New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Deuteronomy 22
1
Suppose you see your neighbor's ox or sheep wandering away. Then don't act as if you didn't see it. Instead, make sure you take it back to him.
Reference
2
Your neighbor might not live near you. Or you might not know who he is. Then take the animal home with you. Keep it until he comes looking for it. Then give it back.
3
Do the same thing if you find his donkey, coat or anything he loses. Don't act as if you didn't see it.
4
Suppose you see your neighbor's donkey or ox that has fallen down on the road. Then don't act as if you didn't see it. Help him get it up on its feet again.
Reference
5
A woman must not wear men's clothes. And a man must not wear women's clothes. The Lord your God hates it when anyone does that.
Reference
References God
Deuteronomy 18:12
6
Suppose you happen to find a bird's nest beside the road. It might be in a tree or on the ground. And suppose the mother bird is sitting on her little birds or on the eggs. Then don't take the mother along with the little ones.
Reference
7
You can take the little ones. But make sure you let the mother go. Then things will go well with you. You will live for a long time.
Reference
Parallel theme
Deuteronomy 4:40
8
If you build a new house, put a low wall around the edge of your roof. Then you won't be held accountable if someone falls off your roof and dies.
Reference
9
Don't plant two kinds of seeds in your vineyard. If you do, the crops you grow there will be polluted. Your grapes will also be polluted.
Reference
10
Don't let an ox and a donkey pull the same plow together.
11
Don't wear clothes made of wool and linen that are woven together.
Reference
Parallel theme
Leviticus 19:19
12
Make tassels on the four corners of the coat you wear.
Reference
Parallel theme
Matthew 23:5
13
Suppose a man gets married to a woman and makes love to her. But then he doesn't like her.
Reference
Parallel theme
Genesis 29:21
14
So he tells lies about her and says she's a bad woman. He says, "I got married to this woman. But when I made love to her, I discovered she wasn't a virgin."
15
Then the woman's parents must bring proof that she was a virgin. They must give the proof to the elders at the gate of the town.
16
The woman's father will speak to the elders. He'll say, "I gave my daughter to this man to be his wife. But he doesn't like her.
17
So now he has told lies about her. He has said, 'I discovered that your daughter wasn't a virgin.' But here's the proof that my daughter was a virgin." Then her parents will show the elders of the town the cloth that has her blood on it.
18
The elders will punish the man.
19
They'll make him weigh out two and a half pounds of silver. They'll give it to the woman's father. That's because the man has said an Israelite virgin is a bad woman. She will continue to be his wife. He must not divorce her as long as he lives.
Reference
Parallel theme
Deuteronomy 22:29
20
But suppose the charge is true. And there isn't any proof that the woman was a virgin.
21
Then she must be brought to the door of her father's house. There the people of her town will put her to death by throwing stones at her. She has done a very terrible thing in Israel. She has had sex before she got married. Get rid of that evil person.
Reference
Evil
Deuteronomy 13:5
Deuteronomy 17:7
Deuteronomy 21:21
Deuteronomy 19:19
Parallel theme
Leviticus 21:9
References Israel
Genesis 34:7
Judges 20:6
Judges 20:10
22
Suppose a man is seen having sex with another man's wife. Then the man and the woman must both die. Get rid of those evil people.
Reference
23
Suppose a man happens to see a virgin in a town. And she has promised to get married to another man. But the man who happens to see her has sex with her.
24
Then you must take both of them to the gate of that town. You must put them to death by throwing stones at them. You must kill the woman because she was in a town and didn't scream for help. And you must kill the man because he had sex with another man's wife. Get rid of those evil people.
Reference
25
But suppose a man happens to see a woman out in the country. And she has promised to marry another man. But the man who happens to see her rapes her. Then only the man who has done that will die.
26
Don't do anything to the woman. She hasn't committed a sin that is worthy of death. That case is like the case of someone who attacks and murders his neighbor.
Reference
27
The man found the woman out in the country. And she screamed. But there wasn't anyone around who could save her.
28
Suppose a man happens to see a virgin who hasn't promised to marry another man. And the man who happens to see her rapes her. But someone discovers them.
