Deuteronomy – Chapter 22

Old Testament30 Verses

Chapter Summary

Chapter 22 of Deuteronomy begins: "Thou shalt not pass by if thou seest thy brother's ox, or his sheep go astray: but thou shalt bring them back to thy brother." Across its 30 verses, two threads run through the text: family and covenant relationships and sin and divine judgment. Read slowly, this chapter rewards the kind of prayerful attention the Church calls lectio divina.

1Thou shalt not pass by if thou seest thy brother's ox, or his sheep go astray: but thou shalt bring them back to thy brother.

2And if thy brother be not nigh, or thou know him not: thou shalt bring them to thy house, and they shall be with thee until thy brother seek them, and receive them.

3Thou shalt do in like manner with his ass, and with his raiment, and with every thing that is thy brother's, which is lost: if thou find it, neglect it not as pertaining to another.

4If thou see thy brother's ass or his ox to be fallen down in the way, thou shalt not slight it, but shalt lift it up with him.

5A woman shall not be clothed with man's apparel, neither shall a man use woman's apparel: for he that doth these things is abominable before God.

6If thou find as thou walkest by the way, a bird's nest in a tree, or on the ground, and the dam sitting upon the young or upon the eggs: thou shalt not take her with her young:

7But shalt let her go, keeping the young which thou hast caught: that it may be well with thee, and thou mayst live a long time.

8When thou buildest a new house, thou shalt make a battlement to the roof round about: lest blood be shed in thy house, and thou be guilty, if any one slip, and fall down headlong.

9Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with divers seeds: lest both the seed which thou hast sown, and the fruit of the vineyard, be sanctified together.

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

11Thou shalt not wear a garment that is woven of woollen and linen together.

12Thou shalt make strings in the hem at the four corners of thy cloak, wherewith thou shalt be covered.

13If a man marry a wife, and afterwards hate her,

14And seek occasions to put her away, laying to her charge a very ill name, and say: I took this woman to wife, and going in to her, I found her not a virgin:

15Her father and mother shall take her, and shall bring with them the tokens of her virginity to the ancients of the city that are in the gate:

16And the father shall say: I gave my daughter unto this man to wife: and because he hateth her,

17He layeth to her charge a very ill name, so as to say: I found not thy daughter a virgin: and behold these are the tokens of my daughter's virginity. And they shall spread the cloth before the ancients of the city:

18And the ancients of that city shall take that man, and beat him,

19Condemning him besides in a hundred sicles of silver, which he shall give to the damsel's father, because he hath defamed by a very ill name a virgin of Israel: and he shall have her to wife, and may not put her away all the days of his life.

20But if what he charged her with be true, and virginity be not found in the damsel:

21They shall cast her out of the doors of her father's house, and the men of the city shall stone her to death, and she shall die: because she hath done a wicked thing in Israel, to play the whore in her father's house: and thou shalt take away the evil out of the midst of thee.

22If a man lie with another man's wife, they shall both die, that is to say, the adulterer and the adulteress: and thou shalt take away the evil out of Israel.

23If a man have espoused a damsel that is a virgin, and some one find her in the city, and lie with her,

24Thou shalt bring them both out to the gate of that city, and they shall be stoned: the damsel, because she cried not out, being in the city: the man, because he hath humbled his neighbour's wife. And thou shalt take away the evil from the midst of thee.

25But if a man find a damsel that is betrothed, in the field, and taking hold of her, lie with her, he alone shall die:

26The damsel shall suffer nothing, neither is she guilty of death: for as a robber riseth against his brother, and taketh away his life, so also did the damsel suffer:

27She was alone in the field: she cried, and there was no man to help her.

28If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, who is not espoused, and taking her, lie with her, and the matter come to judgment:

29He that lay with her shall give to the father of the maid fifty sicles of silver, and shall have her to wife, because he hath humbled her: he may not put her away all the days of his life.

30No man shall take his father's wife, nor remove his covering.

Important Verses in Deuteronomy 22

Thou shalt not pass by if thou seest thy brother's ox, or his sheep go astray: but thou shalt bring them back to thy brother.

