Deuteronomy — Chapter 22

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1Thou shalt not see the brother’s ox or his sheep go astray, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt in any case bring them again unto thy brother.

2And if thy brother be not nigh unto thee, or if thou know him not, then thou shalt bring it unto thine own house, and it shall be with thee until thy brother seek after it, and thou shalt restore it to him again.

3In like manner shalt thou do with his ass; and so shalt thou do with his raiment; and with all lost things of thy brother’s, which he hath lost, and thou hast found, shalt thou do likewise: thou mayest not hide thyself.

4Thou shalt not see thy brother’s ass or his ox fall down by the way, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt surely help him to lift them up again.

5The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.

6If a bird’s nest chance to be before thee in the way in any tree, or on the ground, whether they be young ones, or eggs, and the dam sitting upon the young, or upon the eggs, thou shalt not take the dam with the young:

7But thou shalt in any wise let the dam go, and take the young to thee; that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days.

8When thou buildest a new house, then thou shalt make a battlement for thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon thine house, if any man fall from thence.

9Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with divers seeds: lest the fruit of thy seed which thou hast sown, and the fruit of thy vineyard, be defiled.

10Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together.

11Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together.

12Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four quarters of thy vesture, wherewith thou coverest thyself.

13If any man take a wife, and go in unto her, and hate her,

14And give occasions of speech against her, and bring up an evil name upon her, and say, I took this woman, and when I came to her, I found her not a maid:

15Then shall the father of the damsel, and her mother, take and bring forth the tokens of the damsel’s virginity unto the elders of the city in the gate:

16And the damsel’s father shall say unto the elders, I gave my daughter unto this man to wife, and he hateth her;

17And, lo, he hath given occasions of speech against her, saying, I found not thy daughter a maid; and yet these are the tokens of my daughter’s virginity. And they shall spread the cloth before the elders of the city.

18And the elders of that city shall take that man and chastise him;

19And they shall amerce him in an hundred shekels of silver, and give them unto the father of the damsel, because he hath brought up an evil name upon a virgin of Israel: and she shall be his wife; he may not put her away all his days.

20But if this thing be true, and the tokens of virginity be not found for the damsel:

21Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father’s house: so shalt thou put evil away from among you.

22If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel.

23If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her;

24Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbour’s wife: so thou shalt put away evil from among you.

25But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her: then the man only that lay with her shall die:

26But unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death: for as when a man riseth against his neighbour, and slayeth him, even so is this matter:

27For he found her in the field, and the betrothed damsel cried, and there was none to save her.

28If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found;

29Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel’s father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his days.

30A man shall not take his father’s wife, nor discover his father’s skirt.

1Thou shalt not see thy brother`s ox or his sheep go astray, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt surely bring them again unto thy brother.

2And if thy brother be not nigh unto thee, or if thou know him not, then thou shalt bring it home to thy house, and it shall be with thee until thy brother seek after it, and thou shalt restore it to him.

3And so shalt thou do with his ass; and so shalt thou do with his garment; and so shalt thou do with every lost thing of thy brother`s, which he hath lost, and thou hast found: thou mayest not hide thyself.

4Thou shalt not see thy brother`s ass or his ox fallen down by the way, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt surely help him to lift them up again.

5A woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman`s garment; for whosoever doeth these things is an abomination unto Jehovah thy God.

6If a bird`s nest chance to be before thee in the way, in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs, and the dam sitting upon the young, or upon the eggs, thou shalt not take the dam with the young:

7thou shalt surely let the dam go, but the young thou mayest take unto thyself; that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days.

8When thou buildest a new house, then thou shalt make a battlement for thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon thy house, if any man fall from thence.

9Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with two kinds of seed, lest the whole fruit be forfeited, the seed which thou hast sown, and the increase of the vineyard.

10Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together.

11Thou shalt not wear a mingled stuff, wool and linen together.

12Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four borders of thy vesture, wherewith thou coverest thyself.