29
Then the man must weigh out 20 ounces of silver. He must give it to the woman's father. The man must marry the woman, because he raped her. And he can never divorce her as long as he lives.
Reference
Summary of Deuteronomy 22
Deuteronomy 22 continues the pattern of giving laws that relate to daily life, family, marriage, sex, and respect for the property and dignity of others. It is a chapter full of practical directions covering various topics. Many laws were designed to prevent misunderstandings and conflicts among people.
The instructions begin with a reminder of the responsibility of every citizen regarding the property of others. If a person saw that his neighbor had lost an animal and found it, he brought it to him and made sure to return it to its owner. If the owner lived far, the animal had to stay until the owner came to take it. The same applied to any possession that a person lost accidentally or left somewhere.
It is also prohibited to wear clothes that are unsuitable for a particular person. Thus, men could not wear women’s clothing and vice versa. This prohibition may signify some caution about gender fluidity and unchastity, as the next instruction also relates to this theme. If a person found a nest with young birds and the mother, they could take the young ones but must leave the mother alone. In addition, this commandment promises a blessing and longevity.
Moreover, the citizens had to install a railing on the roof of the house so that it would not be possible to fall from there accidentally. Perhaps this indicates a general warning to be careful and responsible for themselves and others. In another part of the chapter, Moses warned the people about mixing unclean and clean seeds and not plowing two different animals at once.
Furthermore, the people of Israel were instructed to attach a fringe to all their clothing at the corners so that they did not sin against the Lord. The middle part of the scroll is mainly focused on marital relationships and the responsibilities of men and women. For example, if a man married a woman but accused her of infidelity without proof, her parents had to provide documentation to the elders about the girl’s virginity.
It means that every man had to treat his future wife with dignity and respect and not bring her shame in case of lies. On the other hand, if the man turned out to be innocent, he would not be able to divorce her and would have to pay a fine. A married man and a married woman who commit adultery are sentenced to the death penalty.
However, if a man seduced an unbetrothed girl, the case was considered less severe. If the maiden resisted but the man took her anyway in the countryside, it was considered a victim because she did not call for help because there was no one to help. In this case, the man could not be sentenced to death because no one heard the girl’s voice. However, if this happened in the city and the man took her despite the lack of consent, the matter was considered differently.
These cases illustrate the nuances of the law and the need to consider all circumstances of the offense. Different responsibilities were imposed on citizens in similar situations. Moreover, the law was not biased against women who became victims of rape or assault. On the contrary, in cases where the woman suffered because of the victim’s action, the law imposed stricter punishment on the person who committed it.
In addition, if a man raped an unbetrothed woman, he had to pay a fine to her father and marry her. Moreover, he could not divorce her because this union was regarded as honorable. Thus, the law encouraged marriage and forbade sex outside of marriage. In the last part of the scroll, these instructions are repeated with a few additions referring to adultery.
Some of these laws seem quite harsh and cruel and are considered unethical today. However, they must be viewed in the context of historical period when they were created. Deuteronomy 22 describes precisely the laws that relate to people’s everyday life.
They primarily focus on regulating relationships between people, maintaining marriage, protecting individuals and property, and preventing adultery. The whole chapter seems to convey the idea that a person does not belong solely to themselves but is subject to higher power, namely God.
Therefore, people had to respect other people and take care of their property, follow the rules and instructions of the higher authority. Moreover, they had to pay attention to small things that could cause harm or discomfort to others. Thus, the law about the railing on the roof demonstrated that even something like that was necessary because it could save a person’s life.
Deuteronomy 22 focuses a lot on the theme of adultery, which is why it is useful to highlight it as one of the most crucial parts of the chapter. There is a wide range of cases related to marriage, rape, assault, and adultery. The law was strict about such issues and imposed severe punishment on those who committed them. However, it also implies that a victim always matters when a person commits a crime.
That is why rape was not punished as severely when a woman became a victim. On the other hand, a man might be sentenced to death if he tried to have sex with a married woman and succeeded. Moreover, in all cases, evidence had to be presented to the court, and the testimony of people who witnessed the crime was considered valid.
