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Deuteronomy Chapter 22

Old Testament Law (Torah) 30 Verses

What is Deuteronomy 22 about?

Moses' final sermons to Israel before entering Canaan — a renewed covenant and a call to wholehearted devotion. The complete chapter text below provides the immediate literary context for study.

Text — American Standard Version (1901)

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. For original Hebrew/Greek interlinear text, open in BibleWord.ai.
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.
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What do historical commentaries say about this chapter?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · on verse 1
“Thou shall not see thy brother’s ox or his sheep go astray, etc.] Or “driven away” f313; frightened and starved away from the herd or from the flock by a wolf or dog; and the ox and sheep are put for every other creature a man has, as camels, asses, etc. which last sort is after mentioned; and a brother means not one in the natural relation of kindred only, for it is supposed, in the next verse, that he might not only be at a distance, but unknown; nor by religion only, or one of the commonwealth or church of the Jews, for what is enjoined is a piece of humanity the law of nature requires and directs unto, and is…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · on verse 1
“OF HUMANITY TOWARD BRETHREN. (Deu 22:1-4) Thou shalt not see thy brother's ox or his sheep go astray, and hide thyself from them, &c.--"Brother" is a term of extensive application, comprehending persons of every description; not a relative, neighbor, or fellow countryman only, but any human being, known or unknown, a foreigner, and even an enemy (Exo 23:4). The duty inculcated is an act of common justice and charity, which, while it was taught by the law of nature, was more clearly and forcibly enjoined in the law delivered by God to His people. Indifference or dissimulation in the circumstances supposed would…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · on verse 1
“On the general character of the contents of this chapter see Deuteronomy 21:10 note. return to 'Top of Page'”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · on verse 1
“Thy brother's - Any man's. Thou shalt not hide thyself - Dissemble or pretend that thou dost not see them; or pass them by as if thou hadst not seen them. Deuteronomy 22:2”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · on verse 1
“22:1 don’t ignore your responsibility: An individual was not to avoid a troubled scene by pretending not to see what was going on. To do so would be a failure of the individual’s responsibility to the covenant community.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · on verse 1
“Thou shalt: Exo 23:4; Eze 34:4, Eze 34:16; Mat 10:6, Mat 15:24, Mat 18:12, Mat 18:13; Luk 15:4-6; Jam 5:19, Jam 5:20; Pe1 2:25 hide thyself: Deu 22:3, Deu 22:4; Lev 20:4; Pro 24:11, Pro 28:27; Isa 8:17, Isa 58:7; Luk 10:31, Luk 10:32 Deuteronomy 22:2”
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Keil & Delitzsch
C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch · Commentary on the Old Testament · on verse 1
“Going deeper and deeper into the manifold relations of the national life, Moses first of all explains in Deu 22:1-12 the attitude of an Israelite, on the one hand, towards a neighbour; and, on the other hand, towards the natural classification and arrangement of things, and shows how love should rule in the midst of all these relations. The different relations brought under consideration are selected rather by way of examples, and therefore follow one another without any link of connection, for the purpose of exhibiting the truth in certain concrete cases, and showing how the covenant people were to hold all the…”
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