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Deuteronomy 22 Laws of Humaneness and Purity

1 If you see your brother’s ox or sheep straying, do not ignore it but be sure to take it back to him.

2 If the brother does not live near you or if you do not know who he is, take it home with you and keep it until he comes looking for it. Then give it back to him.

3 Do the same if you find your brother’s donkey or his cloak or anything he loses. Do not ignore it.

4 If you see your brother’s donkey or his ox fallen on the road, do not ignore it. Help him get it to its feet.

5 A woman must not wear men’s clothing, nor a man wear women’s clothing, for the Lord your God detests anyone who does this.

6 If you come across a bird’s nest beside the road, either in a tree or on the ground, and the mother is sitting on the young or on the eggs, do not take the mother with the young.

7 You may take the young, but be sure to let the mother go, so that it may go well with you and you may have a long life.

8 When you build a new house, make a parapet around your roof so that you may not bring the guilt of bloodshed on your house if someone falls from the roof.

9 Do not plant two kinds of seed in your vineyard; if you do, not only the crops you plant but also the fruit of the vineyard will be defiled.

10 Do not plow with an ox and a donkey yoked together.

11 Do not wear clothes of wool and linen woven together.

12 Make tassels on the four corners of the cloak you wear.

13 Marriage Violations
If a man takes a wife and, after lying with her, dislikes her

14 and slanders her and gives her a bad name, saying, “I married this woman, but when I approached her, I did not find proof of her virginity,”

15 then the girl’s father and mother shall bring proof that she was a virgin to the town elders at the gate.

16 The girl’s father will say to the elders, “I gave my daughter in marriage to this man, but he dislikes her.

17 Now he has slandered her and said, ‘I did not find your daughter to be a virgin.’ But here is the proof of my daughter’s virginity.” Then her parents shall display the cloth before the elders of the town,

18 and the elders shall take the man and punish him.

19 They shall fine him a hundred shekels of silver and give them to the girl’s father, because this man has given an Israelite virgin a bad name. She shall continue to be his wife; he must not divorce her as long as he lives.

20 If, however, the charge is true and no proof of the girl’s virginity can be found,

21 she shall be brought to the door of her father’s house and there the men of her town shall stone her to death. She has done a disgraceful thing in Israel by being promiscuous while still in her father’s house. You must purge the evil from among you.

22 If a man is found sleeping with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.

23 If a man happens to meet in a town a virgin pledged to be married and he sleeps with her,

24 you shall take both of them to the gate of that town and stone them to death—the girl because she was in a town and did not scream for help, and the man because he violated another man’s wife. You must purge the evil from among you.

25 But if out in the country a man happens to meet a girl pledged to be married and rapes her, only the man who has done this shall die.

26 Do nothing to the girl; she has committed no sin deserving death. This case is like that of someone who attacks and murders his neighbor,

27 for the man found the girl out in the country, and though the betrothed girl screamed, there was no one to rescue her.

28 If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered,

29 he shall pay the girl’s father fifty shekels of silver. He must marry the girl, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives.

30 A man is not to marry his father’s wife; he must not dishonor his father’s bed.

Previous Chapter Deuteronomy 21 Next Chapter Deuteronomy 23

Analysis of Deuteronomy Chapter 22

Deuteronomy Chapter 22 presents a collection of laws and commandments given to the Israelites. These laws emphasize societal responsibility, respect for the property and lives of others, and the importance of maintaining purity and order within the community. This chapter can be divided into several distinct sections, each addressing specific behaviors and situations. Let us delve into the details and interpretations of these verses to gain a comprehensive understanding of the chapter.

Assisting Neighbors with Lost or Stray Property (Verses 1-4)

The chapter begins with commandments focused on the responsibility of individuals toward their neighbors:

1 You shall not see your brother’s ox or his sheep going astray and ignore them. You shall take them back to your brother.
2 And if he does not live near you and you do not know who he is, you shall bring it home to your house, and it shall stay with you until your brother seeks it. Then you shall restore it to him.
3 And you shall do the same with his donkey or with his garment, or with any lost thing of your brother’s, which he loses and you find; you may not ignore it.
4 You shall not see your brother’s donkey or his ox fallen down by the way and ignore them. You shall help him to lift them up again.

These verses stress the importance of mutual aid and accountability within the community. The principles are clear:

  • Responsibility to Assist: The repeated injunction “you may not ignore it” emphasizes the duty to act when encountering a neighbor’s lost or wayward property. This fosters a sense of communal support and compassion.
  • Temporary Guardianship: If the owner of the lost property is unknown or distant, the finder must care for the property until the rightful owner claims it. This provision ensures that valuable resources and possessions are not squandered or neglected.
  • Helping in Physical Distress: Assistance is not limited to lost property but extends to aiding animals in distress, promoting kindness and practical support towards all living beings.

Prohibition of Cross-Dressing (Verse 5)

5 A woman shall not wear a man’s garment, nor shall a man put on a woman’s cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD your God.

This verse addresses the importance of maintaining traditional gender distinctions, which in ancient Israelite society were significant for maintaining order and social norms. Some interpretations suggest that this prohibition served to deter deception and preserve the sanctity and roles defined for each gender by God.

  • Cultural Context: In the ancient Near East, clothing played a crucial role in distinguishing gender, status, and identity. Mixing garments could blur these significant distinctions.
  • Theological Implications: The underlying principle is that God created male and female with distinct roles and purposes. By adhering to these distinctions, the Israelites honored the divine order.

