XXIV. Deuteronomy 24:1. DIVORCE. Some uncleanness. — Evidently mere caprice and dislike are not intended here. There must be some real ground of complaint. (See Margin.) LET HIM WRITE HER A BILL OF DIVORCEMENT. — “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, suffered you to put away your wives,”... [ Continue Reading ]
Deuteronomy 24:5 — end of Deuteronomy 25 VARIOUS PRECEPTS OF HUMANITY. (5) HE SHALL NOT GO OUT TO WAR, NEITHER SHALL HE BE CHARGED WITH ANY BUSINESS. — He shall not go forth in warfare, neither shall warfare pass upon him in any form. In Numbers 4:23; Numbers 4:30 the service of the tabernacle is... [ Continue Reading ]
THE NETHER OR THE UPPER MILLSTONE. — Literally, _the two millstones, or even the upper one._ A MAN’S LIFE. — Literally, _a soul._ This word connects the two verses (6, 7).... [ Continue Reading ]
IF A MAN BE FOUND STEALING (A SOUL) ANY OF HIS BRETHREN... — See Exodus 21:16. (8,9) TAKE HEED IN THE PLAGUE OF LEPROSY.... REMEMBER WHAT THE LORD THY GOD DID TO MIRIAM. — The point here seems to be that though Miriam was one of the three leaders of Israel (“I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miri... [ Continue Reading ]
(10-13) WHEN THOU DOST LEND. — The law in these verses is evidently the production of primitive and simple times, when men had little more than the bare necessaries of life to offer as security — their own clothing, or the mill-stones used to prepare their daily food, being almost their only portabl... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT NOT OPPRESS AN HIRED SERVANT. — So Leviticus 19:13. “The wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.” (Comp. also Jeremiah 22:13; Malachi 3:5; James 5:4.)... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FATHERS SHALL NOT BE PUT TO DEATH FOR THE CHILDREN, NEITHER SHALL THE CHILDREN BE PUT TO DEATH FOR THE FATHERS. — A special note of the observance of this precept by Amaziah son of Joash is noticed both in Kings and Chronicles. See marginal references. It was not observed by the Persians in the... [ Continue Reading ]
(17-22) THE STRANGER, THE FATHERLESS, AND THE WIDOW — are the subject of all the laws in these verses. For the first two (Deuteronomy 24:17), see Exodus 22:22. As to the harvest, see Leviticus 23:22. It is noticeable that this law is connected with the Feast of Pentecost in that place. Never was suc... [ Continue Reading ]