Deuteronomy 24 Study Notes
General
What is the one thing 24:1-4 actually forbids?
Answer: A first husband taking back his former wife after her second marriage ends
These verses describe a situation rather than command a divorce. A husband finds something indecent about his wife, gives her a divorce certificate, which is a written legal document ending the marriage, and dismisses her from his home (24:1). She then marries another man, and that marriage ends by divorce or by his death (24:2-3). Only then does the law give its command: the first husband may not take her back as his wife, because the LORD calls such a return an abomination, and it would bring sin on the land (24:4). The text does not define the indecency, and later Jewish teachers disagreed about its meaning, a debate that stood behind the Pharisees' question to Jesus about divorce for any reason (Matthew 19:3). Jeremiah uses this law to picture Israel's unfaithfulness to God (Jeremiah 3:1).
- Deuteronomy 24:1-4 (BSB)“If a man marries a woman, but she becomes displeasing to him because he finds some indecency in her, he may write her a certificate of divorce, hand it to her, and send her away from his house. If, after leaving his house, she goes and becomes another man’s wife, and the second man hates her, writes her a certificate of divorce, hands it to her, and sends her away from his house, or if he dies, then the husband who divorced her first may not remarry her after she has been defiled, for that is an abomination to the LORD. You must not bring sin upon the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.”The passage describes a divorce and a second marriage, and forbids the first husband to take the woman back.
- Jeremiah 3:1 (BSB)““If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to marry another, can he ever return to her? Would not such a land be completely defiled? But you have played the harlot with many lovers—and you would return to Me?” declares the LORD.”Jeremiah draws on this law to picture Israel's unfaithfulness to the LORD.
- Matthew 19:3 (BSB)“Then some Pharisees came and tested Him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?””Pharisees tested Jesus by asking whether a man may divorce his wife for any reason.
Theological
What is the single prohibition that 24:1-4 legislates?
Answer: A first husband taking back his former wife after her second marriage ends
The passage is case law: it first sets out the circumstances, a divorce on the ground of some indecency with a written certificate (24:1), followed by the woman's remarriage and the end of that second marriage by divorce or death (24:2-3). Only then comes the single command: the first husband may not take her again, since the LORD calls this an abomination, and it would bring sin on the land (24:4). The indecency is left undefined, and its meaning was disputed among later rabbis, as the Pharisees' test question about divorce for any reason reflects (Matthew 19:3). Jeremiah applies the law to Israel's covenant infidelity (Jeremiah 3:1).
- Deuteronomy 24:1-4 (BSB)“If a man marries a woman, but she becomes displeasing to him because he finds some indecency in her, he may write her a certificate of divorce, hand it to her, and send her away from his house. If, after leaving his house, she goes and becomes another man’s wife, and the second man hates her, writes her a certificate of divorce, hands it to her, and sends her away from his house, or if he dies, then the husband who divorced her first may not remarry her after she has been defiled, for that is an abomination to the LORD. You must not bring sin upon the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.”The passage describes a divorce and a second marriage, and forbids the first husband to take the woman back.
- Jeremiah 3:1 (BSB)““If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to marry another, can he ever return to her? Would not such a land be completely defiled? But you have played the harlot with many lovers—and you would return to Me?” declares the LORD.”Jeremiah draws on this law to picture Israel's unfaithfulness to the LORD.
- Matthew 19:3 (BSB)“Then some Pharisees came and tested Him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?””Pharisees tested Jesus by asking whether a man may divorce his wife for any reason.
General
What principle of justice does 24:16 establish for Israel's courts?
Answer: Only the guilty person, not his relatives, may be executed
Israel's courts could not execute parents for crimes their children committed, or children for crimes their parents committed; each person answered for his own wrongdoing (24:16). King Amaziah later obeyed this law: he executed his father's assassins but spared their sons (2 Kings 14:5-6). The prophets repeat the principle: the sinner himself bears the penalty for his sin (Ezekiel 18:20; Jeremiah 31:29-30). This fits with 5:9-10, where God speaks of iniquity visited on the generations of those who hate Him; that passage describes God's dealings with families who continue in the same rebellion, not a court punishing an innocent child.
