CHAPTER XXII _Ordinances relative to strayed cattle and lost goods_, 1-3. _Humanity to oppressed cattle_, 4. _Men and women shall not wear each other's apparel_, 5. _No bird shall be taken with her nest of eggs or young ones_, 6, 7. _Battlements must be made on the roofs of houses_, 8. _Impro... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Deuteronomy 22:3. _THOU MAYEST NOT HIDE THYSELF._] Thou shalt not keep out of the way of affording help, nor pretend thou didst not see occasion to render thy neighbour any service. The priest and the Levite, when they saw the wounded man, passed by on the other side of the way, Luke 10:31. Th... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Deuteronomy 22:5. _THE WOMAN SHALL NOT WEAR THAT WHICH PERTAINETH UNTO A_ _MAN_] כלי גבר _keli geber_, the _instruments_ or _arms_ of a man. As the word גבר _geber_ is here used, which properly signifies a _strong man_ or _man of war_, it is very probable that _armour_ is here intended; espec... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Deuteronomy 22:7. _THOU SHALT - LET THE DAM GO, AND TAKE THE YOUNG TO THEE_; _THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH THEE_] This passage may be understood literally. If they destroyed both young and old, must not the breed soon fail, and would it not in the end be _ill_ with them; and by thus cutting off t... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Deuteronomy 22:8. _A BATTLEMENT FOR THY ROOF_] Houses in the East are in general built with flat roofs, and on them men walk to enjoy the fresh air, converse together, sleep, c. it was therefore necessary to have a sort of battlement or balustrade to prevent persons from falling off. If a man... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Deuteronomy 22:9. _DIVERS SEEDS_] Leviticus 19:19, Leviticus 19:19.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Deuteronomy 22:10. _THOU SHALT NOT PLOUGH WITH AN OX AND AN ASS_] It is generally supposed that mixtures of different sorts in seed, breed, c., were employed for superstitious purposes, and therefore prohibited in this law. It is more likely, however, that there was a physical reason for this... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Deuteronomy 22:12. _FRINGES_] Numbers 15:38, Numbers 15:38.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Deuteronomy 22:15. TOKENS OF _THE DAMSEL'S VIRGINITY_] This was a perfectly possible case in all places where girls were married at ten, twelve, and fourteen years of age, which is frequent in the East. I have known several instances of persons having had two or three children at separate birt... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Deuteronomy 22:17. _THEY SHALL SPREAD THE CLOTH, C._] A usage of this kind argues a roughness of manners which would ill comport with the refinement of European ideas on so delicate a subject. Attempts have been made to show that the law here is to be understood metaphorically but they so perf... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Deuteronomy 22:22. _SHALL BOTH OF THEM DIE_] Thus we find that in the most ancient of all laws adultery was punished with death in both the parties.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Deuteronomy 22:25. _AND THE MAN FORCE HER_] A _rape_ also, by these ancient institutions, was punished with death, because a woman's honour was considered equally as precious as her life; therefore the same punishment was inflicted on the ravisher as upon the murderer. This offence is consider... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Deuteronomy 22:30. _A MAN SHALL NOT TAKE HIS FATHER'S WIFE_] This is to be understood as referring to the case of a _stepmother_. A man in his old age may have married a young wife, and on his dying, his son by a former wife may desire to espouse her: this the law prohibits. It was probably on... [ Continue Reading ]