_A BILL OF DIVORCE IS TO BE GIVEN TO THE WIFE WHO IS DISMISSED: MAN-STEALERS ARE TO BE CONDEMNED TO DEATH: THE PLEDGE OF A POOR MAN MUST NOT BE KEPT ALL NIGHT: THE WAGES OF AN HIRED SERVANT ARE IMMEDIATELY TO BE PAID HIM: WHAT REMAINS IN THE FIELD AFTER HARVEST, IS TO BE LEFT FOR THE POOR._ _Befor... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 1. _WHEN A MAN HATH TAKEN A WIFE_— The Hebrew nation having been accustomed to the liberty of putting away their wives from motives of dislike and aversion, and Moses being sensible that their hardness of heart, and severity of temper, would, upon an absolute restraint from such liberty, prod... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 4. _HER FORMER HUSBAND—MAY NOT TAKE HER AGAIN_— To restrain them from the abuse of this permission, the law provides, that the husband, who had once put away his wife, should, upon her being married to another, be for ever incapable of having her again. The law considered her as _defiled; i.e... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 6. _NO MAN SHALL TAKE THE NETHER OR THE UPPER MILLSTONE TO PLEDGE_— This law is of the same merciful kind with that in Exodus 22:26 which is repeated in the following verses; and it is founded upon the same equitable and compassionate reasons. On the same account it was, that at Rome they wer... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 9. _REMEMBER WHAT THE LORD THY GOD DID UNTO MIRIAM_— This may be understood, either as an admonition, that they ought not to think much of being shut out of the camp, and going through the appointed purifications for the leprosy, since a person of so much distinction as Miriam was not exempte... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 15. _AT HIS DAY THOU SHALT GIVE HIM HIS HIRE_— This particularly concerns those who live by their daily labour: they ought to be paid before the sun goes down; all ought to receive their wages, whether labourers or servants, at the time agreed upon; _for this is what he setteth his heart upon... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 16. _THE FATHERS SHALL NOT BE PUT TO DEATH FOR THE CHILDREN, NEITHER SHALL THE CHILDREN BE PUT TO DEATH FOR THE FATHERS_— See what we have said respecting this subject on Exodus 20. It is supposed by some, that there was a law in Moses's time, among the AEgyptians, or other neighbour nations,... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 17. _THOU SHALT NOT PERVERT THE JUDGMENT OF THE STRANGER,_ &C.— Concerning this humane and tender provision for strangers, the fatherless, and widows, we refer to the places in the Margin of our Bibles: only observing, that as persons of this kind are commonly in a more destitute condition th... [ Continue Reading ]