Deuteronomy 22
22
Laws Concerning Preservation of Life
1 When you see#tn Heb “you must not see,” but, if translated literally into English, the statement is misleading. your neighbor’s#tn Heb “brother’s” (also later in this verse). In this context it is not limited to one’s siblings, however; cf. NAB “your kinsman’s.” ox or sheep going astray, do not ignore it;#tn Heb “hide yourself.” you must return it without fail#tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates with the words “without fail.” to your neighbor. 2 If the owner#tn Heb “your brother” (also later in this verse). does not live#tn Heb “is not.” The idea of “residing” is implied. near you or you do not know who the owner is,#tn Heb “and you do not know him.” then you must corral the animal#tn Heb “it”; the referent (the ox or sheep mentioned in v. 1) has been specified in the translation for clarity. at your house and let it stay with you until the owner looks for it; then you must return it to him. 3 You shall do the same to his donkey, his clothes, or anything else your neighbor#tn Heb “your brother” (also in v. 4). has lost and you have found; you must not refuse to get involved.#tn Heb “you must not hide yourself.” 4 When you see#tn Heb “you must not see.” See note at 22:1. your neighbor’s donkey or ox fallen along the road, do not ignore it;#tn Heb “and (must not) hide yourself from them.” instead, you must be sure#tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates with “be sure.” to help him get the animal on its feet again.#tn Heb “help him to lift them up.” In keeping with English style the singular is used in the translation, and the referent (“the animal”) has been specified for clarity.
5 A woman must not wear men’s clothing,#tn Heb “a man’s clothing.” nor should a man dress up in women’s clothing, for anyone who does this is offensive#tn The Hebrew term תּוֹעֵבָה (to’evah, “offense”) speaks of anything that runs counter to ritual or moral order, especially (in the OT) to divine standards. Cross-dressing in this covenant context may suggest homosexuality, fertility cult ritual, or some other forbidden practice. to the Lord your God.
6 If you happen to notice a bird’s nest along the road, whether in a tree or on the ground, and there are chicks or eggs with the mother bird sitting on them,#tn Heb “and the mother sitting upon the chicks or the eggs.” you must not take the mother from the young.#tn Heb “sons,” used here in a generic sense for offspring. 7 You must be sure#tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation seeks to reflect with “be sure.” to let the mother go, but you may take the young for yourself. Do this so that it may go well with you and you may have a long life.
8 If you build a new house, you must construct a guard rail#tn Or “a parapet” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV); KJV “a battlement”; NLT “a barrier.” around your roof to avoid being culpable#tn Heb “that you not place bloodshed in your house.” in the event someone should fall from it.
Illustrations of the Principle of Purity
9 You must not plant your vineyard with two kinds of seed; otherwise the entire yield, both of the seed you plant and the produce of the vineyard, will be defiled.#tn Heb “set apart.” The verb קָדַשׁ (qadash) in the Qal verbal stem (as here) has the idea of being holy or being treated with special care. Some take the meaning as “be off-limits, forfeited,” i.e., the total produce of the vineyard, both crops and grapes, have to be forfeited to the sanctuary (cf. Exod 29:37; 30:29; Lev 6:18, 27; Num 16:37-38; Hag 2:12). 10 You must not plow with an ox and a donkey harnessed together. 11 You must not wear clothing made with wool and linen meshed together.#tn The Hebrew term שַׁעַטְנֵז (sha’atnez) occurs only here and in Lev 19:19. HALOT 1610-11 s.v. takes it to be a contraction of words (שַׁשׁ [shash, “headdress”] + עַטְנַז [’atnaz, “strong”]). BDB 1043 s.v. שַׁעַטְנֵז offers the translation “mixed stuff” (cf. NEB “woven with two kinds of yarn”; NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT “woven together”). The general meaning is clear even if the etymology is not. 12 You shall make yourselves tassels#tn Heb “twisted threads” (גְּדִלִים, gÿdilim) appears to be synonymous with צִיצִת (tsitsit) which, in Num 15:38, occurs in a passage instructing Israel to remember the covenant. Perhaps that is the purpose of the tassels here as well. Cf. KJV, ASV “fringes”; NAB “twisted cords.” for the four corners of the clothing you wear.
