by Ptr. Art Calaguas
Shalom.
Still no hostage deal. Please continue to pray for the release of all the remaining hostages who have been in captivity for more than 600 days and for a just end to the wars against the Jewish nation. Continue to stand with Israel and continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6-9).
Deuteronomy 23:15 – 24:22 addresses offenses relating to property. This section corresponds to the 8th Commandment prohibiting stealing/theft according to the ESV Global Study Bible. However, as in the previous section, other miscellaneous laws discussed do not actually speak about theft or at best only tangentially touch on this topic.
The stipulation about treating a runaway slave found in Deuteronomy 23:15-16 is quite different from the practice in other ancient Near East (ANE) societies as noted by both The IVP Bible Background Commentary – Old Testament and The Jewish Study Bible – Tanakh Translation. The almost universal law for fugitive slaves in the ANE was a reward bounty for their return and death for those who succor them and provide them with refuge. It is interesting to note that several Hebrew words used earlier, such as שַׁעַר “shaar” for gate; and מָקוֹם “maqom” for place, are used with others in verse 16 to specify that the entire community must not oppress the fugitive and give him succor in any place the fugitive chooses. The memory of enslavement while in Egypt, the Exodus and the wilderness wandering and attacks and hostility/rejection from other people groups most probably weighed in on this law. Underpinning all these and unstated as well, was of course, the differentiating character, the goodness, of the LORD God of Israel.
Verses 17-18 prohibits any form of religious or cultic prostitution for both Israelite women and men. Payment for these type of services are not acceptable offerings in the בּיִת “bayith” house/temple of the LORD.
Verses 19-20 prohibits charging of interest on loans incurred by fellow Israelites. However, this is allowed for foreigners, strangers and/or aliens. The Hebrew word used here (נָכְרִי “nokhri”) is different for the sojourner or resident-alien who live among the Israelites and/or who joined them in the Exodus from Egypt. Verse 20 even mentions a blessing attached for following this law in the אֶרֶץ “erets” for the land being given by the LORD for them to enter and possess. These verses may be considered as an admonition against a form of theft.
Verses 21-23 emphasize that while vows are voluntary, they become binding once uttered. The ESV Global Study Bible rightly notes that since the LORD is a promise-keeping God, his chosen people are expected to follow suit. Utmost care must be taken then when oaths are made; they are not to be taken lightly.
Deuteronomy 23:24-25 which serves to close the chapter, speaks of another form of theft. Their Hebrew verses are given below (read right to left, top down):
כִּ֤י תָבֹא֙ בְּכֶ֣רֶם רֵעֶ֔ךָ וְאָכַלְתָּ֧ עֲנָבִ֛ים כְּנַפְשְׁךָ֖ שָׂבְעֶ֑ךָ וְאֶֽל־כֶּלְיְךָ֖ לֹ֥א תִתֵּֽן׃
כִּ֤י תָבֹא֙ בְּקָמַ֣ת רֵעֶ֔ךָ וְקָטַפְתָּ֥ מְלִילֹ֖ת בְּיָדֶ֑ךָ וְחֶרְמֵשׁ֙ לֹ֣א תָנִ֔יף עַ֖ל קָמַ֥ת רֵעֶֽךָ׃
The New American Standard Bible (NASB 1995) translation follows:
24“When you enter your neighbor’s vineyard, then you may eat grapes until you are fully satisfied, but you shall not put any in your basket.
25“When you enter your neighbor’s standing grain, then you may pluck the heads with your hand, but you shall not wield a sickle in your neighbor’s standing grain.
The phrase “standing grain” may be rendered “grain field” and means barley/wheat fields that are ready for harvesting. Implicit in this language is the assumption that the foreseeable future has the Israelite tribes settled and productive in the land promised. The verses also point out that while hunger may be satisfied, it is considered to be a violation of a neighbor’s property rights and actual theft, if more are taken. The next chapter has more to say about this.
Deuteronomy 24:1-4 sounds strange if taken only on the surface as a law concerning marriage and divorce. However, the ESV Global Study Bible comments that it forbids the first husband to exploit the woman by “remarrying her in order to acquire her second dowry.” In the ANE context, the second dowry would have come from the second husband who gave it to her father and the father would have gifted it or at least part of it to her. Perhaps this exploitation of the situation by the first husband may be considered a form of theft as well by this complex law. The ESV Global Study Bible further states that this is the only Old Testament (OT) law about divorce. The Jewish Study Bible says that “no general laws of marriage or divorce survive from ancient Israel; biblical law includes only special cases that raise particular ethical or religious issues.” This law may be an example. The IVP Bible Background Commentary – Old Testament fully agrees with these other commentaries that divorce is initiated by the dissatisfied husband who gives the woman a “certificate of divorcement.” The rejected woman is then put out of the בּיִת “bayith” house of the husband as verse 1 states twice. But The IVP Bible Background Commentary states that the “very unusual form of the Hebrew verb used” in Verse 4 for defilement makes it clear that the woman is the victim, not the guilty party. Verse 4 also mentions preserving the purity of the אֶרֶץ “erets” land in this particular case.
