Note: here is another proposal for this passage. Why the three exceptions for military service? Is the connection between the three to do with  a man  setting up a home and family before he dies – build a house, plant a vineyard and get a wife?

A. 1 When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

B. 2 And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people, 3 And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them; 4 For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.

C. 5 And the officers shall speak unto the people, saying,

 a. What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it.

b. 6 And what man is he that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not yet eaten of it? let him also go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man eat of it.

c. 7 And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her.

B’. 8 And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren’s heart faint as well as his heart.

A’. 9 And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people.

A. (first husband) 1 When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.

B.(marriage permitted)  2 And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man’s wife.

A’. (second husband) 3 And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife;

B’. (marriage not permitted) 4 Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the LORD: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

A. 5 When a man hath taken a new wife,

B. he shall not go out to war,

C. neither shall he be charged with any business:

C’. but he shall be free

B’. at home one year,

A’. and shall cheer up his wife which he hath taken.

A. 6 No man shall take [ to pledge:]

B. the nether or the upper millstone [to pledge]

B’. for he taketh a man’s life

A’. to pledge.

A. 7 If a man be found stealing any of his brethren of the children of Israel,

B. and maketh merchandise of him,

B’. or selleth him;

A’. then that thief shall die; and thou shalt put evil away from among you.

Note: small structures that point up the equity of the law.

A. 10 When thou dost lend thy brother any thing,

B. thou shalt not go into his house  to fetch his pledge.

C. 11 Thou shalt stand abroad,

A’. and the man to whom thou dost lend

B’. shall bring out the pledge

C’. abroad unto thee.

A. 12 And if the man be poor [only has the one garment],

B. thou shalt not sleep with his pledge:

B’. 13 In any case thou shalt deliver him the pledge again when the sun goeth down,

A’. that he may sleep in his own raiment, and bless thee: and it shall be righteousness unto thee before the LORD thy God.

A. 14 Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant

B. that is poor and needy,whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy gates:

C. 15 At his day thou shalt give him his hire,

C’. neither shall the sun go down upon it;

B’. for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it:

A’. lest he cry against thee unto the LORD,  and it be sin unto thee.

A. 16 The fathers

B. shall not be put to death

C. for the children,

C’. neither shall the children

B’. be put to death

A’. for the fathers:

A. every man

B. shall be put to death

A’. for his own sin.

A. 19 When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it,

B. thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them: for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down

C. (for the tree of the field is man’s life)

B’. to employ them in the siege: 20 Only the trees which thou knowest that they be not trees for meat, thou shalt destroy and cut them down;

A’. and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it be subdued.

Note: this short section about false witnesses is a warning to take the judicial system very seriously.  A and A’ provide the boundaries by re-stating judicial principles – 2 or 3 witnesses (v15) and the impartial application of a just law (v21). The passage implies that a witness may give false evidence in order to gain reward or satisfy a grudge, and therefore should be cross-examined. The punishment for such is perfectly proportional – the same as was demanded for the accused!

A. 15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.

B. 16 If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong; 17 Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days;

C. 18 And the judges shall make diligent inquisition:

B’. and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother; 19 Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother:  so shalt thou put the evil away from among you. 20 And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you.

A’. 21 And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.