Deuteronomy 24:5 · Bible study
Deuteronomy 24:5 Commentary: A Year to Establish Marriage
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why did God command a full year’s exemption from war and business for newlyweds? This study explores the law’s purpose in fostering love and preventing divorce.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God exempts a newly married man from military and public duties for one year so he can focus on bringing joy to his wife and establishing their marriage.
- Key words: “new” (chadashah), “free” (naqi, exempt, clear), “cheer” (Piel of samach, cause to rejoice).
- Main debate: Whether the one year is primarily for procreation (until a child is conceived, Cambridge, Gill) or for emotional bonding (Calvin, Matthew Henry).
- Theological theme: God’s design for marriage as a priority over public service, and His protection of new relationships as a hedge against divorce.
- Best use: Preaching and teaching on marriage, family values, and the balance between public and private responsibilities.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
If a man is newly married, he must not be sent to war or be pressed into any duty. For one year he is free to stay at home and bring joy to the wife he has married.
WEB World English Bible 2000
When a man takes a new wife, he shall not go out in the army, neither shall he be assigned any business. He shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer his wife whom he has taken.
KJV King James Version 1769
When a man hath taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall he be charged with any business: but he shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer up his wife which he hath taken.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
When a man taketh a new wife, he shall not go out in the host, neither shall he be charged with any business: he shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer his wife whom he hath taken.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
`When a man taketh a new wife, he doth not go out into the host, and one doth not pass over unto him for anything; free he is at his own house one year, and hath rejoiced his wife whom he hath taken.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
When a man hath newly taken a wife, he shall not go out with the army, neither shall any kind of business be imposed upon him; he shall be free for his house one year, and shall gladden his wife whom he hath taken.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
When 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.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Cuando tomare alguno mujer nueva, no saldrá á la guerra, ni en ninguna cosa se le ocupará; libre estará en su casa por un año, para alegrar á su mujer que tomó.
Quando tomar alguém mulher nova, não sairá à guerra, nem em nenhuma coisa se lhe ocupará; livre estará em sua casa por ano, para alegrar à sua mulher que tomou.
Lorsqu’ un homme sera nouvellement marié, il n’ ira point à l’ armée, et on ne lui imposera aucune charge; il sera exempté par raison de famille pendant un an, et il réjouira la femme qu’ il a prise.
Wenn jemand kurz zuvor ein Weib genommen hat, der soll nicht in die Heerfahrt ziehen, und man soll ihm nichts auflegen. Er soll frei in seinem Hause sein ein Jahr lang, daß er fröhlich sei mit seinem Weibe, das er genommen hat.
Wanneer een man een nieuwe vrouw zal genomen hebben, die zal in het heir niet uittrekken, en men zal hem geen last opleggen; een jaar lang zal hij vrij zijn in zijn huis, en zijn vrouw, die hij genomen heeft, verheugen.
Quando un uomo si sarà sposato di fresco, non andrà alla guerra, e non gli sarà imposto alcun incarico; sarà libero per un anno di starsene a casa, e farà lieta la moglie che ha sposata.
Gdyby się kto świeżo ożenił, nie wynijdzie na wojnę, ani nań włożona będzie jaka praca; wolen będzie w domu swym przez cały rok weseląc się z żoną swoją, którą pojął.
Если кто взял жену недавно, то пусть не идет на войну, и ничего не должно возлагать на него; пусть он остается свободен в доме своем в продолжение одного года и увеселяет жену свою, которую взял.
