Deuteronomy 22:5-12 - Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

Bible Comments

Israel Must Avoid All That Is Unseemly (Deuteronomy 22:5-12)

Israel was to avoid all that was unseemly. That had applied with regard to what living things could be eaten (Deuteronomy 14:3-21). Now it applies to dressing transexually (Deuteronomy 22:5), to dealings with nature (Deuteronomy 22:6-7), and to mixing unlike with unlike (Deuteronomy 22:10-12).

Analysis using the words of Moses:

a A woman shall not wear what pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman's garment, for whoever does these things is an abomination to Yahweh your God (5).

b If a bird's nest chance to be before you in the way, in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs, and the mother sitting on the young, or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young, you shall surely let the mother go, but the young you may take to yourself, that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days (Deuteronomy 22:6-7).

c When you build a new house, then you shall make a parapet for your roof (Deuteronomy 22:8 a).

c So that you do not bring blood on your house, if any man fall from there (Deuteronomy 22:8 b).

b You shall not sow your vineyard with two kinds of seed, lest the whole fruit be forfeited (literally ‘be made holy'), the seed which you have sown, and the increase of the vineyard, you shall not plough with an ox and an ass together, you shall not wear a mixed fabric, wool and linen together (Deuteronomy 22:9-11).

a You shall make yourself tassels on the four borders of your robe with which you cover yourself (Deuteronomy 22:12).

Note that in ‘a' emphasis is laid on the necessity for identification, and the same applies in the parallel. In ‘b' a mother bird and her young must not be put together for the same treatment, and in the parallel other aspects of creation are not to be put together. In ‘c' a parapet must be made for a flat roof, and in the parallel this is so that blood is not brought on the house.

Deuteronomy 22:5-12

5 The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.

6 If a bird's nest chance to be before thee in the way in any tree, or on the ground, whether they be young ones, or eggs, and the dam sitting upon the young, or upon the eggs, thou shalt not take the dam with the young:

7 But thou shalt in any wise let the dam go, and take the young to thee; that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days.

8 When thou buildest a new house, then thou shalt make a battlement for thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon thine house, if any man fall from thence.

9 Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with divers seeds: lest the fruit of thy seeda which thou hast sown, and the fruit of thy vineyard, be defiled.

10 Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together.

11 Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together.

12 Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four quartersb of thy vesture, wherewith thou coverest thyself.