10 'When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and Jehovah thy God hath given them into thy hand, and thou hast taken captive its captivity, 11 and hast seen in the captivity a woman of fair form, and hast delighted in her, and hast taken to thee for a wife, 12 then thou hast brought her in unto the midst of thy household, and she hath shaved her head, and prepared her nails, 13 and turned aside the raiment of her captivity from off her, and hath dwelt in thy house, and bewailed her father and her mother a month of days, and afterwards thou dost go in unto her and hast married her, and she hath been to thee for a wife: 14 'And it hath been—if thou hast not delighted in her, that thou hast sent her away at her desire, and thou dost not at all sell her for money; thou dost not tyrannize over her, because that thou hast humbled her.
15 'When a man hath two wives, the one loved and the other hated, and they have borne to him sons (the loved one and the hated one), and the first-born son hath been to the hated one; 16 then it hath been, in the day of his causing his sons to inherit that which he hath, he is not able to declare first-born the son of the loved one, in the face of the son of the hated one—the first-born. 17 But the first-born, son of the hated one, he doth acknowledge, to give to him a double portion of all that is found with him, for he 'is' the beginning of his strength; to him 'is' the right of the first-born.
18 'When a man hath a son apostatizing and rebellious—he is not hearkening to the voice of his father, and to the voice of his mother, and they have chastised him, and he doth not hearken unto them— 19 then laid hold on him have his father and his mother, and they have brought him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place, 20 and have said unto the elders of his city, Our son—this one—is apostatizing and rebellious; he is not hearkening to our voice—a glutton and drunkard; 21 and all the men of his city have stoned him with stones, and he hath died, and thou hast put away the evil out of thy midst, and all Israel do hear and fear. 22 'And when there is in a man a sin—a cause of death, and he hath been put to death, and thou hast hanged him on a tree, 23 his corpse doth not remain on the tree, for thou dost certainly bury him in that day—for a thing lightly esteemed of God 'is' the hanged one—and thou dost not defile thy ground which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee—an inheritance.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Deuteronomy 21:10-23
Commentary on Deuteronomy 21:10-14
(Read Deuteronomy 21:10-14)
By this law a soldier was allowed to marry his captive, if he pleased. This might take place upon some occasions; but the law does not show any approval of it. It also intimates how binding the laws of justice and honour are in marriage; which is a sacred engagement.
Commentary on Deuteronomy 21:15-17
(Read Deuteronomy 21:15-17)
This law restrains men from disinheriting their eldest sons without just cause. The principle in this case as to children, is still binding to parents; they must give children their right without partiality.
Commentary on Deuteronomy 21:18-21
(Read Deuteronomy 21:18-21)
Observe how the criminal is here described. He is a stubborn and rebellious son. No child was to fare the worse for weakness of capacity, slowness, or dulness, but for wilfulness and obstinacy. Nothing draws men into all manner of wickedness, and hardens them in it more certainly and fatally, than drunkenness. When men take to drinking, they forget the law of honouring parents. His own father and mother must complain of him to the elders of the city. Children who forget their duty, must thank themselves, and not blame their parents, if they are regarded with less and less affection. He must be publicly stoned to death by the men of his city. Disobedience to a parent's authority must be very evil, when such a punishment was ordered; nor is it less provoking to God now, though it escapes punishment in this world. But when young people early become slaves to sensual appetites, the heart soon grows hard, and the conscience callous; and we can expect nothing but rebellion and destruction.
Commentary on Deuteronomy 21:22-23
(Read Deuteronomy 21:22-23)
By the law of Moses, the touch of a dead body was defiling, therefore dead bodies must not be left hanging, as that would defile the land. There is one reason here which has reference to Christ; "He that is hanged is accursed of God;" that is, it is the highest degree of disgrace and reproach. Those who see a man thus hanging between heaven and earth, will conclude him abandoned of both, and unworthy of either. Moses, by the Spirit, uses this phrase of being accursed of God, when he means no more than being treated most disgracefully, that it might afterward be applied to the death of Christ, and might show that in it he underwent the curse of the law for us; which proves his love, and encourages to faith in him.