Deuteronomy22
World English Bible · Public Domain
1You shall not see your brother’s ox or his sheep go astray and hide yourself from them. You shall surely bring them again to your brother.
2If your brother isn’t near to you, or if you don’t know him, then you shall bring it home to your house, and it shall be with you until your brother comes looking for it, and you shall restore it to him.
3So you shall do with his donkey. So you shall do with his garment. So you shall do with every lost thing of your brother’s, which he has lost and you have found. You may not hide yourself.
4You shall not see your brother’s donkey or his ox fallen down by the way, and hide yourself from them. You shall surely help him to lift them up again.
5A woman shall not wear men’s clothing, neither shall a man put on women’s clothing; for whoever does these things is an abomination to Yahweh your God.
6If you come across a bird’s nest on the way, in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs, and the hen sitting on the young, or on the eggs, you shall not take the hen with the young.
7You shall surely let the hen go, but the young you may take for yourself, that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days.
8When you build a new house, then you shall make a railing around your roof, so that you don’t bring blood on your house if anyone falls from there.
9You shall not sow your vineyard with two kinds of seed, lest all the fruit be defiled, the seed which you have sown, and the increase of the vineyard.
10You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together.
11You shall not wear clothes of wool and linen woven together.
12You shall make yourselves fringes on the four corners of your cloak with which you cover yourself.
13If any man takes a wife, and goes in to her, hates her,
14accuses her of shameful things, gives her a bad name, and says, “I took this woman, and when I came near to her, I didn’t find in her the tokens of virginity;”
15then the young lady’s father and mother shall take and bring the tokens of the young lady’s virginity to the elders of the city in the gate.
16The young lady’s father shall tell the elders, “I gave my daughter to this man as his wife, and he hates her.
17Behold, he has accused her of shameful things, saying, ‘I didn’t find in your daughter the tokens of virginity;’ and yet these are the tokens of my daughter’s virginity.” They shall spread the cloth before the elders of the city.
18The elders of that city shall take the man and chastise him.
19They shall fine him one hundred shekels of silver, and give them to the father of the young lady, because he has given a bad name to a virgin of Israel. She shall be his wife. He may not put her away all his days.
20But if this thing is true, that the tokens of virginity were not found in the young lady,
21then they shall bring out the young lady to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death with stones, because she has done folly in Israel, to play the prostitute in her father’s house. So you shall remove the evil from among you.
22If a man is found lying with a woman married to a husband, then they shall both die, the man who lay with the woman and the woman. So you shall remove the evil from Israel.
23If there is a young lady who is a virgin pledged to be married to a husband, and a man finds her in the city, and lies with her,
24then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones; the lady, because she didn’t cry, being in the city; and the man, because he has humbled his neighbor’s wife. So you shall remove the evil from among you.
25But if the man finds the lady who is pledged to be married in the field, and the man forces her and lies with her, then only the man who lay with her shall die;
26but to the lady you shall do nothing. There is in the lady no sin worthy of death; for as when a man rises against his neighbor and kills him, even so is this matter;
27for he found her in the field, the pledged to be married lady cried, and there was no one to save her.
28If a man finds a lady who is a virgin, who is not pledged to be married, grabs her and lies with her, and they are found,
29then the man who lay with her shall give to the lady’s father fifty shekels of silver. She shall be his wife, because he has 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.
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.
Key Words
לֹא: not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
רָאָה: to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)
אָח: a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance (like father))
שׁוֹר: a bullock (as a traveller)
שֶׂה: a member of a flock, i.e. a sheep or goat
נָדַח: to push off; used in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively (to expel, mislead, strike, inflict, etc.)
עָלַם: to veil from sight, i.e. conceal (literally or figuratively)
שׁוּב: to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again
אִם: used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not
קָרוֹב: near (in place, kindred or time)
Cross References
Deuteronomy 22Parallels the command to return lost animals, specifically extending the duty even to an enemy's beast.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Direct parallel forbidding mixtures of seeds, livestock breeding, and blended garments.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Direct parallel command to assist in lifting up a fallen animal belonging to another.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The primary institutional command to make fringes on the borders of garments.
Supported by JFB
Parallel prohibition against uncovering the nakedness of a father's wife.
Supported by Matthew Henry
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
The Levitical law prescribing the death penalty for both partners in adultery.
Supported by Matthew Henry
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
Historical example of walking on a flat roof, highlighting the necessity of battlements.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The Pharisees cite this Mosaic stoning penalty in the case of the woman caught in adultery.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Parallel law regarding the seduction of an unbetrothed virgin and financial restitution.
Supported by Matthew Henry