- Deuteronomy 24:16 (BSB)“Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin.”Parents and children are not to be executed for one another's crimes.
- 2 Kings 14:5-6 (BSB)“As soon as the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, Amaziah executed the servants who had murdered his father the king. Yet he did not put the sons of the murderers to death, but acted according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, where the LORD commanded: “Fathers must not be put to death for their children, and children must not be put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin.””King Amaziah spared the sons of his father's murderers in obedience to this law.
- Ezekiel 18:20 (BSB)“The soul who sins is the one who will die. A son will not bear the iniquity of his father, and a father will not bear the iniquity of his son. The righteousness of the righteous man will fall upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked man will fall upon him.”Ezekiel affirms that the one who sins is the one who will die.
- Jeremiah 31:29-30 (BSB)““In those days, it will no longer be said: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the children are set on edge.’ Instead, each will die for his own iniquity. If anyone eats the sour grapes, his own teeth will be set on edge.”Jeremiah looks to a time when each person answers for his own iniquity.
Theological
What judicial principle does 24:16 lay down?
Answer: Only the guilty person, not his relatives, may be executed
The statute establishes individual judicial liability: neither fathers nor sons may be executed for one another's crimes (24:16). Amaziah's sparing of his father's assassins' sons is expressly said to follow this law (2 Kings 14:5-6), and the prophets reaffirm the principle (Ezekiel 18:20; Jeremiah 31:29-30). It stands alongside 5:9-10, where the visiting of iniquity concerns God's providential dealing with generations of those who hate Him, those who continue in their fathers' rebellion, and not the courts' punishment of the innocent.
- Deuteronomy 24:16 (BSB)“Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin.”Parents and children are not to be executed for one another's crimes.
- 2 Kings 14:5-6 (BSB)“As soon as the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, Amaziah executed the servants who had murdered his father the king. Yet he did not put the sons of the murderers to death, but acted according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, where the LORD commanded: “Fathers must not be put to death for their children, and children must not be put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin.””King Amaziah spared the sons of his father's murderers in obedience to this law.
- Ezekiel 18:20 (BSB)“The soul who sins is the one who will die. A son will not bear the iniquity of his father, and a father will not bear the iniquity of his son. The righteousness of the righteous man will fall upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked man will fall upon him.”Ezekiel affirms that the one who sins is the one who will die.
- Jeremiah 31:29-30 (BSB)““In those days, it will no longer be said: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the children are set on edge.’ Instead, each will die for his own iniquity. If anyone eats the sour grapes, his own teeth will be set on edge.”Jeremiah looks to a time when each person answers for his own iniquity.
General
What reason does Moses give twice in 24:17-22 for commanding justice and generosity toward the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow?
Answer: Israel had once been enslaved in Egypt and redeemed by God
Israel was not to twist justice against foreigners or orphans, or take a widow's garment as a pledge (24:17). At harvest, a forgotten sheaf was to be left in the field, and olive trees and grapevines were not to be picked over a second time, so that the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow could gather what remained (24:19-21). Leviticus has similar laws (Leviticus 19:9-10), and Ruth, a woman from Moab, later gleaned in Boaz's field this way (Ruth 2:2-3). Twice Moses gives the reason: Israel had been enslaved in Egypt, and God had redeemed them, which means He had bought them back and set them free (24:18, 22). People who had received mercy were to show mercy. James says looking after widows and fatherless children who are suffering is part of true religion (James 1:27).
- Deuteronomy 24:17-22 (BSB)“Do not deny justice to the foreigner or the fatherless, and do not take a widow’s cloak as security. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you from that place. Therefore I am commanding you to do this. If you are harvesting in your field and forget a sheaf there, do not go back to get it. It is to be left for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you beat the olives from your trees, you must not go over the branches again. What remains will be for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow. When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you must not go over the vines again. What remains will be for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow. Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt. Therefore I am commanding you to do this.”Justice and harvest leftovers for the foreigner, fatherless, and widow are commanded, and the reason, Israel's slavery in Egypt and redemption, is given twice.