Compassion for Animals (Verses 6-7)

6 If you come across a bird’s nest in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs and the mother sitting on the young or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young.
7 You shall let the mother go, but the young you may take for yourself, that it may go well with you, and that you may live long.

These verses advocate for compassion towards animals, ensuring ethical treatment even in the act of taking resources:

  • Preservation of Species: By releasing the mother bird, the law ensures the continuation of the species. It reflects an ecological awareness and the importance of sustainability.
  • Kindness and Reward: By promoting merciful actions, these commandments align with the broader biblical principle of compassion, promising blessings and longevity as rewards for adherence to these humane practices.

Building Safe Homes (Verse 8)

8 When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof, that you may not bring the guilt of blood upon your house, if anyone should fall from it.

This law emphasizes the importance of precaution and the responsibility to prevent potential harm:

  • Practical Safety Measures: In ancient Israel, roofs were typically flat and used as living spaces. Installing a parapet minimized the risk of accidental falls, reflecting a proactive approach to safety and well-being.
  • Moral Accountability: The command underscores personal responsibility in safeguarding others’ lives, which could apply to various aspects of daily life and not just building construction.

Prohibition of Mixing Different Kinds (Verses 9-11)

9 You shall not sow your vineyard with two kinds of seed, lest the whole yield be forfeited, the crop that you have sown and the yield of the vineyard.
10 You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together.
11 You shall not wear cloth of wool and linen mixed together.

These verses address the concept of separation and purity:

  • Agricultural Practices: Mixing seeds could affect crop growth and harvest, leading to complications in agricultural sustainability and clarity of produce. This helped ensure the purity of produce and avoided potential agricultural disasters.
  • Animal Pairing: Different animals have differing strengths and temperaments, making mixed pairings inefficient and potentially harmful. It also reflects equities in labor arrangements.
  • Clothing Materials: Similar principles may apply to mixed fabrics, as combining materials with different properties could affect garment durability and comfort. Additionally, this might symbolize the broader theme of maintaining pure distinctions as decreed by God.

Laws Regarding Sexual Purity and Relationships (Verses 13-30)

The latter section of Chapter 22 contains various laws governing sexual conduct and relationships, highlighting the importance of fidelity, honesty, and the protection of vulnerable individuals:

Accusation against a Bride’s Virginity (Verses 13-21)

13 If any man takes a wife and goes in to her and then hates her
14 and accuses her of misconduct and brings a bad name upon her, saying, ‘I took this woman, and when I came near her, I did not find in her evidence of virginity,’
15 then the father of the young woman and her mother shall take and bring out the evidence of her virginity to the elders of the city in the gate.
16 And the father of the young woman shall say to the elders, ‘I gave my daughter to this man to marry, and he hates her’;
17 and behold, he has accused her of misconduct, saying, ‘I did not find in your daughter evidence of virginity.’ And yet this is the evidence of my daughter’s virginity.’ And they shall spread the cloak before the elders of the city.
18 Then the elders of that city shall take the man and whip him,
19 and they shall fine him a hundred shekels of silver and give them to the father of the young woman, because he has brought a bad name upon a virgin of Israel. And she shall be his wife. He may not divorce her all his days.
20 But if the thing is true, that evidence of virginity was not found in the young woman,
21 then they shall bring out the young woman to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death with stones, because she has done an outrageous thing in Israel by whoring in her father’s house. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.

This passage upholds the virtue of truthfulness and moral integrity:

  • Protection against False Accusations: The process provides a means for the woman’s family to defend her honor against false accusations. It ensures that false accusers face consequences, promoting justice and the protection of one’s dignity.
  • Deterrence of Immorality: The stringent penalty for genuine moral failure aims to maintain societal standards and discourage behavior deemed corrupt or harmful.

Adultery and Violations (Verses 22-30)

22 If a man is found lying with the wife of another man, both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman. So you shall purge the evil from Israel.
23 If there is a betrothed virgin, and a man meets her in the city and lies with her,
24 then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones, the young woman because she did not cry for help though she was in the city, and the man because he violated his neighbor’s wife. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.
25 But if in the open country a man meets a young woman who is betrothed, and the man seizes her and lies with her, then only the man who lay with her shall die.
26 But you shall do nothing to the young woman; she has committed no offense punishable by death. For this case is like that of a man attacking and murdering his neighbor,
27 because he met her in the open country, and though the betrothed young woman cried for help there was no one to rescue her.
28 If a man meets a virgin who is not betrothed, and seizes her and lies with her, and they are found,
29 then the man who lay with her shall give to the father of the young woman fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife, because he has violated her. He may not divorce her all his days.
30 A man shall not take his father’s wife, so that he does not uncover his father’s nakedness.

These verses lay out firm responses to sexual immorality and violations, emphasizing justice, protection for victims, and the sanctity of marriage:

  • Condemnation of Adultery: The equal culpability and severe consequence for both adulterers reinforce the seriousness of the offense against marriage sanctity and social order.
  • Protection for the Betrothed: The distinction between actions occurring in the city versus the countryside acknowledges the circumstances and potential for coercion, emphasizing fairness in judgment.
  • Restitution and Marriage: In cases where a man violates an unbetrothed virgin, the law commands restitution to her family and obligates marriage without the possibility of divorce, thus ensuring the woman’s future security and social standing, albeit under ancient cultural norms.

Overall, Deuteronomy Chapter 22 offers broad-ranging laws that reflect the values of justice, communal responsibility, purity, and compassion in ancient Israelite society. Understanding the historical and cultural context of these commandments can elucidate their purpose and the fundamental principles they sought to uphold, many of which pivot around the protection of individuals and the promotion of a cohesive and moral community.