Deuteronomy 22:5 - Meaning and Application

These laws may seem very small, as if they deal with low and minor things. Human laws often ignore such details, because they do not concern themselves with little matters. But God’s care reaches even the smallest parts of life, so his commands do too. That means we should fear the Lord in even the ordinary, overlooked things, because we live under his eye and care. These small-sounding commands are still important, because they come from God’s law and carry real weight.

The distinction between the sexes in dress must be kept clear, for the sake of our own chastity and our neighbor’s. Nature itself teaches a difference between men and women, even in hair (1 Corinthians 11:14), and the same principle applies to clothing. So their garments should not be mixed or confused, whether in daily life or by special choice. Some think this law also opposed pagan customs, especially in false worship, where women might dress like soldiers and men like women. Others take it as a warning against blurring the proper roles and duties of men and women. Men should not become soft and womanlike, and women should not take on the place of men, especially in teaching or ruling (1 Timothy 2:11-12). Very likely, such clothing changes were also used to make immoral behavior easier, and so the law forbids even the path toward sin. If we want to avoid sin, we must also avoid the openings and occasions that lead to it.

When taking a bird’s nest, the mother bird must be let go, while the young may be taken (Deuteronomy 22:6-7). The Jews said this was the smallest command in Moses’ law, yet God attaches to it the same promise given to the fifth commandment, that it may go well with you and that you may live long. Disobedience in a small thing shows great contempt for God’s law, while obedience in a small thing shows great respect for it. If a person lets a bird go simply because God said so, that shows he values all of God’s commands and can deny himself rather than sin. Does God care about birds? Yes, he does (1 Corinthians 9:9). Our Lord may have had this law in mind when he spoke of sparrows, saying that not one of them is forgotten before God (Luke 12:6).

This law teaches us not to be cruel to animals or enjoy hurting them. God has made us wiser than the birds and given us rule over them, but we must not abuse them or deal harshly with them. We should let the mother bird go so she may breed again, for there is blessing in that life (Isaiah 65:8). It also teaches compassion toward people, especially toward the weaker and more vulnerable, and it trains us to hate every cruel and rough spirit. Scripture speaks of great cruelty when a mother is dashed to pieces with her children (Hosea 10:14), or when pregnant women are ripped open (Amos 1:13). More than that, this law warns us not to take advantage of someone’s tender nature in order to harm them. The mother bird was kept there by her care for her eggs or young, and that very tenderness made her vulnerable. Since it is a pity to make her suffer for the thing that is her honor, the law says she must be let go. Remembering this may keep us from doing hard or unkind things to those who are at our mercy.

When building a house, care must be taken to make it safe, so no one will be hurt by falling from it (Deuteronomy 22:8). Their roofs were flat, and people often walked on them, so they had to build a low wall, or battlement, around the roof. If this was not done, and someone was injured or killed, the owner would be guilty because of his neglect. This shows how precious human life is to God, since he protects it not only by his providence but also by his law. It also shows how precious life should be to us, and how careful we should be to prevent harm. By the fairness of this law, people were also bound to guard or remove anything that could endanger life, like covering wells or keeping bridges in repair, so that blood would not be required because of our carelessness.

Odd mixtures are also forbidden here (Deuteronomy 22:9-10). We met much of this before (Leviticus 19:19). There does not seem to be any moral evil in these things themselves, which is why we do not now think it wrong to sow different kinds of seed together, plow with different animals, or wear cloth made of linen and wool. But the law may be warning against following pagan customs, or against anything that goes against the plain, pure life expected of Israel. They were not to satisfy vanity or curiosity by mixing together what God in his wisdom had made different. They were not to be unequally joined with unbelievers, nor mix with the unclean, as an ox and an ass would be a bad pair. Their outward life and profession before the world were not to be mixed and patchy, but clear and consistent.

The law about fringes on their garments, and reminders of God’s commands, is repeated here (Deuteronomy 22:12), and we saw it before (Numbers 15:38-39). These fringes set Israel apart from other nations, so that a person could be recognized at once as one of God’s people. That helped them not to be ashamed of their country or of the special features of their religion, even when others mocked them. The fringes also reminded them of God’s commands and the situations those commands were meant to cover. This law may be repeated here because the commands just before it seemed so small that people might have overlooked and forgotten them. The fringes would even remind them not to mix linen and wool in their clothing (Deuteronomy 22:11).