- Leviticus 19:9-10 (BSB)“When you reap the harvest of your land, you are not to reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. You must not strip your vineyard bare or gather its fallen grapes. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God.”Leviticus likewise requires leaving part of the harvest for the poor and the foreigner.
- Ruth 2:2-3 (BSB)“And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Please let me go into the fields and glean heads of grain after someone in whose sight I may find favor.” “Go ahead, my daughter,” Naomi replied. So Ruth departed and went out into the field and gleaned after the harvesters. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech.”Ruth the Moabitess gleaned behind the harvesters in Boaz's field, benefiting from Israel's harvest provision for the poor.
- James 1:27 (BSB)“Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”True religion includes caring for orphans and widows in their distress.
Theological
What motive clause does 24:17-22 give twice for justice and generosity toward the sojourner, the orphan, and the widow?
Answer: Israel had once been enslaved in Egypt and redeemed by God
The law forbids perverting justice for the sojourner and the fatherless and taking a widow's garment in pledge (24:17), and it requires leaving the forgotten sheaf and the remnant of olive and grape harvests for them (24:19-21), in line with the Levitical gleaning laws (Leviticus 19:9-10) and illustrated in Ruth's gleaning in Boaz's field (Ruth 2:2-3). The twice-repeated motive is Israel's own bondage in Egypt, followed by the LORD's redemption (24:18, 22). Grace precedes and shapes obedience: a redeemed people must reflect the mercy they received. James makes caring for bereaved children and widows a mark of pure religion (James 1:27).
- Deuteronomy 24:17-22 (BSB)“Do not deny justice to the foreigner or the fatherless, and do not take a widow’s cloak as security. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you from that place. Therefore I am commanding you to do this. If you are harvesting in your field and forget a sheaf there, do not go back to get it. It is to be left for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you beat the olives from your trees, you must not go over the branches again. What remains will be for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow. When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you must not go over the vines again. What remains will be for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow. Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt. Therefore I am commanding you to do this.”Justice and harvest leftovers for the foreigner, fatherless, and widow are commanded, and the reason, Israel's slavery in Egypt and redemption, is given twice.
- Leviticus 19:9-10 (BSB)“When you reap the harvest of your land, you are not to reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. You must not strip your vineyard bare or gather its fallen grapes. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God.”Leviticus likewise requires leaving part of the harvest for the poor and the foreigner.
- Ruth 2:2-3 (BSB)“And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Please let me go into the fields and glean heads of grain after someone in whose sight I may find favor.” “Go ahead, my daughter,” Naomi replied. So Ruth departed and went out into the field and gleaned after the harvesters. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech.”Ruth the Moabitess gleaned behind the harvesters in Boaz's field, benefiting from Israel's harvest provision for the poor.
- James 1:27 (BSB)“Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”True religion includes caring for orphans and widows in their distress.
General
What penalty does 24:7 set for kidnapping a fellow Israelite in order to enslave or sell him?
Answer: The kidnapper must be executed
Stealing a person, whether to force him into slavery or to sell him, was a capital crime in Israel (24:7), and the verse ends with the familiar command to remove such wickedness from Israel. Exodus gives the same penalty (Exodus 21:16). Joseph's brothers committed this very kind of sin when they sold him to traders headed for Egypt (Genesis 37:28). In the New Testament, Paul lists slave traders among the lawless and ungodly whom God's law condemns (1 Timothy 1:9-10).
- Deuteronomy 24:7 (BSB)“If a man is caught kidnapping one of his Israelite brothers, whether he treats him as a slave or sells him, the kidnapper must die. So you must purge the evil from among you.”Kidnapping a fellow Israelite to enslave or sell him is a capital crime.
- Exodus 21:16 (BSB)“Whoever kidnaps another man must be put to death, whether he sells him or the man is found in his possession.”The Exodus law likewise sets death for kidnapping.