Other miscellaneous laws are taken up in Deuteronomy 24:5-22. Verse 5 lays down a rule for exempting a newly married man from military service in order for the newly married couple to enjoy marital bliss at home for a year. The Hebrew בּיִת “bayith” is also used here for “home.” Verse 6 prohibits the taking of the upper millstone in a pledge (as collateral) since it prevents the (poor) person from being able to grind the grain for his own food and survival. Verse 7 states that theft of persons (kidnapping) for enslavement or slave trading is punishable by death. Verses 8-9 remind all to follow the rules for handling skin diseases (“leprosy”) as directed by the Levitical priests.
Verses 10-13 deal with preserving the debtor’s dignity when he pledges a collateral (e.g., a cloak or garment) and the one who grants the loan is prohibited from intruding into the debtor’s house (בּיִת “bayith”) to collect the collateral. The law mandates equal treatment for poor or needy Israelite or sojourner who are in the אֶרֶץ “erets” land within their שַׁעַר “shaar” gate (designating a settlement) as stated in verses 14-15. Justice and fair play is part of the law. These concepts are at play in verses 16-18. Furthermore, there is an emphasis for love, caring and protection, hospitality and looking out for common welfare for the most vulnerable in the ANE society: the sojourner, the fatherless (orphan) and the widow (cf. Leviticus 19:18b).
As mentioned earlier, the Hebrew word used for the sojourner is different from נָכְרִי “nokhri” meaning foreigner, stranger or alien, as used in Deuteronomy 23:20. In Deuteronomy 24:14, 17, 19, 20 and 21 the Hebrew word used for sojourner is גֵּר “ger” for the key phrase “sojourner, fatherless and widow.” Note also that Deuteronomy 24:19-21 is somewhat a restatement and an expansion of the earlier Deuteronomy 23:24-25 verses discussed above. Verses 18 and 22 form an inclusio, literary bookends for this final section of chapter 24. The Hebrew verses Of Deuteronomy 24:19-21 are given below (read right to left, top down):
כִּ֣י תִקְצֹר֩ קְצִֽירְךָ֨ בְשָׂדֶ֜ךָ וְשָֽׁכַחְתָּ֧ עֹ֣מֶר בַּשָּׂדֶ֗ה לֹ֤א תָשׁוּב֙ לְקַחְתֹּ֔ו לַגֵּ֛ר לַיָּתֹ֥ום וְלָאַלְמָנָ֖ה יִהְיֶ֑ה לְמַ֤עַן יְבָרֶכְךָ֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ בְּכֹ֖ל מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָדֶֽיךָ׃
כִּ֤י תַחְבֹּט֙ זֵֽיתְךָ֔ לֹ֥א תְפָאֵ֖ר אַחֲרֶ֑יךָ לַגֵּ֛ר לַיָּתֹ֥ום וְלָאַלְמָנָ֖ה יִהְיֶֽה׃
כִּ֤י תִבְצֹר֙ כַּרְמְךָ֔ לֹ֥א תְעֹולֵ֖ל אַחֲרֶ֑יךָ לַגֵּ֛ר לַיָּתֹ֥ום וְלָאַלְמָנָ֖ה יִהְיֶֽה׃
The English Standard Version (ESV) Bible translation follows:
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 sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.
20When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over them again. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.
21When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not strip it afterward. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.
The harvest in the שָׂדֶה “sadeh” field, the olive trees and the grapes of the vineyard look forward to a settled agricultural life in Canaan. Note the repetition of the phrase “for the sojourner, the fatherless and the widow” mentioned above and earlier. They become the collective ethical and social responsibility of the Israelites. God’s blessing in the productivity of the land is to be shared and worked out in love for neighbor (see also Ruth 2). Hence, before entering into the land promised, the LORD God reminds his people (in the inclusio) that they were once slaves in Egypt and they are commanded to do things very differently as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation once they take possession of their God-given inheritance.
We will continue next time.
God bless us all.