Deuteronomychapter 24

22 verses · ASV

This chapter sends 192 cross-references outward and receives 142 — heaviest partner: Deuteronomy.

Chapter summary

Divorce, gleanings, labour, and the pledge. Divorce permitted but not encouraged; a second husband's divorce does not restore the first. The newly-wed man free from war and public charge for a year. No handmill or upper millstone taken as a pledge — ‘for he taketh a man's life to pledge’. Kidnapping punished with death. Leprosy — ‘remember what the LORD thy God did unto Miriam’. Lending without entering the debtor's house to fetch a pledge; the poor man's garment returned at sundown. Wages paid the same day. No perverting the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, widow; no pledge from the widow. Gleanings of field, olive, vine left for the poor.

Drafted from Matthew Henry, Calvin, Gill, Clarke, JFB, and Barnes.

Context

Law · Moses — see the Deuteronomy overview for the book's full setting.

1 When a man taketh a wife, and marrieth her, then it shall be, if she find no favor in his eyes, because he hath found some unseemly thing in her, that he shall write her a bill of divorcement, 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 give it in her hand, and send her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, who took her to be his wife;

4 her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before Jehovah: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

5 When a man taketh a new wife, he shall not go out in the host, neither shall he be charged with any business: he shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer his wife whom he hath taken.

6 No man shall take the mill or the upper millstone to pledge; for he taketh a man’s life to pledge.

7 If a man be found stealing any of his brethren of the children of Israel, and he deal with him as a slave, or sell him; then that thief shall die: so shalt thou put away the evil from the midst of thee.

8 Take heed in the plague of leprosy, that thou observe diligently, and do according to all that the priests the Levites shall teach you: as I commanded them, so ye shall observe to do.

9 Remember what Jehovah thy God did unto Miriam, by the way as ye came forth out of Egypt.