Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Deuteronomy 24:17
Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger, [nor] of the fatherless; nor take a widow’s raiment to pledge:
17. nor of the fatherless ] So LXX, Syr., etc. Heb. omits nor. Add (with LXX B) nor of the widow.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
17, 18. Against Injustice to the Gr, the Orphan and the Widow, the three classes so earnestly cared for by D, Deu 24:19-22, Deu 10:18, q.v., Deu 14:29, Deu 16:11; Deu 16:14. Parallels in E, Exo 22:21 f., Deu 23:6 ( the poor), 9, on which see Driver’s Exod.; and in H, Lev 19:33. The clause against pledging the widow’s raiment is omitted by some LXX codd. and some suggest that its proper place is with 10 13. Its word for pledge, however, is not ‘abat as there but abal as in Deu 24:6, and its appearance here is natural. On widows’ rights in Babylonia, see Johns, op. cit. ch. xii.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Compare the marginal references. The motive assigned for these various acts of consideration is one and the same Deu 24:18, Deu 24:22.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Nor of the fatherless; nor of the widow, which is to be supplied out of the last member; nor indeed of any other person; but he particularly mentions these, partly because men are most apt to wrong such helpless persons, and partly because God is pleased especially to charge himself, and so to charge others, with the care of those who have no other refuge. See Isa 1:23; Jer 5:28.
A widows raiment, to wit, such a one as she hath daily and necessary use of, as being poor, as may appear by comparing this with Deu 24:12,13, and with other places. But this concerns not rich persons, nor superfluous raiment.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
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 r, of a widow, whether she is poor or rich, a pledge is not taken; the reason given for which is, that it would raise an ill suspicion, and cause an evil report of her among her neighbours s; and which is suggested by the Targum of Jonathan
“neither shall any of you take for a pledge the raiment of a widow, lest wicked neighbours should arise, and bring an evil report upon her, when ye return the pledge unto her.”
But no doubt a poor widow is meant, and the design of the law is mercy to her, and that she might not be distressed by taking that from her she needed.
r Misn. Bava Metzia, c. 9. sect. 13. s Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Bava Metzia, c. 9. sect. 13.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Verses 17, 18:
Compare this text with Exo 22:21-24; Exo 23:9; Lev 19:33-34.
The garments of a widow were not to be taken as security for a loan. The orphan was not to be mistreated. This provision applied also to the strangers, foreigners or non-Israelis who lived in the land.
To enforce this provision, God reminded Israel that they themselves were once “strangers” in Egypt.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(14) JUSTICE TO THE INDIGENT (Deu. 24:17-18)
17 Thou shalt not wrest the justice due to the sojourner, or to the fatherless, nor take the widows raiment to pledge; 18 but thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt, and Jehovah thy God redeemed thee thence: therefore I command thee to do this thing.
THOUGHT QUESTIONS 24:17, 18
428.
Who was to enforce these various laws? Cf. Deu. 1:16-17; Deu. 16:18-20.
429.
Who would be classified as a sojourner? What justice was due him?
AMPLIFIED TRANSLATION 24:17, 18
17 You shall not pervert justice due to the stranger or the sojourner or the fatherless, or take a widows garments in pledge;
18 But you shall [earnestly] remember that you were a slave in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this:
COMMENT 24:17, 18
The principles were to be observed by all, and enforced by the judges (Deu. 1:16-17; Deu. 16:18-20). As we saw above (Deu. 24:10-13) a poor person often had only one or two garmentsand the same garment often served as a nightgown and blanket. Thus the widows was not to be taken as a pledge.
On Deu. 24:18, see also Deu. 10:17-19, Lev. 19:33-34.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(17-22) The stranger, the fatherless, and the widoware the subject of all the laws in these verses. For the first two (Deu. 24:17-18), see Exo. 22:22-24. As to the harvest, see Lev. 23:22. It is noticeable that this law is connected with the Feast of Pentecost in that place. Never was such care for the widow and the poor manifested as after the day of Pentecost in the New Testament. When great grace was upon them all, it is written that neither was there any among them that lacked.
In a very special way and for some special reason, all through the Old Testament, the Lord careth for the stranger. What the reason is, if we had the Old Testament only, we might find it hard to discover. But when we open the New Testament, we may see that this is one aspect of the love of God the Father to His Son Jesus Christ, who was one day to come among us as a stranger, when there was no room for Him in the inn. His coming hither as a stranger could not be unnoticed. And, therefore, the name and mention of the stranger all through the Old Testament is like a path strewn with flowers, in expectation of the coming of one that is greatly beloved. We see angels walking upon the earth, entertained as strangers. The wealthy patriarch, a prince of God among the Canaanites, confesses himself a stranger and pilgrim on the earth. Those that inherit the land are put in the same category, Ye are strangers and sojourners with Me. The stranger sits beside the Levite at Israels table. The second great commandment is rehearsed again for his especial benefit. He shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself. There is only one key to all this combination of tenderness. I was a stranger, and ye took me in.
(18,22) Thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt.An exhortation thoroughly in place here, in the writings of Moses. In this form it occurs repeatedly in the Pentateuch, but not elsewhere. It is not the language which would naturally suggest itself to the prophets of later times.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
17, 18. Thou shalt not pervert, etc. The law is repeated from Exo 22:21-22, and Exo 23:9, with the addition that a widow’s raiment was not to be taken as a pledge.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Justice Must Be Done To The Weak ( Deu 24:17-18 ).
Consideration and fair play must be extended to the very weakest in society. They most of all depend on it.