Deuteronomy 22:1

A woman shall not be clothed with man's apparel, neither shall a man use woman's apparel: for he that doth these things is abominable before God.

Deuteronomy 22:5

The damsel shall suffer nothing, neither is she guilty of death: for as a robber riseth against his brother, and taketh away his life, so also did the damsel suffer:

Deuteronomy 22:26

He that lay with her shall give to the father of the maid fifty sicles of silver, and shall have her to wife, because he hath humbled her: he may not put her away all the days of his life.

Deuteronomy 22:29

Historical Context

Deuteronomy addresses the new generation of Israel about to cross the Jordan into Canaan within the broader story of God's covenant people. Chapter 22 of 34 stands in the central portion of the book, where decisive events or teachings take shape. It is a legal and cultic instruction given to Israel regarding worship, holiness, and daily life with 30 verses in the Douay-Rheims translation. The passage starts with these words: "Thou shalt not pass by if thou seest thy brother's ox, or his sheep go astray: but thou shalt bring them back to thy…" The chapter ends with: "No man shall take his father's wife, nor remove his covering. " In terms of historical background, Deuteronomy means 'second law': Moses' final sermons on the plains of Moab, renewing the Sinai covenant for the generation about to enter Canaan. The book's material reflects the era summarized as follows: Traditions from Moses; book discovered in the Temple during King Josiah's reform around 622 BC.

Who Wrote It

Presented as Moses' farewell discourses; compiled and edited by inspired scribes, likely in the 7th century BC

When It Was Written

Traditions from Moses; book discovered in the Temple during King Josiah's reform around 622 BC

Catholic Commentary

The text sets forth laws and observances that distinguished Israel as a people consecrated to the Lord. A pivotal line is verse 1: "Thou shalt not pass by if thou seest thy brother's ox, or his sheep go astray: but thou shalt bring them back to thy brother." The passage repeatedly touches on family and covenant relationships.

The Church teaches that every passage of Scripture must be read in light of Christ and the Magisterium (CIC 1324). Here, Jesus cited Deuteronomy's command to love God as the greatest commandment (CIC 2083). The spiritual sense invites believers to recognize family and covenant relationships as part of God's pedagogy of salvation.

For Christians today, the chapter's lesson is clear: The family is the first school of faith, where love, obedience, and forgiveness are learned.. The Church invites us to receive this word not as antiquarian information but as living Scripture proclaimed at Mass and prayed in lectio divina.

Main Teachings

  • The family is the first school of faith, where love, obedience, and forgiveness are learned.
  • Sin has real consequences, but God's judgment always aims at conversion and restoration.
  • Suffering, united to Christ, becomes a path of purification and deeper trust in God.

Reflection for Today

When the Church proclaims Deuteronomy Chapter 22 at Mass or in the Liturgy of the Hours, she treats this text as the living voice of God.

In the four senses of Scripture—literal, allegorical, moral, and anagogical—the Church finds rich meaning in Deuteronomy Chapter 22. At the moral level, discernment and obedience to God challenges us to examine conscience and amend our lives (CIC 1814).

If this passage raises questions, seek the Church's teaching through the Catechism, a faithful priest, or sound Catholic commentaries. Private interpretation must remain in harmony with the Magisterium (CIC 2215).

💡Catholic Reflection • Church Teachings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Deuteronomy Chapter 22 about?

Deuteronomy 22 contains 30 verses. It opens with "Thou shalt not pass by if thou seest thy brother's ox, or his sheep go astray: but thou shalt bring them back to thy…" and closes with "No man shall take his father's wife, nor remove his covering. ". The book as a whole is covenant discourses and law.

What is a key verse in Deuteronomy 22?

One of the most significant verses is verse 1: "Thou shalt not pass by if thou seest thy brother's ox, or his sheep go astray: but thou shalt bring them back to thy brother." It is often cited in Catholic teaching and preaching.

Who wrote Deuteronomy and when?

Presented as Moses' farewell discourses; compiled and edited by inspired scribes, likely in the 7th century BC. Traditions from Moses; book discovered in the Temple during King Josiah's reform around 622 BC.

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