- Genesis 37:28 (BSB)“So when the Midianite traders passed by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.”Joseph's brothers sold him to traders, the kind of crime this law punishes.
- 1 Timothy 1:9-10 (BSB)“We realize that law is not enacted for the righteous, but for the lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinful, for the unholy and profane, for killers of father or mother, for murderers, for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave traders and liars and perjurers, and for anyone else who is averse to sound teaching”Paul lists slave traders among those the law condemns.
Theological
What sanction does 24:7 prescribe for kidnapping an Israelite brother to enslave or sell him?
Answer: The kidnapper must be executed
Man-stealing for enslavement or sale is a capital offense, closed with the purge formula (24:7), repeating the Exodus statute (Exodus 21:16). The crime Joseph's brothers committed in selling him to traders is exactly the offense in view (Genesis 37:28). Paul includes slave traders among the lawless and ungodly against whom the law is directed (1 Timothy 1:9-10).
- Deuteronomy 24:7 (BSB)“If a man is caught kidnapping one of his Israelite brothers, whether he treats him as a slave or sells him, the kidnapper must die. So you must purge the evil from among you.”Kidnapping a fellow Israelite to enslave or sell him is a capital crime.
- Exodus 21:16 (BSB)“Whoever kidnaps another man must be put to death, whether he sells him or the man is found in his possession.”The Exodus law likewise sets death for kidnapping.
- Genesis 37:28 (BSB)“So when the Midianite traders passed by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.”Joseph's brothers sold him to traders, the kind of crime this law punishes.
- 1 Timothy 1:9-10 (BSB)“We realize that law is not enacted for the righteous, but for the lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinful, for the unholy and profane, for killers of father or mother, for murderers, for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave traders and liars and perjurers, and for anyone else who is averse to sound teaching”Paul lists slave traders among those the law condemns.
General
Why does 24:6 forbid taking household millstones, even just the upper stone, as a pledge for a loan?
Answer: It would take away the very means a family needed to live
Families ground grain into flour every day with two millstones, a lower stone and an upper stone. Taking either one as a pledge, something held by a lender until a loan is repaid, would leave the household unable to make bread (24:6). The law says this would be taking a person's livelihood as security. The same concern appears in the law about a poor man's cloak (Exodus 22:26-27). The righteous person gives back what was pledged and does not oppress (Ezekiel 18:7), and the LORD Himself takes up the cause of the poor (Proverbs 22:22-23).
- Deuteronomy 24:6 (BSB)“Do not take a pair of millstones or even an upper millstone as security for a debt, because that would be taking one’s livelihood as security.”Millstones may not be taken as security because they are a person's means of living.
- Exodus 22:26-27 (BSB)“If you take your neighbor’s cloak as collateral, return it to him by sunset, because his cloak is the only covering he has for his body. What else will he sleep in? And if he cries out to Me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.”The law likewise forbids keeping what a poor person needs to survive, such as his cloak at night.
- Ezekiel 18:7 (BSB)“He does not oppress another, but restores the pledge to the debtor. He does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing.”The righteous man restores the pledge and does not oppress.
- Proverbs 22:22-23 (BSB)“Do not rob a poor man because he is poor, and do not crush the afflicted at the gate, for the LORD will take up their case and will plunder those who rob them.”The LORD defends the poor against those who exploit them.
Theological
What rationale does 24:6 give for forbidding millstones, or even the upper millstone, to be taken in pledge?
Answer: It would take away the very means a family needed to live
The household mill was essential for daily bread, so taking the pair of stones, or even the upper runner alone, as collateral would amount to seizing the debtor's livelihood (24:6). The statute limits the creditor's rights wherever they would threaten survival, the same principle governing the poor man's cloak (Exodus 22:26-27). Ezekiel counts restoring the pledge as a mark of the righteous (Ezekiel 18:7), and the LORD pleads the cause of the afflicted against their exploiters (Proverbs 22:22-23).
