22 December 2014

EJ&T Deuteronomy 24: Divorcing and remarrying hated wives, cheering up new wives, and helping the poor

In the Every Jot and Tittle project, I am listing all of the Bible's commandments from Genesis to Revelation, in accordance with Jesus's words in Matthew 5:18-19. I have no idea how many commandments I'll find, but Jewish tradition claims there are 613. See here for a list of those that I've found so far.

  1. If you take a wife, and you find some uncleanness in her, then divorce her and kick her out of your house.
  2. When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house. Deuteronomy 24:1

  3. A divorced wife may marry another man, but if her new husband divorces her because he hates her too (or if he dies), then her former husband must not remarry her. That would be an abomination to God.
  4. And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife. And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife; Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the LORD. Deuteronomy 24:2-4

  5. When a man takes a new wife, he shall not fight in war or do any business; he shall be free for one year to cheer up his new wife.
  6. When a man hath taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall he be charged with any business: but he shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer up his wife which he hath taken. Deuteronomy 24:5

  7. Don't take a man's millstone as collateral in a loan. That would be like taking his life.
  8. No man shall take the nether or the upper millstone to pledge: for he taketh a man's life to pledge. Deuteronomy 24:6

  9. Kill anyone who steals and then sells another person from your community.
  10. If a man be found stealing any of his brethren of the children of Israel, and maketh merchandise of him, or selleth him; then that thief shall die Deuteronomy 24:7

  11. If you get leprosy, do whatever the priests tell you to do.
  12. Take heed in the plague of leprosy, that thou observe diligently, and do according to all that the priests the Levites shall teach you: as I commanded them, so ye shall observe to do. Deuteronomy 24:8

  13. Remember what God did to Miriam. (He gave her leprosy for criticizing Moses.)
  14. Remember what the LORD thy God did unto Miriam by the way, after that ye were come forth out of Egypt. Deuteronomy 24:9

  15. If you lend someone something, don't go into his house to collect the collateral. Ask him to bring it out to you.
  16. When thou dost lend thy brother any thing, thou shalt not go into his house to fetch his pledge. Thou shalt stand abroad, and the man to whom thou dost lend shall bring out the pledge abroad unto thee.Deuteronomy 24:10-11

  17. If you loaned something to a poor person who used clothes as collateral, bring the clothes back in the evening so the poor person can sleep in them.
  18. And if the man be poor, thou shalt not sleep with his pledge: In any case thou shalt deliver him the pledge again when the sun goeth down, that he may sleep in his own raiment. Deuteronomy 24:12-13

  19. Don't oppress the working poor, whether they are members of your community or strangers.
  20. Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy gates: Deuteronomy 24:14

    Neither oppress the afflicted. Proverbs 22:22

  21. Don't kill fathers for things their children did, and vice versa.
  22. The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin. Deuteronomy 24:16

  23. Don't misjudge strangers.
  24. Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger. Deuteronomy 24:17a

    Cursed be he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger.... And all the people shall say, Amen. Deuteronomy 27:19

  25. Don't misjudge fatherless children.
  26. Thou shalt not pervert the judgment ... of the fatherless. Deuteronomy 24:17b

    Cursed be he that perverteth the judgment of the ... fatherless.... And all the people shall say, Amen. Deuteronomy 27:19

  27. Don't take a widow's clothing for collateral in a loan.
  28. Thou shalt not ... take a widow's raiment to pledge. Deuteronomy 24:17c

  29. If you forget to harvest some of your field, leave it for strangers, fatherless children, and widows.
  30. When thou cuttest down thine harvest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow. Deuteronomy 24:19

  31. Only beat your olive trees once; leave what's left for strangers, fatherless children, and widows.
  32. When thou beatest thine olive tree, thou shalt not go over the boughs again: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow. Deuteronomy 24:20

  33. After you pick your grapes, don't pick the ones you missed. Leave them for strangers, fatherless children, and widows.
  34. When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean it afterward: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow. Deuteronomy 24:21

  35. Remember that you were a slave in Egypt.
  36. And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt. Deuteronomy 24:22

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