John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 24:5
When a man hath taken a new wife ,.... A wife he has lately married, new to him, though a widow, as Jarchi observes; but the Targum of Jonathan says a virgin; however this is opposed to his old wife, and divorced; for this, as Jarchi and Ben Melech say, excepts the return of a divorced wife, who cannot be said to be a new one: he shall not go out to war ; this is to be understood of a man that had not only betrothed, but married a wife; a man that had betrothed a wife, and not married... read more
Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Deuteronomy 24:5-13
Here is, I. Provision made for the preservation and confirmation of love between new-married people, Deut. 24:5. This fitly follows upon the laws concerning divorce, which would be prevented if their affection to each other were well settled at first. If the husband were much abroad from his wife the first year, his love to her would be in danger of cooling, and of being drawn aside to others whom he would meet with abroad; therefore his service to his country in war, embassies, or other... read more