- Deuteronomy 24:6 (BSB)“Do not take a pair of millstones or even an upper millstone as security for a debt, because that would be taking one’s livelihood as security.”Millstones may not be taken as security because they are a person's means of living.
- Exodus 22:26-27 (BSB)“If you take your neighbor’s cloak as collateral, return it to him by sunset, because his cloak is the only covering he has for his body. What else will he sleep in? And if he cries out to Me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.”The law likewise forbids keeping what a poor person needs to survive, such as his cloak at night.
- Ezekiel 18:7 (BSB)“He does not oppress another, but restores the pledge to the debtor. He does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing.”The righteous man restores the pledge and does not oppress.
- Proverbs 22:22-23 (BSB)“Do not rob a poor man because he is poor, and do not crush the afflicted at the gate, for the LORD will take up their case and will plunder those who rob them.”The LORD defends the poor against those who exploit them.
General
True or False: 24:1 commands a husband to send his wife away with a divorce certificate whenever he finds something indecent about her.
Answer: False
This is false. The verse describes and regulates a divorce that a husband initiates, but it does not command divorce. When the Pharisees asked Jesus why Moses ordered a written divorce notice, He answered that Moses permitted divorce because of the hardness of their hearts, but that from the start it had not been so (Matthew 19:7-8). Mark records Jesus likewise tracing the provision to hardness of heart and pointing back to creation (Mark 10:5-6). At creation God made husband and wife one flesh (Genesis 2:24), and Jesus taught that no one may split apart a union God has made (Matthew 19:4-6). The law put limits on divorce in a sinful world; Jesus shows that God's design for marriage is lifelong union.
- Deuteronomy 24:1 (BSB)“If a man marries a woman, but she becomes displeasing to him because he finds some indecency in her, he may write her a certificate of divorce, hand it to her, and send her away from his house.”The law describes a husband writing a certificate of divorce and sending his wife away.
- Matthew 19:7-8 (BSB)““Why then,” they asked, “did Moses order a man to give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?” Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hardness of heart. But it was not this way from the beginning.”Jesus says Moses permitted divorce because of hardness of heart, but it was not so from the beginning.
- Mark 10:5-6 (BSB)“But Jesus told them, “Moses wrote this commandment for you because of your hardness of heart. However, from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’”Mark records the same teaching, grounding marriage in creation.
- Genesis 2:24 (BSB)“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.”God's design at creation is that husband and wife become one flesh.
- Matthew 19:4-6 (BSB)“Jesus answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.””Jesus concludes that what God has joined, man must not separate.
Theological
True or False: 24:1 mandates divorce whenever a husband discovers something indecent about his wife.
Answer: False
This is false. The verse regulates divorce as an existing practice; it does not mandate it. When the Pharisees in Matthew claimed that Moses commanded a divorce certificate, Jesus answered that Moses permitted it on account of hardened hearts, but from the beginning it was not so (Matthew 19:7-8); in Mark He likewise attributes the provision to hardness of heart and appeals to creation (Mark 10:5-6). He grounded marriage in the creation ordinance of one-flesh union (Genesis 2:24) and concluded that no human may sever a union God has made (Matthew 19:4-6). The Mosaic provision restrained sin in a fallen covenant community, while the creation pattern reveals God's intention of permanent union.
- Deuteronomy 24:1 (BSB)“If a man marries a woman, but she becomes displeasing to him because he finds some indecency in her, he may write her a certificate of divorce, hand it to her, and send her away from his house.”The law describes a husband writing a certificate of divorce and sending his wife away.
- Matthew 19:7-8 (BSB)““Why then,” they asked, “did Moses order a man to give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?” Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hardness of heart. But it was not this way from the beginning.”Jesus says Moses permitted divorce because of hardness of heart, but it was not so from the beginning.
- Mark 10:5-6 (BSB)“But Jesus told them, “Moses wrote this commandment for you because of your hardness of heart. However, from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’”Mark records the same teaching, grounding marriage in creation.
