 'to be master'; marriage in this context was understood as a bond where the husband had specific authority and responsibility.
• Matthew Henry observes regarding the divorce laws: Where the providence of God, or his own wrong choice in marriage, has allotted to a Christian a trial instead of a help meet; he will from his heart prefer bearing the cross, to such relief as tends to sin, confusion, and misery. He suggests that we must not seek peace through sin.

• The repetition of the command to 'remember' that they were bondmen in Egypt (v18, v22) serves as the theological foundation for all social ethics: because God redeemed you, you must reflect His character by redeeming the plight of the poor.
• The laws regarding 'pledges' (v10-13) protect the borrower's dignity, preventing the creditor from entering their home or taking essential clothing at night.

• The precise definition of 'some uncleanness' (עֶרְוָה, H6172) in v1 remains a point of divergence; the text does not define it as explicitly as sexual adultery (which was punishable by death under other Mosaic laws), leading to the historical debate regarding the boundaries of acceptable divorce.