13If any man take a wife, and go in unto her, and hate her,

14and lay shameful things to her charge, and bring up an evil name upon her, and say, I took this woman, and when I came nigh to her, I found not in her the tokens of virginity;

15then shall the father of the damsel, and her mother, take and bring forth the tokens of the damsel`s virginity unto the elders of the city in the gate;

16and the damsel`s father shall say unto the elders, I gave my daughter unto this man to wife, and he hateth her;

17and, lo, he hath laid shameful things [to her charge], saying, I found not in thy daughter the tokens of virginity; and yet these are the tokens of my daughter`s virginity. And they shall spread the garment before the elders of the city.

18And the elders of that city shall take the man and chastise him;

19and they shall fine him a hundred [shekels] of silver, and give them unto the father of the damsel, because he hath brought up an evil name upon a virgin of Israel: and she shall be his wife; he may not put her away all his days.

20But if this thing be true, that the tokens of virginity were not found in the damsel;

21then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father`s house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death with stones, because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the harlot in her father`s house: so shalt thou put away the evil from the midst of thee.

22If a man be found lying with a woman married to a husband, then they shall both of them die, the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away the evil from Israel.

23If there be a damsel that is a virgin betrothed unto a husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her;

24then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them to death with stones; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbor`s wife: so thou shalt put away the evil from the midst of thee.

25But if the man find the damsel that is betrothed in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her; then the man only that lay with her shall die:

26but unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death: for as when a man riseth against his neighbor, and slayeth him, even so is this matter;

27for he found her in the field, the betrothed damsel cried, and there was none to save her.

28If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, that is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found;

29then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel`s father fifty [shekels] of silver, and she shall be his wife, because he hath humbled her; he may not put her away all his days.

30A man shall not take his father`s wife, and shall not uncover his father`s skirt.

1When you see your neighbor’s ox or sheep going astray, do not ignore it; you must return it without fail to your neighbor.

2If the owner does not live near you or you do not know who the owner is, then you must corral the animal at your house and let it stay with you until the owner looks for it; then you must return it to him.

3You shall do the same to his donkey, his clothes, or anything else your neighbor has lost and you have found; you must not refuse to get involved.

4When you see your neighbor’s donkey or ox fallen along the road, do not ignore it; instead, you must be sure to help him get the animal on its feet again.

5A woman must not wear men’s clothing, nor should a man dress up in women’s clothing, for anyone who does this is offensive to the Lord your God.

6If you happen to notice a bird’s nest along the road, whether in a tree or on the ground, and there are chicks or eggs with the mother bird sitting on them, you must not take the mother that is with her young.

7You must be sure to let the mother go, but you may take the young for yourself. Do this so that it may go well with you and you may have a long life.

8If you build a new house, you must construct a guardrail around your roof to avoid being culpable in the event someone should fall from it.

9You must not plant your vineyard with two kinds of seed; otherwise the entire yield, both of the seed you plant and the produce of the vineyard, will be defiled.

10You must not plow with an ox and a donkey harnessed together.

11You must not wear clothing made with wool and linen meshed together.

12You shall make yourselves tassels for the four corners of the clothing you wear.

13Suppose a man marries a woman, sleeps with her, and then rejects her,

14accusing her of impropriety and defaming her reputation by saying, “I married this woman but when I approached her for marital relations I discovered she was not a virgin!”

15Then the father and mother of the young woman must produce the evidence of virginity for the elders of the city at the gate.

16The young woman’s father must say to the elders, “I gave my daughter to this man and he has rejected her.

17Moreover, he has raised accusations of impropriety by saying, ‘I discovered your daughter was not a virgin,’ but this is the evidence of my daughter’s virginity!” The cloth must then be spread out before the city’s elders.

18The elders of that city must then seize the man and punish him.

19They will fine him 100 shekels of silver and give them to the young woman’s father, for the man who made the accusation ruined the reputation of an Israelite virgin. She will then become his wife, and he may never divorce her as long as he lives.

20But if the accusation is true and the young woman was not a virgin,

21the men of her city must bring the young woman to the door of her father’s house and stone her to death, for she has done a disgraceful thing in Israel by behaving like a prostitute while living in her father’s house. In this way you will purge the evil from among you.

