Bible Commentaries

20. Concerning Divorce and Laws of Mercy

CHAPTER 24

1. Concerning divorce (Deuteronomy 24:1-5)

2. Concerning pledge and slavery (Deuteronomy 24:6-7)

3. Concerning leprosy (Deuteronomy 24:8-9)

4. Concerning the oppression of the poor (Deuteronomy 24:10-15)

5. Concerning injustice (Deuteronomy 24:16-18)

6. The stranger, the fatherless and the widow remembered (Deuteronomy 24:19-22)

Matthew 19:1-9 must be studied with the words of Moses on divorce. The Pharisees asked the Lord “why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?” But they erred when they called Moses’ word a commandment. It was only something which Moses allowed. Adultery according to the law was punishable with death. “He saith unto them, Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, suffered you to put away your wives; but from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery; and whosoever marrieth her that is put away doth commit adultery.”

No part of the handmill, the millstone, was to be taken as a pledge, for that would have deprived the person of the necessary instrument in the preparation of food. Manstealing was forbidden under penalty of death (Exodus 21:16).

Merciful are the laws found in verses 10-15. If these laws were obeyed how many questions would be solved and how much injustice would be abolished. See also James 5:4. Mercy was to be shown to the poor in remembrance of their former condition in Egypt.