Deut. 22 Laws about stray cattle, Deut. 22:1–3. About thy neighbor’s ox fallen in the way, Deut. 22:4. Woman’s wearing of apparel distinct from man’s, Deut. 22:5. Of birds caught, Deut. 22:6–7. Of battlements for houses, Deut. 22:8. Of divers seeds sown, Deut. 22:9.

Thy brother; so called by communion not of religion, but of nature, as having one Father, even God, Mal. 2:10; as appears, 1. Because the same law is given about their enemy’s ox, &c., Ex. 23:4. 2.

If thy brother be not nigh unto thee, which may make the duty more troublesome or chargeable. If thou know him not; which implies, that if they did know the owner, they should restore it to him. Thou shalt bring it unto thine own house, to be used like thine own cattle.

i.e. Dissemble that thou hast found it. Or, hide it, i.e. conceal the thing lost.

Help him, i.e. thy brother, the owner. Compare Ex. 13:5.

This shall not be done ordinarily or unnecessarily, for in some cases it may be lawful, as to make an escape for one’s life. Now this is forbidden, partly for decency sake, that men might not confound, nor seem to confound, those sexes which God hath distinguished, that all appearance of evil might…

Let the dam go; partly for the bird’s sake, which suffered enough by the loss of its young; for God would not have cruelty exercised towards the brute creatures; and partly for men’s sake, to restrain their greediness and covetousness, that they should not monopolize all to themselves, but might…

A battlement, i.e. a fence or breastwork, because the roofs of their houses were made flat or plain, that men might walk on them. See Judg. 16:27, 1 Sam. 9:25, 2 Sam. 11:2, Neh. 8:16, Matt. 10:27. Blood, i.e.

With divers seeds; either, 1. With divers kinds of seed mixed and sowed together between the rows of vines in thy vineyard; which was forbidden to be done in the field, Lev. 19:19, and here in the vineyard. Or, 2.

Either, 1. Because the one was a clean beast, the other unclean; whereby God would teach men to avoid polluting themselves by the touch of unclean persons or things, 2 Cor. 6:14. Or, 2. Because of their unequal strength, whereby the weaker, the ass, would be oppressed and overwrought. Or, 3.

Fringes, or laces, or strings; partly to bring the commands of God to their remembrance, as it is expressed, Num. 15:38; and partly as a public profession of their nation and religion, whereby they might be discerned and distinguished from strangers, that so they might be more circumspect to behave…

Go in unto her, i.e. hath had carnal knowledge of her.

Of speech, Heb. of words, i.e. of discourses or defamations.

i.e. The linen cloth or sheet, as is expressed, Deut. 22:17, which in the first congress was infected with blood, as is natural and usual. But because this is not now constant, the enemies of Scripture take occasion to quarrel with this law, as unreasonable and unjust, and such as might oppress the…

Either, 1. By the following mulct. Or, 2. By severe reproofs, which that word oft signifies. Or, 3. By stripes, as is expressed, Deut. 25:2–3. Which is not strange, considering how precious a thing one’s good name is, of which he endeavoured to deprive his wife.

Unto the father of the damsel; because this was a reproach to his family, and to himself, because such a miscarriage of his daughter would have been ascribed to his evil education.

Quest. Why should she die when her crime was only fornication, which was not punished in a woman with death, Ex. 22:16–17? Answ. Because there was not only fornication in this case, as Ex.

If a man be found; if he be convicted of this fault, though not taken in the very act.

By this betrothing she had actually engaged herself to another man, and was in some sort his with, and therefore is sometimes so called, as Gen. 29:21, Matt. 1:20.

Because she cried not; and therefore is justly presumed to have consented to it.

The man force her; which was to be examined and determined by the consideration of all the circumstances.

Not an act of choice, but of force and constraint.

The damsel cried; which is in that case to be presumed; charity obliging us to believe the best till the contrary be manifest.

i.e. An unmarried man, as appears, 1. From his obligation to marry the person he abused, which it is not probable would have been imposed upon him, had he been married. 2. Because if the man had been married, this had been adultery, and so had been punished with death.

Fifty shekels of silver, besides the dowry, as Philo the learned Jew notes, which is here omitted, because that was common and customary, and because it might easily be gathered out of Ex. 22:16, it being sufficient here to mention what was peculiar to this case.

Shall not take to wife. So this respects the state, and the next branch speaks of the act only. His father’s wife; his mother-in-law. See Lev. 18:8, Lev. 20:11, 1 Cor. 5:1. His father’s skirt, i.e. the skirt of the mother’s garment, i.e.