22If a man is discovered in bed with a married woman, both the man lying in bed with the woman and the woman herself must die; in this way you will purge the evil from Israel.

23If a virgin is engaged to a man and another man meets her in the city and goes to bed with her,

24you must bring the two of them to the gate of that city and stone them to death, the young woman because she did not cry out though in the city and the man because he violated his neighbor’s fiancée; in this way you will purge evil from among you.

25But if the man came across the engaged woman in the field and overpowered her and raped her, then only the rapist must die.

26You must not do anything to the young woman—she has done nothing deserving of death. This case is the same as when someone attacks another person and murders him,

27for the man met her in the field and the engaged woman cried out, but there was no one to rescue her.

28Suppose a man comes across a virgin who is not engaged and takes hold of her and sleeps with her and they are discovered.

29The man who has slept with her must pay her father 50 shekels of silver and she must become his wife. Because he has humiliated her, he may never divorce her as long as he lives.

30(23:1) A man may not marry his father’s former wife and in this way dishonor his father.

1You shall not see your brother’s ox or his sheep go astray, and hide yourself from them. You shall surely bring them again to your brother.

2If your brother isn’t near to you, or if you don’t know him, then you shall bring it home to your house, and it shall be with you until your brother comes looking for it, and you shall restore it to him.

3So you shall do with his donkey. So you shall do with his garment. So you shall do with every lost thing of your brother’s, which he has lost, and you have found. You may not hide yourself.

4You shall not see your brother’s donkey or his ox fallen down by the way, and hide yourself from them. You shall surely help him to lift them up again.

5A woman shall not wear men’s clothing, neither shall a man put on women’s clothing; for whoever does these things is an abomination to Yahweh your God.

6If you come across a bird’s nest on the way, in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs, and the hen sitting on the young, or on the eggs, you shall not take the hen with the young.

7You shall surely let the hen go, but the young you may take for yourself; that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days.

8When you build a new house, then you shall make a railing around your roof, so that you don’t bring blood on your house if anyone falls from there.

9You shall not sow your vineyard with two kinds of seed, lest all the fruit be defiled, the seed which you have sown, and the increase of the vineyard.

10You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together.

11You shall not wear clothes of wool and linen woven together.

12You shall make yourselves fringes on the four corners of your cloak with which you cover yourself.

13If any man takes a wife, and goes in to her, hates her,

14accuses her of shameful things, and gives her a bad name, and says, “I took this woman, and when I came near to her, I didn’t find in her the tokens of virginity”;

15then the young lady’s father and mother shall take and bring the tokens of the young lady’s virginity to the elders of the city in the gate.

16The young lady’s father shall tell the elders, “I gave my daughter to this man as his wife, and he hates her.

17Behold, he has accused her of shameful things, saying, ‘I didn’t find in your daughter the tokens of virginity;’ and yet these are the tokens of my daughter’s virginity.” They shall spread the cloth before the elders of the city.

18The elders of that city shall take the man and chastise him.

19They shall fine him one hundred shekels of silver, and give them to the father of the young lady, because he has given a bad name to a virgin of Israel. She shall be his wife. He may not put her away all his days.

20But if this thing is true, that the tokens of virginity were not found in the young lady;

21then they shall bring out the young lady to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death with stones, because she has done folly in Israel, to play the prostitute in her father’s house. So you shall remove the evil from among you.

22If a man is found lying with a woman married to a husband, then they shall both die, the man who lay with the woman and the woman. So you shall remove the evil from Israel.

23If there is a young lady who is a virgin pledged to be married to a husband, and a man finds her in the city, and lies with her;

24then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones; the lady, because she didn’t cry, being in the city; and the man, because he has humbled his neighbor’s wife. So you shall remove the evil from among you.

25But if the man finds the lady who is pledged to be married in the field, and the man forces her, and lies with her; then only the man who lay with her shall die;

26but to the lady you shall do nothing. There is in the lady no sin worthy of death; for as when a man rises against his neighbor, and kills him, even so is this matter;

27for he found her in the field, the pledged to be married lady cried, and there was no one to save her.

