Faithful Steward Ministries and FSM Women's Outreach

DEUTERONOMY 22

Chapter CONTEXT from John Gills’ Exposition of the Bible and Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Complete)

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary 22:5-12 God’s providence extends itself to the smallest affairs, and his precepts do so, that even in them we may be in the fear of the Lord, as we are under his eye and care. Yet the tendency of these laws, which seem little, is such, that being found among the things of God’s law, they are to be accounted great things. If we would prove ourselves to be God’s people, we must have respect to his will and to his glory, and not to the vain fashions of the world. Even in putting on our garments, as in eating or in drinking, all must be done with a serious regard to preserve our own and others’ purity in heart and actions. Our eye should be single, our heart simple, and our behaviour all of a piece.

Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of linen and woollen together.—Deut. 22:11.

THOUGH the true believer, who, like the king’s daughter, is all glorious within, cannot but know, that as meat commendeth us not to God, so neither doth the necessary dress, which, since the fall, is become suited to cover our sinful bodies, make a part of our holy faith: yet it is highly proper, that persons professing godliness should use great plainness of apparel. The ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, we are told, is of great price in the sight of God. But who should have thought that such a precept as this of Moses had a gospel signification. And yet as Christ was preached under types and figures through the whole law, we may reasonably suppose that not a single command was then given, but what had an eye to him and his great salvation. But if we find the Lord so strict respecting the outward dress of the body, what may we conclude the Lord would enjoin respecting the inward clothing of the soul? If woollen and linen were offensive to be worn together, surely we cannot appear before God in the motley dress of Jesus’ righteousness and our own. The fine linen, scripture saith, is the righteousness of saints. With this, which Jesus puts on his people, nothing of our own woollen garments must be worn. The righteousness of a creature, had we any, (which in fact we have none,) cannot be suited to mix with the righteousness of the Creator. And no man that is wise for salvation, would put the old piece of our corrupt and worn out nature upon the new garment of the renewed nature in Christ Jesus. When therefore the Lord saith, Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, my heart replies, No, Lord! let me be clothed with the robe of thy righteousness, and the garment of thy salvation; then shall I be found suited for the marriage supper, when the King comes in to see the guests at his table.

Robert Hawker, The Poor Man’s Morning Portion (New York; Pittsburg: Robert Carter, 1845), 183–184.