Deuteronomy 22:7

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.)

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 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.)