28If a man finds a lady who is a virgin, who is not pledged to be married, grabs her, and lies with her, and they are found;

29then the man who lay with her shall give to the lady’s father fifty shekels of silver. She shall be his wife, because he has humbled her. He may not put her away all his days.

30A man shall not take his father’s wife, and shall not uncover his father’s skirt.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Commentary
Videos
Reflection

Summary

God gives laws about lost property, cross-dressing, bird nests, rooftop safety, and sexual purity — holiness touches every area of daily life.

Authorship & Background

Author: Moses. Deuteronomy is the fifth and final book of the Pentateuch, written at the end of the 40 years of wilderness wandering (approximately 1406 BC). Hebrew title: "Devarim" — "Words/Things." Greek title: "Deuteronomion" — "Second Law" (a repetition/expansion of the Law for the new generation). The book consists of Moses' farewell speeches to Israel on the plains of Moab, just before they enter the Promised Land. Moses will not enter with them — these are his final words to the nation he has led for 40 years.
Historical Context: Chapter 22 contains a diverse collection of laws governing daily life, all unified by the theme of maintaining proper distinctions and protecting the vulnerable. The chapter moves from neighborly responsibility (vv.1-4), to gender distinction (v.5), to compassion for animals (vv.6-7), to safety in construction (v.8), to prohibitions against improper mixtures (vv.9-12), to sexual purity laws (vv.13-30). The "mixture" laws (vv.9-11) — no mixed seeds in a vineyard, no plowing with ox and donkey together, no mixed wool and linen — teach the principle of maintaining God-ordained distinctions. The sexual purity laws (vv.13-30) address multiple scenarios with careful attention to justice: a husband who falsely accuses his wife is punished (vv.13-19); a woman guilty of premarital sex is punished (vv.20-21); adultery brings death to both parties (v.22); a betrothed woman in the city is presumed to have consented (vv.23-24); a betrothed woman in the field is presumed to have been forced (vv.25-27). This distinction between city and field shows remarkable judicial wisdom: in the city, she could have cried for help; in the field, no one could hear. The law protects the rape victim while punishing the willing participant. Throughout, the underlying principle is that sexual purity is foundational to covenant community life.
Returning Lost Property (vv.1-4): "Thou shalt not see thy brother's ox or his sheep go astray, and hide thyself from them" (v.1). You must return them. If the owner is unknown or far away, keep the animal until he seeks it (v.2). Same applies to donkeys, garments, "all lost things" (v.3). "Thou mayest not hide thyself" (v.3) — you cannot pretend you didn't see. Also: "Thou shalt not see thy brother's ass or his ox fall down by the way, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt surely help him to lift them up again" (v.4). Active neighborly responsibility — not merely avoiding harm but actively helping.
Gender Distinction in Clothing (v.5): "The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment" (v.5). "For all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God" (v.5). This prohibits the deliberate blurring of gender distinctions — likely connected to Canaanite religious practices involving cross-dressing in worship. God created male and female as distinct; that distinction must be maintained.
The Bird's Nest — Compassion for Animals (vv.6-7): "If a bird's nest chance to be before thee... thou shalt not take the dam with the young" (v.6). Let the mother go; take the young (v.7). Promise: "that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days" (v.7). This law teaches compassion and sustainability — do not destroy the source of future life. Spare the mother so she can produce again.
Safety in Building (v.8): "When thou buildest a new house, then thou shalt make a battlement for thy roof" (KJV) / "you shall make a parapet for your roof" (ESV) (v.8). Purpose: "that thou bring not blood upon thine house, if any man fall from thence" (v.8). Flat roofs were used as living space; a railing prevents accidental death. You are responsible for foreseeable dangers on your property.
Laws Against Improper Mixtures (vv.9-12): "Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with divers seeds" (v.9). "Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together" (v.10). "Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together" (v.11). These laws teach the principle of maintaining distinctions — what God has made separate should not be confused. "Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four quarters of thy vesture" (v.12) — tassels as reminders of God's commands (Numbers 15:38- 40).
False Accusation Against a Wife (vv.13-19): A man marries, then claims his wife was not a virgin (vv.13-14). The parents produce "the tokens of the damsel's virginity" (v.15) — the cloth from the wedding night. If the accusation is false: the man is chastised/whipped (v.18), fined 100 shekels of silver (v.19), and "he may not put her away all his days" (v.19). He loses the right to divorce — punishment for false accusation.
Premarital Immorality Confirmed (vv.20-21): "But if this thing be true, and the tokens of virginity be not found" (v.20). The woman is stoned "at the door of her father's house" (v.21). Why? "Because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father's house" (v.21). "So shalt thou put evil away from among you" (v.21).
Adultery (v.22): "If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die" (v.22). Both parties — no double standard. "So shalt thou put away evil from Israel" (v.22).
Betrothed Woman in the City (vv.23-24): A betrothed virgin found with a man in the city — both die (v.24). The woman "because she cried not, being in the city" (v.24) — she could have called for help. The man "because he hath humbled his neighbour's wife" (v.24). Betrothal was legally binding as marriage.
Betrothed Woman in the Field — Rape (vv.25-27): "If a man find a betrothed damsel in the field, and the man force her" (v.25). Only the man dies (v.25). "Unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death" (v.26). The comparison: "as when a man riseth against his neighbour, and slayeth him, even so is this matter" (v.26). Rape is compared to murder. "The betrothed damsel cried, and there was none to save her" (v.27). The law presumes her innocence when help was unavailable.
Unbetrothed Virgin (vv.28-29): If a man lies with an unbetrothed virgin: he pays 50 shekels to her father (v.29), marries her, and "he may not put her away all his days" (v.29). He must provide for her permanently — he cannot use and discard her.
Father's Wife (v.30): "A man shall not take his father's wife, nor discover his father's skirt" (KJV) / "so that he does not uncover his father's nakedness" (ESV) (v.30). This prohibits sexual relations with a stepmother — a violation of family honor and authority.