- Genesis 2:24 (BSB)“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.”God's design at creation is that husband and wife become one flesh.
- Matthew 19:4-6 (BSB)“Jesus answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.””Jesus concludes that what God has joined, man must not separate.
General
According to 24:5, how long was a newly married man free from military service and other duties?
Answer: One year
A man who had just married was not to be sent out to war or given any other public duty. For one full year he was free to stay home and make his new wife happy (24:5). Building the marriage was treated as important enough to excuse him from national service. An earlier law similarly sent home an engaged man before battle (20:7), and Proverbs urges a husband to find lasting delight in the woman he married when young (Proverbs 5:18).
- Deuteronomy 24:5 (BSB)“If a man is newly married, he must not be sent to war or be pressed into any duty. For one year he is free to stay at home and bring joy to the wife he has married.”A newly married man is exempt from war and other duties for a year so he can bring joy to his wife.
- Deuteronomy 20:7 (BSB)“Has any man become pledged to a woman and not married her? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man marry her.””An earlier law sends home an engaged man before battle.
- Proverbs 5:18 (BSB)“May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth:”Wisdom calls a husband to rejoice in the wife of his youth.
Theological
What length of exemption from military and other obligations does 24:5 grant a newly married man?
Answer: One year
The newly married man is exempted from military campaigns and every other public obligation for a full year, leaving him free to stay with his wife and make her glad (24:5). The law gives the establishment of the marriage priority over national service, extending the earlier release of the betrothed man before battle (20:7) and reflecting the wisdom call to delight in one's youthful bride (Proverbs 5:18).
- Deuteronomy 24:5 (BSB)“If a man is newly married, he must not be sent to war or be pressed into any duty. For one year he is free to stay at home and bring joy to the wife he has married.”A newly married man is exempt from war and other duties for a year so he can bring joy to his wife.
- Deuteronomy 20:7 (BSB)“Has any man become pledged to a woman and not married her? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man marry her.””An earlier law sends home an engaged man before battle.
- Proverbs 5:18 (BSB)“May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth:”Wisdom calls a husband to rejoice in the wife of his youth.
General
According to 24:10-13, how must a lender handle a pledge from a poor borrower?
Answer: Wait outside for it, and give his cloak back by evening
A lender could not walk into a borrower's house to pick out a pledge, something held by a lender until a loan is repaid. He had to wait at the door and let the borrower bring it out (24:10-11). This protected the poor man's home and dignity. If the borrower was poor and had handed over his cloak, the lender had to return it by sunset so the man could sleep in it (24:12-13), as Exodus had also required (Exodus 22:26-27). Amos later condemned those who kept such garments (Amos 2:8). The lender who returned the cloak would be blessed by the poor man, and God would count the act as righteous in His sight, the same language Scripture uses for Phinehas' zeal (Psalm 106:30-31). This is God's approval of a faithful deed done by one of His covenant people, not a way of earning His favor.
- Deuteronomy 24:10-13 (BSB)“When you lend anything to your neighbor, do not enter his house to collect security. You are to stand outside while the man to whom you are lending brings the security out to you. If he is a poor man, you must not go to sleep with the security in your possession; be sure to return it to him by sunset, so that he may sleep in his own cloak and bless you, and this will be credited to you as righteousness before the LORD your God.”The lender must wait outside for the pledge and return a poor man's cloak by sunset.
- Exodus 22:26-27 (BSB)“If you take your neighbor’s cloak as collateral, return it to him by sunset, because his cloak is the only covering he has for his body. What else will he sleep in? And if he cries out to Me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.”The earlier law also required returning a cloak taken as collateral by sunset.
- Amos 2:8 (BSB)“They lie down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge. And in the house of their God, they drink wine obtained through fines.”Amos condemns those who kept garments taken in pledge.
- Psalm 106:30-31 (BSB)“But Phinehas stood and intervened, and the plague was restrained. It was credited to him as righteousness for endless generations to come.”Scripture also speaks of a faithful deed being credited as righteousness, as with Phinehas.