Deu 24:17
‘ You shall not distort the justice due to the resident alien, or to the fatherless, nor take the widow’s raiment to pledge,’
Compare here Deu 1:16; Deu 16:18-20. Justice was especially to be dispensed fairly to those who could not defend themselves. The resident alien and the fatherless had nowhere to look for help other than to justices. And taking a widow’s garment in pledge was so despicable that it could not even be considered.
But we cannot just turn away and leave it to the justices. It is our responsibility, as far as we are able, to ensure that they are just. We must all ensure that justice is being applied properly. And all must have consideration for the poor.
Deu 24:18
‘ But you shall remember that you were a bondsman in Egypt, and Yahweh your God redeemed you from there. Therefore I command you to do this thing.’
And this especially applied to Israel, for they had been poor. They were to remember that they had been themselves bondsmen in the land of Egypt, and that they had not delivered themselves, but that it was Yahweh Who had paid the price of their deliverance by His display of mighty power. That especially is why they are commanded to do this thing.
Christians have another motive. They remember the One Who though He was rich, became poor, that we through His poverty might be made rich (2Co 8:9).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Ver. 17. Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger, &c. Concerning this humane and tender provision for strangers, the fatherless, and widows, we refer to the places in the Margin of our Bibles: only observing, that as persons of this kind are commonly in a more destitute condition than others, therefore all good lawgivers have taken especial care of them, particularly of orphans; concerning whom Plato ordains, that the conservators of the laws should be instead of their natural parents, and look after them so well, that they should not fare the worse for the want of those parents. De Leg. lib. 8:
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
The consciousness of our past ruined state, when in the awakened condition of a poor sinner, a stranger to GOD and to CHRIST, is the best of all possible arguments, to induce compassion to the souls of the unawakened. Oh! that the Reader, if the LORD hath in mercy called him out of darkness and the shadow of death, may feel somewhat of the Psalmist’s spirit: Psa 66:16 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Deu 24:17-18
17You shall not pervert the justice due an alien or an orphan, nor take a widow’s garment in pledge. 18But you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and that the LORD your God redeemed you from there; therefore I am commanding you to do this thing.
Deu 24:17 You shall not pervert the justice due The VERB (BDB 639, KB 692) basically means stretch out, spread out or turn. Often this is used metaphorically of turn to the right or left and leaving God’s clearly revealed law (cf. Deu 5:32; Deu 17:11; Deu 17:20; Deu 28:14; Jos 1:7; Jos 23:6).
There are several places where the object of this turning/perverting is justice (BDB 1048, cf. Exo 23:6; Deu 16:19; Deu 24:17; Deu 27:19; 1Sa 8:3; Pro 17:23; Lam 3:35; and Amo 2:7). Justice is YHWH’s will for everyone in Israelite society because it reflects His character and treatment of them (cf. Deu 32:4).
alien or an orphan, nor take a widow’s garment in pledge See Deu 10:18 and Exo 22:22-24. Moses’ Law Code is different from the other ancient Mesopotamian Law Codes in its care for the poor, needy, and socially powerless!
Deu 24:18 But you shall remember Notice that this emphasis on remembering (BDB 269, KB 269, Qal PERFECT) is mentioned three times in this chapter (Deu 24:9; Deu 24:18; Deu 24:22). The past does affect the future. Israel was to remember and then act appropriately today!
redeemed See Special Topic: Ransom/Redeem .
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
fatherless. Some codices, with The Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel and Septuagint, read “or the widow”.
pledge. Not Hebrew. ‘abot as Deu 24:10-13, but kabal, as in Deu 24:6.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
pervert: Deu 16:19, Deu 27:19, Exo 22:21, Exo 22:22, Exo 23:2, Exo 23:6, Exo 23:9, 1Sa 12:3, 1Sa 12:4, Job 22:8, Job 22:9, Job 29:11-17, Psa 82:1-5, Psa 94:3-6, Psa 94:20, Psa 94:21, Pro 22:22, Pro 22:23, Pro 31:5, Ecc 5:8, Isa 1:23, Isa 3:15, Isa 33:15, Jer 5:28, Jer 22:3, Eze 22:7, Eze 22:29, Amo 5:7-12, Mic 2:1, Mic 2:2, Mic 7:3, Zec 7:10, Mal 3:5, Luk 3:14, Jam 2:6
nor take: Exo 22:26, Exo 22:27
Reciprocal: Deu 24:12 – General Job 24:3 – drive Jer 7:6 – oppress Eze 18:7 – hath restored Eze 33:15 – restore 2Pe 2:3 – make
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Deu 24:17. Raiment Not such as he hath daily and necessary use of, as being poor. But this concerns not rich persons, nor superfluous raiment.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Deu 24:17-22. Laws in the interest of the sojourner (see Deu 1:16*), the orphan (EV, fatherless because the motherless orphan would be seen to by the father), and the widow (Deu 10:18*), classes for which D shows great concern (Deu 15:12-18*), the Levite (Deu 18:1-8*) being often added (Deu 26:12, etc.).
Deu 24:17 f. Exo 22:21 f.* (JE).
Deu 24:19-22. Lev 19:9*, Lev 23:22, cf. Ruth 2. The language here is that of D.
Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible
24:17 Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the {g} stranger, [nor] of the fatherless; nor take a widow’s raiment to pledge:
(g) Because the world valued these people least, therefore God has most care over them.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The indigent 24:17-22
God guarded the rights of aliens (non-Israelites living in Israel), orphans, and widows since they were not as capable of defending themselves as other Israelites were (Deu 24:17-22).