Overall, Deuteronomy 22 may seem a bit confusing because there are many laws concerning various issues. However, they primarily relate to the responsibilities of citizens and the necessity to respect others, particularly their property, and avoid adultery.
The instructions begin with a reminder of the responsibility of every citizen regarding the property of others. If a person saw that his neighbor had lost an animal and found it, he brought it to him and made sure to return it to its owner. If the owner lived far, the animal had to stay until the owner came to take it. The same applied to any possession that a person lost accidentally or left somewhere.
It is also prohibited to wear clothes that are unsuitable for a particular person. Thus, men could not wear women’s clothing and vice versa. This prohibition may signify some caution about gender fluidity and unchastity, as the next instruction also relates to this theme. If a person found a nest with young birds and the mother, they could take the young ones but must leave the mother alone. In addition, this commandment promises a blessing and longevity.
Moreover, the citizens had to install a railing on the roof of the house so that it would not be possible to fall from there accidentally. Perhaps this indicates a general warning to be careful and responsible for themselves and others. In another part of the chapter, Moses warned the people about mixing unclean and clean seeds and not plowing two different animals at once.
Furthermore, the people of Israel were instructed to attach a fringe to all their clothing at the corners so that they did not sin against the Lord. The middle part of the scroll is mainly focused on marital relationships and the responsibilities of men and women. For example, if a man married a woman but accused her of infidelity without proof, her parents had to provide documentation to the elders about the girl’s virginity.
It means that every man had to treat his future wife with dignity and respect and not bring her shame in case of lies. On the other hand, if the man turned out to be innocent, he would not be able to divorce her and would have to pay a fine. A married man and a married woman who commit adultery are sentenced to the death penalty.
However, if a man seduced an unbetrothed girl, the case was considered less severe. If the maiden resisted but the man took her anyway in the countryside, it was considered a victim because she did not call for help because there was no one to help. In this case, the man could not be sentenced to death because no one heard the girl’s voice. However, if this happened in the city and the man took her despite the lack of consent, the matter was considered differently.
These cases illustrate the nuances of the law and the need to consider all circumstances of the offense. Different responsibilities were imposed on citizens in similar situations. Moreover, the law was not biased against women who became victims of rape or assault. On the contrary, in cases where the woman suffered because of the victim’s action, the law imposed stricter punishment on the person who committed it.
In addition, if a man raped an unbetrothed woman, he had to pay a fine to her father and marry her. Moreover, he could not divorce her because this union was regarded as honorable. Thus, the law encouraged marriage and forbade sex outside of marriage. In the last part of the scroll, these instructions are repeated with a few additions referring to adultery.
Some of these laws seem quite harsh and cruel and are considered unethical today. However, they must be viewed in the context of historical period when they were created. Deuteronomy 22 describes precisely the laws that relate to people’s everyday life.
They primarily focus on regulating relationships between people, maintaining marriage, protecting individuals and property, and preventing adultery. The whole chapter seems to convey the idea that a person does not belong solely to themselves but is subject to higher power, namely God.
Therefore, people had to respect other people and take care of their property, follow the rules and instructions of the higher authority. Moreover, they had to pay attention to small things that could cause harm or discomfort to others. Thus, the law about the railing on the roof demonstrated that even something like that was necessary because it could save a person’s life.
Deuteronomy 22 focuses a lot on the theme of adultery, which is why it is useful to highlight it as one of the most crucial parts of the chapter. There is a wide range of cases related to marriage, rape, assault, and adultery. The law was strict about such issues and imposed severe punishment on those who committed them. However, it also implies that a victim always matters when a person commits a crime.
That is why rape was not punished as severely when a woman became a victim. On the other hand, a man might be sentenced to death if he tried to have sex with a married woman and succeeded. Moreover, in all cases, evidence had to be presented to the court, and the testimony of people who witnessed the crime was considered valid.
Overall, Deuteronomy 22 may seem a bit confusing because there are many laws concerning various issues. However, they primarily relate to the responsibilities of citizens and the necessity to respect others, particularly their property, and avoid adultery.