Purity in the Marriage Relationship
13 Suppose a man marries a woman, has sexual relations with her,#tn Heb “goes to her,” a Hebrew euphemistic idiom for sexual relations. and then rejects#tn Heb “hate.” See note on the word “other” in Deut 21:15. Cf. NAB “comes to dislike”; NASB “turns against”; TEV “decides he doesn’t want.” her, 14 accusing her of impropriety#tn Heb “deeds of things”; NRSV “makes up charges against her”; NIV “slanders her.” and defaming her reputation#tn Heb “brings against her a bad name”; NIV “gives her a bad name.” by saying, “I married this woman but when I had sexual relations#tn Heb “drew near to her.” This is another Hebrew euphemism for having sexual relations. with her I discovered she was not a virgin!” 15 Then the father and mother of the young woman must produce the evidence of virginity#sn In light of v. 17 this would evidently be blood-stained sheets indicative of the first instance of intercourse. See E. H. Merrill, Deuteronomy (NAC), 302-3. for the elders of the city at the gate. 16 The young woman’s father must say to the elders, “I gave my daughter to this man and he has rejected#tn Heb “hated.” See note on the word “other” in Deut 21:15. her. 17 Moreover, he has raised accusations of impropriety by saying, ‘I discovered your daughter was not a virgin,’ but this is the evidence of my daughter’s virginity!” The cloth must then be spread out#tn Heb “they will spread the garment.” before the city’s elders. 18 The elders of that city must then seize the man and punish#tn Heb “discipline.” him. 19 They will fine him one hundred shekels of silver and give them to the young woman’s father, for the man who made the accusation#tn Heb “for he”; the referent (the man who made the accusation) has been specified in the translation to avoid confusion with the young woman’s father, the last-mentioned male. ruined the reputation#tn Heb “brought forth a bad name.” of an Israelite virgin. She will then become his wife and he may never divorce her as long as he lives.
20 But if the accusation is true and the young woman was not a virgin, 21 the men of her city must bring the young woman to the door of her father’s house and stone her to death, for she has done a disgraceful thing#tn The Hebrew term נְבָלָה (nÿvalah) means more than just something stupid. It refers to a moral lapse so serious as to jeopardize the whole covenant community (cf. Gen 34:7; Judg 19:23; 20:6, 10; Jer 29:23). See C. Pan, NIDOTTE 3:11-13. Cf. NAB “she committed a crime against Israel.” in Israel by behaving like a prostitute while living in her father’s house. In this way you will purge#tn Heb “burn.” See note on Deut 21:21. evil from among you.
22 If a man is caught having sexual relations with#tn Heb “lying with” (so KJV, NASB), a Hebrew idiom for sexual relations. a married woman#tn Heb “a woman married to a husband.” both the man who had relations with the woman and the woman herself must die; in this way you will purge#tn Heb “burn.” See note on the phrase “purge out” in Deut 21:21. evil from Israel.
23 If a virgin is engaged to a man and another man meets#tn Heb “finds.” her in the city and has sexual relations with#tn Heb “lies with.” her, 24 you must bring the two of them to the gate of that city and stone them to death, the young woman because she did not cry out though in the city and the man because he violated#tn Heb “humbled.” his neighbor’s fiancée;#tn Heb “wife.” in this way you will purge#tn Heb “burn.” See note on the phrase “purge out” in Deut 21:21. evil from among you. 25 But if the man came across#tn Heb “found,” also in vv. 27, 28. the engaged woman in the field and overpowered her and raped#tn Heb “lay with” here refers to a forced sexual relationship, as the accompanying verb “seized” (חָזַק, khazaq) makes clear. her, then only the rapist#tn Heb “the man who lay with her, only him.” must die. 26 You must not do anything to the young woman – she has done nothing deserving of death. This case is the same as when someone attacks another person#tn Heb “his neighbor.” and murders him, 27 for the man#tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man who attacked the woman) has been specified in the translation for clarity. met her in the field and the engaged woman cried out, but there was no one to rescue her.
28 Suppose a man comes across a virgin who is not engaged and overpowers and rapes#tn Heb “lies with.” her and they are discovered. 29 The man who has raped her must pay her father fifty shekels of silver and she must become his wife because he has violated her; he may never divorce her as long as he lives.
30 (23:1)#sn Beginning with 22:30, the verse numbers through 23:25 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 22:30 ET = 23:1 HT, 23:1 ET = 23:2 HT, 23:2 ET = 23:3 HT, etc., through 23:25 ET = 23:26 HT. With 24:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same. A man may not marry#tn Heb “take.” In context this refers to marriage, as in the older English expression “take a wife.” his father’s former#sn This presupposes either the death of the father or their divorce since it would be impossible for one to marry his stepmother while his father was still married to her. wife and in this way dishonor his father.#tn Heb “uncover his father’s skirt” (so ASV, NASB). This appears to be a circumlocution for describing the dishonor that would come to a father by having his own son share his wife’s sexuality (cf. NAB, NIV “dishonor his father’s bed”).
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Deuteronomy 22: NET
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Deuteronomy 22
22
1 “You shall not watch the ox of your neighbor or his sheep or goat straying and ignore them; certainly you shall return them to your neighbor. 2And if your countryman#Or “brother” is not near you or you do not know who he is,#Literally “him” then you shall bring it to your household,#Literally “to the midst of your house” and it shall be#Or “remain” with you until your countryman seeks after it,#Literally “the seeking of your countryman after it” and you shall return it to him. 3And thus also you shall do regarding#Or “to” his donkey, and thus you shall do concerning#Or “to” his garment, and so you shall do with respect to#Or “to” all of the lost property of your countryman#Or “brother” that is lost from him and you find it; you are not allowed to withhold help.