「 新 娶 妻 之人 不可 從軍 出征，也不可 託 他 辦理甚麼 公事，可以 在家 清閒 一 年，使他所 娶的 妻 快活。
A newly married man will not have to go out with the army or undertake any business, but may be free for one year, living in his house for the comfort of his wife.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Deuteronomy 24:5
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this law protects the first year of marriage as a sacred time for bonding. Calvin writes that the exemption aims “to awaken that mutual love which may preserve the conjugal fidelity of husband and wife.” Matthew Henry, Gill, and the Geneva Bible all emphasize that the provision was meant to prevent the cooling of affection and to guard against the divorces addressed in the preceding verses (Deuteronomy 24:1, 4). The Cambridge Bible notes that the exemption covers not only military service but any public obligation, citing comparisons with royal levies in 1 Kings. Gill adds that the one-year period likely extends until a child is born, solidifying the couple’s union. The consensus is clear: God prioritized the establishment of a strong marital bond over the immediate demands of the community.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: God commands a full year’s exemption from military and public duties for a newly married man specifically so he can devote himself to cheering his wife and establishing their marriage.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Duration of exemption | The law grants one full year of exemption from military and public duties. | Some commentators (Cambridge, Gill) argue the year extends until a child is born, while others (Calvin, Matthew Henry) focus on emotional bonding without specifying a child. |
| Definition of ‘new wife’ | It refers to a recently married woman, not an ex-wife taken back after divorce. | Gill notes that Jarchi and Ben Melech say a divorced wife returned does not count; Jonathan’s Targum specifies a virgin, while Jarchi allows a widow. So the term ‘new’ is interpreted differently among Jewish sources. |
| Scope of exemption | The man is exempt from both military service and any public business. | Gill includes exemption from taxes and city watch duties; Cambridge adds royal levies. There is no disagreement that the exemption is comprehensive for the year. |
| Purpose of the year | The year is meant to strengthen the marital bond and prevent divorce. | Calvin emphasizes preventing adultery and incontinency; Matthew Henry emphasizes preventing the cooling of love; Gill and Cambridge add the procreation motive. These are complementary, not contradictory, but different traditions have different emphases. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Deuteronomy 24:5 appears in a section of laws governing family and social justice. Israel’s military structure relied on a militia of free men called up for campaigns, often lasting months. Public obligations also included forced labor for royal projects (1 Kings 5:13; 15:22), as the Cambridge Bible observes. This law exempts the newly married man from both.
The surrounding context addresses divorce (vv. 1, 4), connecting directly: if a marriage ends badly, the first year is where it might begin to fail. Matthew Henry notes that “this law fitly follows upon the laws concerning divorce, which would be prevented if their affection to each other were well settled at first.”
Culturally, other ancient societies made similar provisions. Adam Clarke and Gill reference Alexander the Great sending newly married soldiers home to winter with their wives after the Battle of Granicus, a practice Alexander learned from his teacher Aristotle, who, according to tradition, was taught by a Jew. This suggests the law’s wisdom was recognized beyond Israel.
The verb “cheer” (Piel of samach) means “to cause to rejoice, to gladden.” It implies active, intentional effort by the husband to bring joy to his wife, not merely passive presence. The year is not a vacation but a season of dedicated cultivation of marital intimacy.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Deuteronomy 24:5. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts, and the translations all convey the same meaning. The Vulgate reads “be happy with his wife” from different pointing, as Cambridge mentions, but this does not change the sense.
Reception History
This verse has been widely cited throughout church history as evidence of God’s care for marriage. Early Jewish interpretation, reflected in the Mishnah and Talmud, used it to establish the rights of a new husband. The Reformers, particularly Calvin and Matthew Henry, saw in it a divine command to guard marital love against external pressures. They connected it to Paul’s instruction in 1 Corinthians 7 that spouses should not deprive each other. In more recent centuries, commentators like Keil and Delitzsch have situated it within the broader structure of Deuteronomy’s laws, noting its placement between divorce regulations and laws about pledges. The verse remains a key text for Christian teaching on the priority of marriage over career or public service.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God prioritizes marriage over public service. The newly married man is exempt from army and all business. This ordering shows that the foundational family unit matters more to God than national or communal projects.
- The year of freedom is a gift, not a burden. The command is “free at home one year.” It releases the husband from external pressures so he can invest fully in his marriage. The goal is joy: “shall cheer his wife.”
- Marriage stability prevents divorce. Immediately after the laws of divorce (24:1, 4), this law offers a proactive solution. A well-established first year builds the trust and affection that can weather future challenges.
Five-point outline
- A new wife: The provision applies to a “new” marriage, the first year of a fresh covenant, when the couple is most vulnerable to separation.
- No army: Exemption from military duty, which would separate the couple for months and expose the husband to temptation (Calvin).
- No business: Public obligations (taxes, forced labor, civic posts) are also suspended. The focus is solely on the home.
- Free at home: The Hebrew word naqi means “free, exempt, clear.” He is untouchable for any public demand for a full year.
- Cheer his wife: The husband is commanded to actively gladden his wife. This is not optional leisure but a duty of love.
Illustration hooks
- A pastor’s first year: Many churches today give a newly married couple time off from heavy responsibilities. This text affirms that wisdom.
