Deuteronomy 22

1 Thou shalt not see thy brother's ox, either sheep, erring, and shalt pass thereby, but thou shalt bring it again to thy brother. (Thou shalt not see thy brother's ox, or sheep, go astray, and pass by it, but thou shalt bring it back to thy brother, that is, thy kinsman.)

2 And if thy brother is not nigh, neither thou knowest him, thou shalt lead those beasts into thine house (thou shalt bring those beasts back to thy house), and those shall be with thee, as long as thy brother seeketh them, and till he receive them (back again).

3 In like manner thou shalt do of thy brother's ass, and of his cloth, and of each thing of thy brother, that was lost; if thou findest it, be thou not negligent, as of an alien thing. (In like manner thou shalt do with thy brother's donkey, and his cloak, and with anything else of thy brother's, that was lost; if thou findest it, be thou not negligent, that is, do not just pass by it.)

4 If thou seest that the ass, either the ox, of thy brother hath fallen in the way, thou shalt not despise (it), but thou shalt raise (it up) with him. (If thou seest that thy brother's donkey, or his ox, hath fallen down along the way, thou shalt not just ignore it, but thou shalt help him lift it up again.)

5 A woman shall not be clothed in a man's cloak, neither a man shall use a woman's cloak; for he that doeth these things is abominable before God.

6 If thou goest in the way, and findest a bird's nest in a tree, either in the earth, and findest the mother sitting on the birds, either [the] eggs, thou shalt not hold the mother with the children, (If thou goest on the way, and findest a bird's nest in a tree, or on the ground, and findest the mother bird sitting on her young, or the eggs, thou shalt not take hold of both the mother bird and her children,)

7 but thou shalt suffer the mother [to] go, and shalt hold the sons taken, that it be well to thee, and that thou live in long time. (but thou shalt allow the mother bird to go free, and shalt only take her children, so that it be well with thee, and that thou live a long time.)

8 When thou buildest a new house, thou shalt make a wall of the roof by compass, lest blood be shed out in thine house, and thou be guilty, if another man slideth (off), and falleth into a ditch. (When thou buildest a new house, thou shalt make a wall all around the roof, lest blood be shed out on thy house, and thou be guilty, if someone slideth off, and falleth into a ditch.)

9 Thou shalt not sow thy vinery with another seed, lest both the seed which thou hast sown, and those things that come forth of the vinery, that is, the fruit of the vinery, be defouled together. (Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with another seed, lest both the seed which thou hast sown, and those things that come forth of the vineyard, that is, the fruit of the vineyard, be defiled.)

10 Thou shalt not ear with an ox and an ass together. (Thou shalt not plow with an ox and a donkey together.)

11 Thou shalt not be clothed in a cloth, which is woven together of wool and of flax. (Thou shalt not be clothed in a cloak, which is woven with wool and flax together.)

12 Thou shalt make little cords by four corners in the hems of thy mantle, with which thou art covered. (Thou shalt put tassels on the four corners of the hem of thy mantle, with which thou art covered.)

13 If a man weddeth a wife, and afterward hateth her,

14 and seeketh occasions by which he may leave her, and he putteth against her the worst name, and saith, I have taken this wife, and I have entered to her, and I found not her a virgin (and I did not find her a virgin);

15 (then) the father and mother of her shall take her, and they shall bear with them the tokens of her virginity to the elder men of the city, that be in the gate (who be at the gate);

16 and her father shall say, I gave my daughter (for a) wife to this man, and for (that) he hateth her,

17 he putteth to her the worst name, that he saith, I found not thy daughter a virgin (he hath put on her the worst name, for he saith, I did not find thy daughter to be a virgin); and lo! these be the tokens of the virginity of my daughter; (and) they shall spread forth a cloth before the elder men of the city.

18 And the elder men of that city shall take the man, and shall beat him,

19 and furthermore they shall condemn him in an hundred shekels of silver, which he shall give to the father of the damsel, for he defamed her by the worst name that may be upon a virgin of Israel; and he shall have her to wife, and he shall not be able to forsake her, in all his lifetime. (and furthermore they shall fine him a hundred shekels of silver, which he shall give to the young woman's father, for he defamed her with the worst name that can be put on a virgin of Israel; and he shall have her for his wife, and he shall not be able to divorce her, all the days of his life.)