4“You shall not see the donkey of your neighbor or his ox fallen on the road and you ignore them; certainly you must help them get up along with him.
5“The apparel of a man shall not be put on#Literally “on” a woman, and a man shall not wear the clothing of a woman, because everyone who does these things is detestable to Yahweh your God.
6“If a bird’s nest is found before you#Literally “before your face” on the road in any tree or on the ground, and there are chicks or eggs, and the mother is lying down on the chicks or the eggs, you shall not take the mother along with the young; 7you shall certainly let the mother go, but you may take the young for yourselves;#Hebrew “for you” do this so that it may go well#Literally “he/it is good” for you and you may live long in the land.#Literally “and you may make long/extend days”
8“When you build a new house then#Hebrew “and” you shall make a parapet wall#Or “fence/rail” for your roof, so that you will not bring bloodguilt on your house if anyone should fall from it.#Literally “if should fall the falling from it”
9“You shall not sow your vineyard with differing kinds of seed, so that you shall not forfeit the whole harvest,#Literally “the entire fullness” both the seed that you sowed and the yield of the vineyard.
10“You shall not plow with an ox and with a donkey yoked together.
11“You shall not wear woven material made of wool and linen mixed together.
12“You shall make tassels for yourselves#Hebrew “for you” on the four corners of your clothing with which you cover yourself.
13“If a man takes a woman and he has sex with her,#Literally “and he goes unto her” but he then dislikes her,#Literally “hates her” 14and he accuses her falsely,#Literally “he puts to her deeds of words” and he defames her,#Literally “he brings forth against her a bad name” and he says ‘This woman I took and I lay with her and I discovered that she was not a virgin,’#Literally “I found not with her virginity” 15then in defense the father of the young woman shall take, along with her mother, and together they must bring out the evidence of the virginity of the young woman to display it to the elders of the city at the city gate.#Literally “toward the city gate” 16And then the father of the young woman shall say to the elders, ‘I gave my daughter to this man as wife, but he now dislikes#Literally “hates” her, 17and now look he has accused her falsely,#Literally “he put deeds of words” saying, “I did not find your daughter a virgin,”#Literally “to your daughter virginity” but here is evidence of the virginity of my daughter’; and they shall spread the cloth out before#Literally “to the face of” the elders of the city. 18Then the elders of that city shall take the man, and they shall discipline him. 19Then they shall fine him a hundred shekels of silver, and they shall give them to the father of the young woman, for he defamed an Israelite young woman,#Literally “for he brought out a bad name against the virgin of Israel” and she shall become his wife;#Literally “and for him she shall become as wife” he will not be allowed to divorce her#Literally “to send her out” all his days.
20“But if this charge#Literally “the thing” was true, and the signs of virginity were not found#Literally “and they were not found evidence of virginity” for the young woman, 21and then they shall bring out the young woman to the doorway of the house of her father, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones, and she shall die, because she did a disgraceful thing in Israel by playing the harlot#Literally “to play the harlot/to prostitute herself” in the house of her father, and so you shall purge the evil from your midst.
22“If a man is found lying with a married woman,#Literally “with a woman, a young woman of a husband” then they shall both die; both of them,#Literally “also/even the two of them” the man who lay with the woman and the woman also, so you shall purge the evil from Israel.
23“If it happens that a young woman, a virgin, is engaged to a man, and a man finds her in the town and lies with her, 24then you shall bring out both of them#Literally “the two of them” to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them with stones so that they shall die, the young woman because she did not cry out in the town, and the man because#Literally “because of the fact that” he violated his neighbor’s wife; and so you shall purge the evil from your midst.
25“But if the man finds the young engaged woman in the field and the man overpowers her and he has sex with her,#Literally “he lies down with her” then the man only#Or “alone” must die who lay#Or “slept” with her. 26But you shall not do anything#Hebrew “a thing” to the young woman, for there is not reckoned against#Hebrew “to” the young woman a sin deserving death;#Literally “a sin of death” it is similar to when#Literally “for as that” a man rises up against his neighbor and murders him, a fellow human being,#Literally “a soul/individual person” just so is this case,#Literally “thing/matter” 27for he found her in the field, the engaged young woman cried out, but there was no#Hebrew “there was not” rescuer to help her.#Literally “for her”
28“If a man finds a young woman, a virgin who is not engaged, and he seizes her and he has sex with her#Literally “he lies with her” and they are caught, 29then the man who lay with her#Literally “the man the one lying with her” shall give to the father of the young woman fifty shekels of silver, and she shall become his wife#Literally “for/as a wife” because#Literally “in place of” he violated her, and he is not allowed to divorce her during his lifetime.#Literally “all of his days” 30#Deuteronomy 22:30–23:25 in the English Bible is 23:1–26 in the Hebrew Bible A man may not take the wife of his father, and so he may not dishonor his father.#Literally “not he may reveal the skirt of the garment of his father”
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