Devarim 24

1 4 When an ish hath taken an isha, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no chen (favor) in his eyes, because he hath found some ervat davar (matter of immorality) in her; then let him write her a sefer keritut and give it in her hand, and send her out of his bais;

2 And when she is departed out of his bais, she may go and be an ish acher (wife of another).

3 And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a sefer keritut and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his bais; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his isha;

4 Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his isha, after that she is hutamma’ah (defiled); for that is to’evah (abomination) before Hashem; and thou shalt not cause ha’aretz to sin, which Hashem Eloheicha giveth thee for a nachalah.

5 When an ish hath taken an isha chadasha, he shall not go out to milchamah, neither shall he be charged with any business; but he shall be free in his bais shanah echat, and shall gladden his isha which he hath taken.

6 No ish shall take the lower or the upper millstone to pledge; for he taketh a man’s nefesh in pledge.

7 If an ish be found kidnapping any of his brethren of the Bnei Yisroel, and enslaves him, or selleth him; then that ganav shall die; and thou shalt put the rah away from among you.

8 Take heed in the nega hatzara’at, that thou be shomer me’od and do according to all that the kohanim, the Levi’im, shall teach you; as I commanded them, so ye shall be shomer to do.

9 Remember what Hashem Eloheicha did unto Miryam by the way, after that ye were come forth out of Mitzrayim.

10 When thou dost lend thy brother any thing, thou shalt not go into his bais to get his pledge.

11 Thou shalt stand outside, and the ish to whom thou dost lend shall bring out the pledge outside unto thee.

12 And if the ish be oni (poor), thou shalt not keep his pledge overnight;

13 In any case thou shalt deliver to him the pledge again when the shemesh goeth down, that he may sleep in his own raiment, and bless thee; and it shall be tzedakah unto thee before Hashem Eloheicha.

14 Thou shalt not oppress a hired servant that is oni (poor) and evyon (needy), whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy ger that are in thy land within thy she’arim;

15 Each day thou shalt give him his wages, neither shall the shemesh go down upon it; for he is oni, and setteth his lev upon it; lest he cry against thee unto Hashem, and it be chet unto thee.

16 The avot shall not be put to death for the banim, neither shall the banim be put to death for the avot; every ish shall be put to death for his own chet.

17 Thou shalt not pervert the mishpat due the ger, nor of the yatom; nor take an almanah’s raiment to pledge;

18 But thou shalt remember that thou wast an eved in Mitzrayim, and Hashem Eloheicha redeemed thee thence; therefore I command thee to do this thing.

19 When thou cuttest down thine katzir in thy sadeh, and hast forgot an omer (sheaf) in the sadeh, thou shalt not go again to bring it back; it shall be for the ger, for the yatom (orphan), and for the almanah; that Hashem Eloheicha may bless thee in all the ma’aseh of thine hands.

20 When thou beatest thine [etz] hazayit (olive tree), thou shalt not go over the branches again; it shall be for the ger, for the yatom (orphan), and for the almanah.

21 When thou gatherest the grapes of thy kerem, thou shalt not glean it afterward; it shall be for the ger, for the yatom, and for the almanah.

22 And thou shalt remember that thou wast an eved in Eretz Mitzrayim; therefore I command thee to do this thing.

Devarim 24 Commentary

Chapter 24

Of divorce. (1-4) Of new-married persons, Of man-stealers, Of pledges. (5-13) Of justice and generosity. (14-22)

Verses 1-4 Where the providence of God, or his own wrong choice in marriage, has allotted to a Christian a trial instead of a help meet; he will from his heart prefer bearing the cross, to such relief as tends to sin, confusion, and misery. Divine grace will sanctify this cross, support under it, and teach so to behave, as will gradually render it more tolerable.

Verses 5-13 It is of great consequence that love be kept up between husband and wife; that they carefully avoid every thing which might make them strange one to another. Man-stealing was a capital crime, which could not be settled, as other thefts, by restitution. The laws concerning leprosy must be carefully observed. Thus all who feel their consciences under guilt and wrath, must not cover it, or endeavour to shake off their convictions; but by repentance, and prayer, and humble confession, take the way to peace and pardon. Some orders are given about pledges for money lent. This teaches us to consult the comfort and subsistence of others, as much as our own advantage. Let the poor debtor sleep in his own raiment, and praise God for thy kindness to him. Poor debtors ought to feel more than commonly they do, the goodness of creditors who do not take all the advantage of the law against them, nor should this ever be looked upon as weakness.

Verses 14-22 It is not hard to prove that purity, piety, justice, mercy, fair conduct, kindness to the poor and destitute, consideration for them, and generosity of spirit, are pleasing to God, and becoming in his redeemed people. The difficulty is to attend to them in our daily walk and conversation.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 24

This chapter contains various laws concerning divorces, De 24:1-4; the discharge of a newly married man from war and business, De 24:5; about taking pledges, De 24:6,10-13; man stealing, De 24:7; the plague of leprosy, De 24:8,9; and giving servants their hire in due time, De 24:14,15; concerning doing justice in capital cases, and towards the stranger, fatherless, and widow, De 24:16-18; and of charity to the poor, in allowing them the forgotten sheaf, and the gleanings of their oliveyards and vineyards, De 24:19-22.