20 That if it is found sooth, that (that) he putteth against her, and virginity is not found in the damsel, (But if what he hath put against her is found to be true, and no proof of the young woman's virginity is found,)

21 they shall cast her out of her father's gates; and men of that city shall oppress her with stones, and she shall die, for she did [an] unleaveful thing in Israel, that she did lechery in her father's house; and so thou shalt do away evil from the midst of thee. (then they shall bring her to the door of her father's house; and men of that city shall kill her with stones, and she shall die, for she did an unlawful thing in Israel, she did lechery in her father's house; and so thou shalt do away evil from the midst of thee.)

22 If a man sleepeth with the wife of another man, ever either shall die, that is, the adulterer, and the adulteress; and thus thou shalt do away evil from Israel.

23 If a man espouseth a damsel (who is a) virgin, and another man findeth her in the city, and doeth lechery with her,

24 thou shalt lead ever either to the gate of that city, and they shall be killed with stones (and both of them shall be killed with stones); the damsel shall be stoned, for she cried not, when she was in the city; the man shall be stoned, for he defouled his neighbour's wife; and thus thou shalt do away evil from the midst of thee.

25 But if a man findeth in the field a damsel, which is espoused (who is espoused), and he taketh (hold of) her, and doeth lechery with her, he alone shall die;

26 the damsel shall suffer nothing of evil, neither is guilty of death; for as a thief riseth against his brother, and slayeth him, so and the damsel suffered; (the young woman shall not suffer any punishment, nor is she guilty of anything deserving of death; for like a thief riseth against his brother, or his kinsman, and killeth him, so this young woman also hath suffered;)

27 she was alone in the field, she cried, and none was present, that should deliver her. (for she was alone in the field, and she cried, but no one was present, who could save her.)

28 If a man findeth a damsel (who is a) virgin, that hath no spouse, and taketh, and doeth lechery with her, and the thing cometh to the doom, (If a man findeth a young woman who is a virgin, who hath no spouse, and he taketh hold of her, and doeth lechery with her, and the thing cometh to be known,)

29 he that slept with her shall give to the father of the damsel fifty shekels of silver, and he shall have her to wife, for he made her low; he shall not be able to forsake her, in all the days of his life. (he who slept with her shall give the young woman's father fifty shekels of silver, and he shall have her for his wife, for he made her low; he shall not be able to divorce her, all the days of his life.)

30 A man shall not take his father's wife, neither he shall show her private(s).

Deuteronomy 22 Commentary

Chapter 22

Of humanity towards brethren. (1-4) Various precepts. (5-12) Against impurity. (13-30)

Verses 1-4 If we duly regard the golden rule of "doing to others as we would they should do unto us," many particular precepts might be omitted. We can have no property in any thing that we find. Religion teaches us to be neighbourly, and to be ready to do all good offices to all men. We know not how soon we may have occasion for help.

Verses 5-12 God's providence extends itself to the smallest affairs, and his precepts do so, that even in them we may be in the fear of the Lord, as we are under his eye and care. Yet the tendency of these laws, which seem little, is such, that being found among the things of God's law, they are to be accounted great things. If we would prove ourselves to be God's people, we must have respect to his will and to his glory, and not to the vain fashions of the world. Even in putting on our garments, as in eating or in drinking, all must be done with a serious regard to preserve our own and others' purity in heart and actions. Our eye should be single, our heart simple, and our behaviour all of a piece.

Verses 13-30 These and the like regulations might be needful then, and yet it is not necessary that we should curiously examine respecting them. The laws relate to the seventh commandment, laying a restraint upon fleshly lusts which war against the soul.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 22

In this chapter are various laws, concerning care of a neighbour's cattle gone astray or in distress, and of anything lost by him, De 22:1-4, forbidding one sex to wear the apparel, of another, De 22:5 and the taking away of the dam with the young found in a bird's nest, De 22:6,7, ordering battlements to be made in a new house, De 22:8, prohibiting mixtures in sowing, ploughing, and in garments, De 22:9-11, requiring fringes on the four quarters of a garment, De 22:12, fining a man that slanders his wife, upon producing the tokens of her virginity, De 22:13-19 but if these cannot be produced, then orders are given that she be put to death, De 22:20-21, then follow other laws, punishing with death the adulterer and adulteress, and one that hath ravished a betrothed damsel, De 22:22-27, amercing a person that lies with a virgin not betrothed and she consenting, and obliging him to marry her, and not suffering him to divorce her, De 22:28-29 and another against a man's lying with his father's wife, De 22:30.