Deuteronomy 22:7

7 But shalt in any wyse let the dame go and take the younge, that thou mayst prospere and prolonge thy dayes.

Deuteronomy 22:7 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 22:7

But thou shall in any wise let the dam go, and take the young
to thee
Or "in letting go, let go", or "in sending, send away" {a}; that is, willingly, certainly, entirely, frequently, always; so the Jewish canons ^F2,

``if anyone lets her go, and she returns, even four or five times, he is obliged to let her go, as it is said, "in letting go, let go";''

nay, Maimonides says ^F3, even a thousand times; the canon proceeds,

``if anyone says, lo, I take the dam and let go the young, he is obliged to let her go; if he takes the young, and returns them again to the nest, and after that returns the dam to them, he is free from letting her go;''

that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days;
the Targum of Jonathan is,

``that it may be well with thee in this world, and thou mayest prolong thy days in the world to come:''

the same blessing that is promised to observers of the fifth command, which is one of the weightier matters of the law, is made to this; which the Jews say ^F4 is but as the value of a farthing, or of little account in comparison of others; wherefore, as Fagius rightly observes {e}, God, in bestowing such rewards, has regard not to the works of men, but to his own grace and kindness; for what merit can there be in letting go or preserving the life of a little bird?

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FOOTNOTES:

F1 (xlvt xlv) "dimittendo dimittes", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus; so Ainsworth.
F2 Misn. Cholin, c. 12. sect. 3.
F3 In Misn. ib.
F4 Misn. ib. sect. 5.
F5 In loc.

Deuteronomy 22:7 In-Context

5 The woman shall not weere that whiche pertayneth vnto the man, nether shall a man put on womans rayment. For all that doo so, are abhomynacyon vnto the Lorde thi God.

6 Yf thou chaunce vppon a byrds nest by the waye, in what soeuer tree it be or on the groude, whether they be younge or egges, ad the dame sittenge vppon the younge or vppo the egges: Thou shalt not take the mother with the younge.

7 But shalt in any wyse let the dame go and take the younge, that thou mayst prospere and prolonge thy dayes.

8 When thou byldest a new housse, thou shalt make a batelmet vnto the roffe, that thou lade not bloude vppon thine housse, yf any ma fall there of.

9 Thou shalt not sowe thy vyneyarde with dyuerse sede: lest thou halowe the sede whiche thou hast sowen with the frute off thy vyneyarde.