- Military leave: Modern armies often grant leave for weddings or after a birth. Deuteronomy extends it to a full year for the sake of the marriage itself.
- The “first year” in any relationship: Starting a new job, moving to a new city, people instinctively know the first year requires special attention. God built that principle into His law.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does this law apply to Christians today, and if so, how?
- What about people who are already married or single? Does this passage have anything to say to them?
- How can a couple actively “cheer” one another in the first year of marriage? What does that look like practically?
Leading a Discussion
This law appears in a section of Deuteronomy that moves from the public square back into the home. After addressing divorce, Moses commands a year of focused attention for newlyweds. The text invites us to consider what God values most and how we can protect the relationships He has joined.
Discussion questions
- What does the text say about a newly married man’s obligations? What is he exempt from, and what is he commanded to do?
- Why do you think the exemption covers both military service and “any business”? What might this imply about the pressures of daily life on marriage?
- Read Genesis 2:24 and Matthew 19:4, 6. How does this law in Deuteronomy support the vision of marriage as a “one flesh” union?
- What assumptions does the law make about the fragility or importance of the first year of marriage? Do those assumptions hold true today?
- How might this command prevent the divorces described in Deuteronomy 24:1, 4? In what ways does it reflect God’s mercy?
- If you are married, what would a “year of freedom” have looked like for you? What pressures did you face that this law addresses?
- How can your church community apply the spirit of this law, prioritizing marriage and creating space for couples to bond?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 2:24 | Therefore a man will leave his father and his mother, and will join with his wife, and they will be one flesh. |
| Deuteronomy 20:7 | What man is there who has pledged to be married to a wife, and has not taken her? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her.” |
| Proverbs 5:18 | Let your spring be blessed. Rejoice in the wife of your youth. |
| Ecclesiastes 9:9 | Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your life of vanity, which he has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity, for that is your portion in life, and in your labor in which you labor under the sun. |
| Matthew 19:4 | He answered, “Haven’t you read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female, |
| Matthew 19:6 | So that they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, don’t let man tear apart.” |
| Mark 10:6 | But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female. |
| Mark 10:9 | What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that the law's provision for a newly married man echoes a practice found in other ancient cultures. He cites Alexander the Great, who excused soldiers who had married that year from winter campaigning so they could stay with their wives. For Clarke, this shows the law's humane concern was shared by good rulers elsewhere.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin interprets the year-long exemption from military service as God's deliberate provision to build mutual love and trust in new marriages, protecting both spouses from temptation to infidelity during this vulnerable time. He also notes that God graciously covers the inherent sinfulness of marital desire under the veil of holy matrimony.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator notes that the law's placement here may be due to its opening matching the previous law. The exemption covers not only military service but also public works, recalling Babylonian practices. The Hebrew term for "free" means unburdened from all obligation, with the year's length implying time for the child's birth.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses that a newly married man receives a full year's exemption from all public duties, including military service. This provision ensures he has unhurried time to build companionship and joy with his wife, free from the distractions of business or war.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that a newly married man is exempt from war and all public duties for a full year, not for military convenience but to strengthen marital affection. The law aims to prevent future jealousy or divorce by ensuring the couple's bond is firmly settled through a year of undisturbed companionship.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that this exemption served a practical purpose beyond kindness: it gave newlyweds time to build deep affection, which helped prevent the divorces mentioned nearby. The law protected marriages by allowing them to take root before war or other duties could pull the couple apart.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch stress that Moses did not establish divorce as a right but regulated an existing custom, forbidding a man from remarrying his divorced wife after she had married another. They call the second marriage a moral defilement, implicitly equating it with adultery, thereby putting a check on frivolous divorce.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads this block of laws as a unified picture of Israel's life at home after war, where the experience of being rescued from Egypt shapes every command. He shows how the laws bind the two tables together: reverence for God and care for the vulnerable are never separate. The distinctive thread is that even the most ordinary domestic and economic rules are acts of worship.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry connects this exemption directly to the divorce laws that precede it, arguing that a husband's absence in the first year could cool his love and draw his heart elsewhere. God therefore releases him from war and public business for a full year, giving him time to cheer his new wife and build a bond that will protect against divorce.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley defines "business" as any public office or employment that might cause a husband to neglect his wife. The one-year exemption from such duties is given so the couple's affections become firmly settled, preventing the divorces that could otherwise arise from a lack of early bonding.