Deuteronomy – Chapter 24

Old Testament22 Verses

Chapter Summary

"If a man take a wife, and have her, and she find not favour in his eyes, for some uncleanness: he shall write a bill of divorce, and shall…" — so begins Deuteronomy 24. Mary stands at the center of this chapter. Across its 22 verses, two threads run through the text: family and covenant relationships and justice and care for the poor. Read slowly, this chapter rewards the kind of prayerful attention the Church calls lectio divina.

1If a man take a wife, and have her, and she find not favour in his eyes, for some uncleanness: he shall write a bill of divorce, and shall give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.

2And when she is departed, and marrieth another husband,

3And he also hateth her, and hath given her a bill of divorce, and hath sent her out of his house or is dead:

4The former husband cannot take her again to wife: because she is defiled, and is become abominable before the Lord: lest thou cause thy land to sin, which the Lord thy God shall give thee to possess.

5When a man hath lately taken a wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall any public business be enjoined him, but he shall be free at home without fault, that for one year he may rejoice with his wife.

6Thou shalt not take the nether, nor the upper millstone to pledge: for he hath pledged his life to thee.

7If any man be found soliciting his brother of the children of Israel, and selling him shall take a price, he shall be put to death, and thou shalt take away the evil from the midst of thee.

8Observe diligently that thou incur not the stroke of the leprosy, but thou shalt do whatsoever the priests of the Levitical race shall teach thee, according to what I have commanded them, and fulfil thou it carefully.

9Remember what the Lord your God did to Mary, in the way when you came out of Egypt.

10When thou shalt demand of thy neighbour any thing that he oweth thee, thou shalt not go into his house to take away a pledge:

11But thou shalt stand without, and he shall bring out to thee what he hath.

12But if he be poor, the pledge shall not lodge with thee that night,

13But thou shalt restore it to him presently before the going down of the sun: that he may sleep in his own raiment and bless thee, and thou mayst have justice before the Lord thy God.

14Thou shalt not refuse the hire of the needy, and the poor, whether he be thy brother, or a stranger that dwelleth with thee in the land, and is within thy gates:

15But thou shalt pay him the price of his labour the same day, before the going down of the sun, because he is poor, and with it maintaineth his life: lest he cry against thee to the Lord, and it be reputed to thee for a sin.

16The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, nor the children for the fathers, but every one shall die for his own sin,

17Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger nor of the fatherless, neither shalt thou take away the widow's raiment for a pledge.

18Remember that thou wast a slave in Egypt, and the Lord thy God delivered thee from thence. Therefore I command thee to do this thing.

19When thou hast reaped the corn in thy field, and hast forgot and left a sheaf, thou shalt not return to take it away: but thou shalt suffer the stranger, and the fatherless and the widow to take it away: that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the works of thy hands.

20If thou have gathered the fruit of thy olive trees, thou shalt not return to gather whatsoever remaineth on the trees: but shalt leave it for the stranger, for the fatherless, and the widow.

21If thou make the vintage of thy vineyard, thou shalt not gather the clusters that remain, but they shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow.

22Remember that thou also wast a bondman in Egypt, and therefore I command thee to do this thing.

Important Verses in Deuteronomy 24

The former husband cannot take her again to wife: because she is defiled, and is become abominable before the Lord: lest thou cause thy land to sin, which the Lord thy God shall give thee to possess.

Deuteronomy 24:4

Remember what the Lord your God did to Mary, in the way when you came out of Egypt.

Deuteronomy 24:9

But thou shalt restore it to him presently before the going down of the sun: that he may sleep in his own raiment and bless thee, and thou mayst have justice before the Lord thy God.

Deuteronomy 24:13

Remember that thou wast a slave in Egypt, and the Lord thy God delivered thee from thence. Therefore I command thee to do this thing.

Deuteronomy 24:18

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 24 of 34 moves toward the climax of the book as earlier promises and conflicts converge. It is a legal and cultic instruction given to Israel regarding worship, holiness, and daily life with 22 verses in the Douay-Rheims translation. Historical attention falls on Mary, the principal figures named in this chapter. The chapter begins: "If a man take a wife, and have her, and she find not favour in his eyes, for some uncleanness: he shall write a bill of…" The final verse reads: "Remember that thou also wast a bondman in Egypt, and therefore I command thee to do this thing. " The wider setting of Deuteronomy is this: Deuteronomy means 'second law': Moses' final sermons on the plains of Moab, renewing the Sinai covenant for the generation about to enter Canaan. Scholarly and ecclesial tradition places the composition of Deuteronomy around 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

This chapter presents divine statutes and cultic norms that shaped Israel's worship and moral life. A pivotal line is verse 4: "The former husband cannot take her again to wife: because she is defiled, and is become abominable before the Lord: lest thou cause thy land to sin, which the…" 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 1814). 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.
  • God defends the poor and the oppressed, and calls His people to act with justice.
  • Sin has real consequences, but God's judgment always aims at conversion and restoration.

People in This Chapter

Mary1 mention

Reflection for Today

Deuteronomy Chapter 24, containing 22 verses in the Douay-Rheims translation, offers a distinct passage for prayer and meditation.

The Magisterium teaches that every biblical passage must be read in light of Christ, the center of Scripture (CIC 26). Here the emphasis falls on hope in the resurrection, which shapes how the Church understands covenant renewal and the call to love God.

As you continue through Deuteronomy, carry this chapter's lesson into your family, parish, and work. Catholic faith is always ecclesial—God speaks to us as members of Christ's Body, not as isolated individuals.

💡Catholic Reflection • Church Teachings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Deuteronomy Chapter 24 about?

Deuteronomy 24 contains 22 verses. It opens with "If a man take a wife, and have her, and she find not favour in his eyes, for some uncleanness: he shall write a bill of…" and closes with "Remember that thou also wast a bondman in Egypt, and therefore I command thee to do this thing. ". The book as a whole is covenant discourses and law.

What is a key verse in Deuteronomy 24?

One of the most significant verses is verse 4: "The former husband cannot take her again to wife: because she is defiled, and is become abominable before the Lord: lest thou cause thy land to sin, which the Lord thy God shall…" It is often cited in Catholic teaching and preaching.

Who appears in Deuteronomy Chapter 24?

This chapter mentions Mary.

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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