Theological
What does 24:10-13 require of a creditor regarding a poor debtor's pledge?
Answer: Wait outside for it, and give his cloak back by evening
The creditor may not enter the debtor's house to seize a pledge but must wait outside while it is brought out (24:10-11), protecting the debtor's home and dignity. A poor man's cloak must be restored by sunset (24:12-13), as the Exodus statute required (Exodus 22:26-27), and Amos indicts those who kept such garments (Amos 2:8). The restoring creditor receives the poor man's blessing, and the LORD reckons the act as righteousness, the same idiom used of Phinehas (Psalm 106:30-31): God's approval of a deed of covenant faithfulness by one already His, not the ground of acceptance with Him.
- Deuteronomy 24:10-13 (BSB)“When you lend anything to your neighbor, do not enter his house to collect security. You are to stand outside while the man to whom you are lending brings the security out to you. If he is a poor man, you must not go to sleep with the security in your possession; be sure to return it to him by sunset, so that he may sleep in his own cloak and bless you, and this will be credited to you as righteousness before the LORD your God.”The lender must wait outside for the pledge and return a poor man's cloak by sunset.
- Exodus 22:26-27 (BSB)“If you take your neighbor’s cloak as collateral, return it to him by sunset, because his cloak is the only covering he has for his body. What else will he sleep in? And if he cries out to Me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.”The earlier law also required returning a cloak taken as collateral by sunset.
- Amos 2:8 (BSB)“They lie down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge. And in the house of their God, they drink wine obtained through fines.”Amos condemns those who kept garments taken in pledge.
- Psalm 106:30-31 (BSB)“But Phinehas stood and intervened, and the plague was restrained. It was credited to him as righteousness for endless generations to come.”Scripture also speaks of a faithful deed being credited as righteousness, as with Phinehas.
General
Whose experience does 24:8-9 tell Israel to remember in connection with infectious skin disease?
Answer: Miriam's
Moses tells the people to carefully follow the priests' instructions about infectious skin diseases, just as Moses had directed the priests (24:8). Leviticus required anyone with a suspicious skin condition to be examined by a priest (Leviticus 13:2). Moses then reminds them of Miriam. After she and her brother Aaron spoke out against Moses, she became leprous (Numbers 12:1, 10) and was kept out of the camp for a week before being brought back in (Numbers 12:14-15). Her case was a warning that God takes rebellion seriously and that His instructions about uncleanness must be obeyed.
- Deuteronomy 24:8-9 (BSB)“In cases of infectious skin diseases, be careful to diligently follow everything the Levitical priests instruct you. Be careful to do as I have commanded them. Remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam on the journey after you came out of Egypt.”Israel must follow the priests' instructions about skin disease and remember what happened to Miriam.
- Leviticus 13:2 (BSB)““When someone has a swelling or rash or bright spot on his skin that may be an infectious skin disease, he must be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons who is a priest.”Leviticus required a possible skin disease to be examined by the priest.
- Numbers 12:1 (BSB)“Then Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because of the Cushite woman he had married, for he had taken a Cushite wife.”Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because of his Cushite wife.
- Numbers 12:10 (BSB)“As the cloud lifted from above the Tent, suddenly Miriam became leprous, white as snow. Aaron turned toward her, saw that she was leprous,”As the cloud lifted from the Tent, Miriam became leprous, white as snow.
- Numbers 12:14-15 (BSB)“But the LORD answered Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Let her be confined outside the camp for seven days; after that she may be brought back in.” So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on until she was brought in again.”Miriam was shut outside the camp for seven days before being brought back.
Theological
Whose case does 24:8-9 cite as a reminder in connection with infectious skin disease?
Answer: Miriam's
Israel is charged to observe the Levitical priests' instruction on infectious skin disease exactly (24:8), as Leviticus prescribed priestly examination (Leviticus 13:2), and to remember Miriam (24:9). Her affliction followed her criticism of Moses (Numbers 12:1, 10), and she was excluded from the camp for a week before readmission (Numbers 12:14-15). Her case stands as a warning of God's judgment on rebellion and of the seriousness of His purity laws.
