Deuteronomy 21:10-14

(6) MARRYING WOMEN CAPTIVES (Deuteronomy 21:10-14)

10 When thou goest forth to battle against thine enemies, and Jehovah thy God delivereth them into thy hands, and thou carriest them away captive, 11 and seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and thou hast a desire unto her, and wouldest take her to thee to wife; 12 then thou shalt bring her home to thy house; and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails; 13 and she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thy house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that thou shalt go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife. 14 And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go whither she will; but thou shalt not sell her at all for money, thou shalt not deal with her as a slave, because thou hast humbled her.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 21:10-14

344.

How sad to be defeated when God planned victory. The lack of conquest was not because God had not already assured triumph. Why then was Israel not victorious?

345.

Why would a pagan woman from a distance city be any more qualified for a wife than one from Canaan?

346.

Why the shaving of the hair, paring nails, putting off raiment of captivity?

347.

Show the protection and honor accorded these women. Why so?

348.

Careful provision was made for the proper attitude in marriage. Discuss this as of today.

AMPLIFIED TRANSLATION 21:10-14

10 When you go forth to battle against your enemies, and the Lord your God has given them into your hands, and you carry them away captive,
11 And you see among the captives a beautiful woman, and desire her, that you may have her as your wife,
12 Then you shall bring her home to your house; and she shall shave her head and pare her nails [in purification from heathenism],
13 And put off her prisoner's garb and shall remain in your house, and bewail her father and mother a full month. After that you may go in to her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife.
14 And if you have no delight in her, then you shall let her go absolutely free; you shall not sell her at all for money, you shall not deal with her as a slave or a servant, because you have humbled her.

COMMENT 21:10-14

As in the case of the coming appointment of kings (Deuteronomy 17:14-17), this law is made as a provision, because of the foreknowledge of God. It is made in condescension to (not endorsement of) the weakness of menand, incidentally, for the protection and honor of women.

This passage does not concern Canaanite cities, where thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth (Deuteronomy 20:16), but distant cities where the males were either killed or taken as slaves, and the women and little ones taken as prey (Deuteronomy 20:10-15). No alliances or marriages were to be made with Canaanite women.

A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN (Deuteronomy 21:11)The word beautiful is a translation of two Hebrew words yephath, beautiful, bright, fair, and toar, dilineation, form, body. Thus, literally, beautiful of form. It is used of Rachel in Genesis 29:17, where Clarke says of the word, beautiful in her shape, person, mien, and gait. In this trait, as well as being well favored (yephath mareh) she stood in contrast to Leah.

We would, of course, seriously question a man's wisdom who would choose his life's partner on such a superficial basis, with little or no chance to consider whether she was beautiful in character. We would wonder whether this love at first sight was not ninety per cent infatuation! We are tempted to warn him (as Solomon warned the young man of the seductress), Lust not after her beauty in thy heart; Neither let her take thee with her eyelids (Proverbs 6:25). We would appeal to him on the basis of the overwhelming marital difficulties of taking a non-Israelite to wifeone who probably knew little or nothing of serving Jehovah God. Grace is deceitful, and beauty is vain; But a woman that feareth Jehovah, she shall be praised (Proverbs 31:30).

But regardless of all this, God provides what shall be done when such a one is taken. The question here is not what he should have done, but what he should now do.

SHE SHALL SHAVE HER HEAD, AND PARE HER NAILS (Deuteronomy 21:12)Both of these ceremonies, as well as the putting off of the garments worn when she was taken captive (Deuteronomy 21:13), were signs of purification, separating her from her former heathenism, and preparing her for becoming a part of the people of God. Compare the law of the leper, Leviticus 14:8, and the cleansing of the Levites, Numbers 8:6-7. Shaving the head was also a sign of mourning, Job 1:20, etc.

PUT THE RAIMENT OF HER CAPTIVITY FROM OFF HER (Deuteronomy 21:13)the putting off her gorgeous dress in which ladies, on the eve of being captured arrayed themselves to be the more attractive to their captors. (J.F.B.) She then dons the garments of mourning and bewails her father and mother (who were now to her the same as dead) for thirty days. This period would also give her a chance to pull herself together, adjust to her new condition, and otherwise prepare herself for her new life-role.

More and more now, her husband is to see her as she really is.
It is well to observe the protection afforded womanhood here. By general consent in ancient times, the women were considered part of the spoils of war, and even in modern times this has often been true. Any one acquainted with the fearful license practiced among many nations towards female captives taken in war, can surely appreciate the humanizing influence these verses were intended to exert. A woman captive was not to be a plaything of passion or lust, but was to be dealt with honorably and with dignity. The requirements of this passage stand in sharp contrast to the conduct common among soldiers who have devastated a foreign power, and whose women are at their mercy.

IF THOU HAVE NO DELIGHT IN HER (Deuteronomy 21:14)This is after the marriage (Deuteronomy 21:13). In the Hebrew home, the husband was unconditionally and unreservedly the head of his wife and family in all domestic relations. Nowhere is this headship more obvious than in his right to divorce. He might, under certain circumstances, divorce his wifebut it was much more difficult for her to reverse the procedure. And in view of her position here as captive, she would have even less ability to claim her rights in marriage. See Numbers 5:12-31, Duet. Deuteronomy 22:13-21, and particularly in connection with this passage, Deuteronomy 24:1-4.

If he was displeased with her, however, he could not retain her in some subordinate or inferior capacity.

THOU SHALT NOT DEAL WITH HER AS A SLAVE (Deuteronomy 21:14)The Hebrew word amar, tendered here by five English words, signifies To show self a tyrant (Young), deal violently, tyranically with (Baumgartner). It occurs again in Deuteronomy 24:7, where it is again rendered as a slave. She had, in fact, become his wife, and she was not now to be dealt with as if she had only been a captive servant (Deuteronomy 20:14), She was to be free to go where her inclinations led.