Map & Geography

  • Moses speaks from the plains of Moab. Laws for social life "within thy gates" — anticipating settled agricultural communities in Canaan.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik notes that the mixture laws (vv.9-11) teach the principle of maintaining God-ordained distinctions — a principle Paul applies spiritually in 2 Corinthians 6:14 (unequal yoking). He emphasizes that the sexual purity laws carefully distinguish between consent and force, protecting the rape victim while punishing the willing participant.
  • Charles Spurgeon: "'Thou mayest not hide thyself' (v.3). You cannot pretend you did not see your brother's need. God holds us responsible not only for the evil we do but for the good we fail to do. The priest and the Levite who passed by the wounded man were guilty — not of robbery but of indifference. And indifference to your brother's need is sin."

Reflection

  • 1. "Thou mayest not hide thyself" (v.3). You cannot pretend you didn't see your neighbor's need. Willful blindness is sin. The Good Samaritan principle: when you see need, you are responsible to act. Indifference is not neutrality — it is disobedience.
  • 2. "Thou shalt make a battlement for thy roof" (v.8). You are responsible for foreseeable dangers. This applies to every area of life: if you know something could cause harm and you fail to prevent it, the guilt is yours. Negligence is not innocence.
  • 3. The mixture laws (vv.9-11) teach that God-ordained distinctions matter. What God has made separate should not be confused. Paul applies this principle to spiritual relationships: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers" (2 Corinthians 6:14). Distinctions are not arbitrary — they reflect divine order.
  • 4. The law distinguishes between consent and force (vv.23-27). The woman in the field is presumed innocent — "there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death" (v.26). God's law protects rape victims. The comparison to murder (v.26) shows how seriously God views sexual violence. It is not a lesser crime but an assault on a person's life.
  • 5. "He may not put her away all his days" (vv.19,29). The man who falsely accuses or who violates a woman loses the right to divorce her. He must provide for her permanently. This protects the woman from being used and discarded. God builds consequences into sin that protect the vulnerable.
  • 6. Active love, not passive avoidance (vv.1-4). The law requires not merely "do no harm" but "actively help." Return lost property. Lift up the fallen animal. Love your neighbor means action, not just the absence of malice. James 4:17: "To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin."