Deuteronomy 24:10-21

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

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Deuteronomy 24:14-22

Here, I. Masters are commanded to be just to their poor servants, Deut. 24:14, 15. 1. They must not oppress them, by overloading them with work, by giving them undue and unreasonable rebukes, or by withholding from them proper maintenance. A servant, though a stranger to the commonwealth of Israel, must not be abused: ?For thou wast a bondman in the land where thou wast a stranger (Deut. 24:18), and thou knowest what a grievous thing it is to be oppressed by a task-master, and therefore, in... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 24:10

When thou dost lend thy brother anything ,.... Any sum of money he stands in need of, or demanded a debt of him, as Jarchi; money he is indebted to thee, which is the sense of the Septuagint version; and he is not able to pay it, but offers something: in pawn till he can pay it: thou shall not go into his house to fetch his pledge ; which would be an exercise of too much power and authority, to go into a neighbour's house, and take what was liked; and besides, as no doubt he would take... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 24:11

Thou shall stand abroad ,.... Without doors, in the street, as the Targum of Jonathan, while the borrower or debtor looks out, and brings forth what he can best spare as a pledge: and the man to whom thou dost lend shall bring out the pledge abroad unto thee ; now as, on the one hand, if the lender or creditor had been allowed to go in and take what he pleased for a pledge, he would choose the best; so, on the other hand, the borrower or debtor would be apt to bring the worst, what was... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 24:12

And if the man be poor ,.... Which may be thought to be the case of everyone that gives pledges for a debt he owes, or a sum of money he borrows; yet there might be a difference: some might be so very destitute of goods and raiment in their houses, that whatever they parted with was distressing to them, and they could not well do without it: thou shalt not sleep with his pledge ; nor keep it a night; but deliver it to him, before he went to bed, and laid himself down to sleep. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 24:13

In any case thou shalt deliver him the pledge again, when the sun goeth down ,.... If it was a night covering, as Jarchi remarks; but if it was his day clothes, he was to return it in the morning, when the sun arose; and this was to be done every day, which resist occasion a great deal of trouble, and the pledge of little use; so that it seems as though they might as well be without it as have it, and lend freely; but the Jews say, that there was an advantage by it; for it is said in answer... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 24:14

Thou shall not oppress an hired servant ,.... That is hired by the day, as appears by Deuteronomy 24:15 ; though the law may include such as are hired by the week, or month, or year; neither of whom are to be oppressed by any means, and chiefly by detaining their wages; so the Jerusalem Targum explains the phrase,"ye shall not detain by force the hire of the hired servant;'nor by fraud, as in James 5:4 , that is poor and needy ; and so cannot bear the lest oppression of this kind,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 24:15

At his day thou shalt give him his hire ,.... At the close of the day, when his work is done, the hire agreed for must be paid him; and, by the same rule, all such that were hired by the week, month, or year, were to have their wages paid them at the day their time was up: neither shall the sun go down upon it ; it was to be paid before sun setting, or at it; see Leviticus 19:13 , for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it ; being poor, he cannot wait any longer for the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 24:16

The fathers shall not be put to death for the children ,.... By the civil magistrates, for sins committed by them of a capital nature, and which are worthy of death: neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers ; for sins committed by them that deserve it: every man shall be put to death for his own sin : which is but just and reasonable; see Ezekiel 18:4 ; which is no contradiction to Exodus 20:5 ; that respects what God himself would do, this what Israel, or the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 24:17

Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger, nor of the fatherless ,.... Who are unable to defend themselves, and have but few, if any, to take their part; and therefore particular care should be taken by judges and civil magistrates to do them justice, or God will require it of them: nor take a widow's raiment to pledge ; nor anything else, as her ox or cow, Job 24:3 ; according to the Jewish canons F18 Misn. Bava Metzia, c. 9. sect. 13. , of a widow, whether she is... read more

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