Deuteronomy
Chapter 24

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1 When a man hath taken a wife and married her, and it come to passe that shee find no fauour in his eyes, because hee hath found some vncleannesse in her: then let him write her a bill of diuorcement, and giue it in her hand, and send her out of his house.

2 And when shee is departed out of his house, she may goe and be another mans wife.

3 And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of diuorcement, and giueth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house: Or if the latter husband die, which tooke her to be his wife,

4 Her former husband which sent her away, may not take her againe to be his wife, after that she is defiled: for that is abomination before the Lord, and thou shalt not cause the land to sinne, which the Lord thy God giueth thee for an inheritance.

5 ¶ When a man hath taken a new wife, he shal not goe out to warre, neither shall hee be charged with any businesse: but hee shall be free at home one yeere, and shall cheere vp his wife which he hath taken.

6 ¶ No man shall take the nether or the vpper milstone to pledge: for hee taketh a mans life to pledge.

7 ¶ If a man bee found stealing any of his brethren of the children of Israel, and maketh merchandize of him, or selleth him: then that thiefe shall die, and thou shalt put euill away from among you.

8 ¶ Take heede, in the plague of leprosie, that thou obserue diligently, and doe according to all that the Priests the Leuites shall teach you: as I commanded them, so ye shall obserue to doe.

9 Remember what the Lord thy God did vnto Miriam by the way, after that yee were come forth out of Egypt.

10 ¶ When thou doest lend thy brother any thing, thou shalt not goe into his house to fetch his pledge.

11 Thou shalt stand abroad, and the man to whome thou doest lend, shall bring out the pledge abroad vnto thee.

12 And if the man be poore, thou shalt not sleepe with his pledge:

13 In any case thou shalt deliuer him the pledge againe when the Sun goeth downe, that he may sleepe in his owne raiment, and blesse thee: and it shall be righteousnesse vnto thee before the Lord thy God.

14 ¶ Thou shalt not oppresse an hired seruant that is poore and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that are in thy lande within thy gates.

15 At his day thou shalt giue him his hire, neither shall the Sun goe downe vpon it, for he is poore, and setteth his heart vpon it, lest hee crie against thee vnto the Lord, and it bee sinne vnto thee.

16 The fathers shall not bee put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: euery man shall be put to death for his owne sinne.

17 ¶ Thou shalt not peruert the iudgement of the stranger, nor of the fatherles, nor take a widowes raiment to pledge.

18 But thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee thence: therefore I command thee to doe this thing.

19 ¶ When thou cuttest downe thine haruest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheafe in the field, thou shalt not go againe to fetch it: it shalbe for the stranger, for the fatherlesse, and for the widow: that the Lord thy God may blesse thee in all the worke of thine hands.

20 When thou beatest thine oliue tree thou shalt not goe ouer the boughes againe: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherlesse, and for the widow.

21 When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not gleane it afterward, it shalbe for the stranger, for the fatherlesse, and for the widow.

22 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt: therfore I command thee to doe this thing.

Viewing the original 1611 KJV with archaic English spelling
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Commentary for Deuteronomy 24

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

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.

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.

Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.

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