- Deuteronomy 24:8-9 (BSB)“In cases of infectious skin diseases, be careful to diligently follow everything the Levitical priests instruct you. Be careful to do as I have commanded them. Remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam on the journey after you came out of Egypt.”Israel must follow the priests' instructions about skin disease and remember what happened to Miriam.
- Leviticus 13:2 (BSB)““When someone has a swelling or rash or bright spot on his skin that may be an infectious skin disease, he must be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons who is a priest.”Leviticus required a possible skin disease to be examined by the priest.
- Numbers 12:1 (BSB)“Then Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because of the Cushite woman he had married, for he had taken a Cushite wife.”Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because of his Cushite wife.
- Numbers 12:10 (BSB)“As the cloud lifted from above the Tent, suddenly Miriam became leprous, white as snow. Aaron turned toward her, saw that she was leprous,”As the cloud lifted from the Tent, Miriam became leprous, white as snow.
- Numbers 12:14-15 (BSB)“But the LORD answered Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Let her be confined outside the camp for seven days; after that she may be brought back in.” So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on until she was brought in again.”Miriam was shut outside the camp for seven days before being brought back.
General
When does 24:14-15 require a poor hired worker to be paid?
Answer: Each day before the sun goes down
Israelites were not to take advantage of a poor hired worker, whether he was a fellow Israelite or a foreigner living in their towns (24:14). He had to be paid the same day, before the sun went down, since he was poor and was counting on that money. If the employer held back his pay, the worker might appeal to God against him, and the employer would bear the guilt (24:15). Leviticus gives the same rule (Leviticus 19:13). James warns that unpaid wages call out against employers and are heard by the Lord (James 5:4), and Jeremiah pronounces woe on anyone who makes others work without paying them (Jeremiah 22:13).
- Deuteronomy 24:14-15 (BSB)“Do not oppress a hired hand who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother or a foreigner residing in one of your towns. You are to pay his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and depends on them. Otherwise he may cry out to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin.”A poor hired worker, Israelite or foreigner, must be paid each day before sunset.
- Leviticus 19:13 (BSB)“You must not defraud your neighbor or rob him. You must not withhold until morning the wages due a hired hand.”Leviticus forbids holding back a hired worker's wages overnight.
- James 5:4 (BSB)“Look, the wages you withheld from the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts.”James warns that withheld wages cry out and reach the Lord's ears.
- Jeremiah 22:13 (BSB)““Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms without justice, who makes his countrymen serve without pay, and fails to pay their wages,”Jeremiah pronounces woe on one who fails to pay workers.
Theological
What payment schedule does 24:14-15 require for a poor hired laborer?
Answer: Each day before the sun goes down
The law forbids oppressing the poor day laborer, Israelite or sojourner alike (24:14), and requires his wage to be paid before sunset, since his subsistence depends on it. Withholding it would provoke his cry to the LORD and bring guilt on the employer (24:15). Leviticus sets the same rule (Leviticus 19:13), James declares that the cries of defrauded workers are heard by the Lord (James 5:4), and Jeremiah pronounces woe on the one who exacts unpaid labor (Jeremiah 22:13).
- Deuteronomy 24:14-15 (BSB)“Do not oppress a hired hand who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother or a foreigner residing in one of your towns. You are to pay his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and depends on them. Otherwise he may cry out to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin.”A poor hired worker, Israelite or foreigner, must be paid each day before sunset.
- Leviticus 19:13 (BSB)“You must not defraud your neighbor or rob him. You must not withhold until morning the wages due a hired hand.”Leviticus forbids holding back a hired worker's wages overnight.
- James 5:4 (BSB)“Look, the wages you withheld from the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts.”James warns that withheld wages cry out and reach the Lord's ears.
- Jeremiah 22:13 (BSB)““Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms without justice, who makes his countrymen serve without pay, and fails to pay their wages,”Jeremiah pronounces woe on one who fails to pay workers.