Chapter 24
Verses 1-22: Justice, Mercy, and Social Welfare
1. “When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house,
2. and she departs from his house and goes and becomes another man’s wife,
3. and the latter husband dislikes her and writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband dies who took her as his wife,
4. her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife after she has been defiled; for that is an abomination before the Lord, and you shall not bring sin upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.
5. “When a man has taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war or be charged with any business; he shall be free at home one year, and bring happiness to his wife whom he has taken.
6. No one shall take a handmill or an upper millstone in pledge, for he would be taking a life in pledge.
7. If a man is found stealing one of his brothers of the children of Israel, and he treats him as a slave or sells him, then that thief shall die; so you shall put away the evil from among you.
8. “Take heed in an outbreak of leprosy, that you carefully observe and do according to all that the priests, the Levites, shall teach you; as I commanded them, so you shall be careful to do.
9. Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam on the way when you came out of Egypt.
10. When you lend your brother anything, you shall not go into his house to get his pledge.
11. You shall stand outside, and the man to whom you lend shall bring the pledge out to you.
12. And if the man is poor, you shall not sleep with his pledge.
13. In any case, you shall deliver him the pledge again when the sun goes down, that he may sleep in his own garment and bless you; and it shall be righteousness to you before the Lord your God.
14. You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether one of your brothers or one of the aliens who is in your land within your gates.
15. Each day you shall give him his wages, and not let the sun go down on it, for he is poor and has set his heart on it; lest he cry against you to the Lord, and it be sin to you.
16. Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their fathers; a person shall be put to death for his own sin.
17. You shall not pervert the justice due the stranger or the fatherless, nor take a widow’s garment as a pledge.
18. But you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this thing.
19. When you reap your harvest in your field, and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.
20. When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over the boughs again; it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.
21. When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not glean it afterward; it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.
22. And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I command you to do this thing.
Interpretation:
Chapter 24 of Deuteronomy presents a variety of laws concerning marriage, social welfare, and justice. The regulations on divorce and remarriage reveal an attempt to manage familial and marital issues with a sense of order and propriety. The directives for the treatment of the new bride, the prohibition against harsh collateral, and the protection of workers’ rights emphasize the importance of compassion and fairness. The law against family members being punished for each other’s crimes underlines the principle of individual responsibility. The instructions to leave gleanings for the disadvantaged are expressions of social justice, ensuring care for the marginalized in society. This chapter, overall, reflects a concern for ethical conduct, the dignity of individuals, and the care of those in need within the community.
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