Deuteronomy 24:5

King James Version

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.

Parallel Translations

English Standard Version
"When a man is newly married, he shall not go out with the army or be liable for any other public duty. He shall be free at home one year to be happy with his wife whom he has taken.

Update Bible Version
When a man takes 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 has taken.

English Revised Version
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 which he hath taken.

New Century Version
A man who has just married must not be sent to war or be given any other duty. He should be free to stay home for a year to make his new wife happy.

New English Translation
When a man is newly married, he need not go into the army nor be obligated in any way; he must be free to stay at home for a full year and bring joy to the wife he has married.

Webster's Bible Translation
When a man hath newly taken a 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 his wife which he hath taken.

World English Bible
When a man takes 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 has taken.

Amplified Bible
"When a man takes a new wife, he shall not go out [to fight] with the army nor be charged with any duty; he shall be free at home for one year and shall bring happiness to his wife whom he has taken.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Whanne a man hath take late a wijf, he schal not go forth to batel, nethir ony thing of comyn nede schal be enioyned to hym, but he schal yyue tent with out blame to his hows, that he be glad in o yeer with his wijf.

Young's Literal Translation
`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.

Berean Standard Bible
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.

Contemporary English Version
Moses said to Israel: If a man and a woman have been married less than one year, he must not be sent off to war or sent away to do forced labor. He must be allowed to stay home for a year and be happy with his wife.

American Standard Version
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.

Bible in Basic English
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.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
When a man taketh a newe wyfe, he shall not go a warfare, neither shalbe charged with any businesse: but shalbe free at home one yere, and reioyce with his wyfe whiche he hath taken.

Complete Jewish Bible
(vi) "If a man has recently married his wife, he is not to be subject to military service; he is to be free of external obligations and left at home for one year to make his new wife happy.

Darby Translation
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.

Easy-to-Read Version
"When a man is newly married, he must not be sent into the army. And he must not be given any other special work. For one year he must be free to stay home and make his new wife happy.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
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 for his house one year, and shall cheer his wife whom he hath taken.

King James Version (1611)
When a man hath taken a new wife, he shal not goe out to warre, neither shall hee be charged with any businesse: but hee shall be free at home one yeere, and shall cheere vp his wife which he hath taken.

New Life Bible
"When a man takes a new wife, he must not go with the army or be given any other work. He should be free to be at home one year to make the wife he has taken happy.

New Revised Standard
When a man is newly married, he shall not go out with the army or be charged with any related duty. He shall be free at home one year, to be happy with the wife whom he has married.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
When a man taketh a new wife, he shall not go forth to war, neither shall he be charged with any business, - free, shall he be for his own house one year, and shall rejoice with his wife whom he hath taken.

Geneva Bible (1587)
When a man taketh a new wife, he shall not goe a warfare, neither shalbe charged with any businesse, but shalbe free at home one yeere, and reioyce with his wife which he hath taken.

George Lamsa Translation
When a man takes a new wife, he shall not go out with the army, neither shall he be charged with any business; but he shall be free at his home for one year, and shall rejoice with his wife whom he has taken.

Good News Translation
"When a man is newly married, he is not to be drafted into military service or any other public duty; he is to be excused from duty for one year, so that he can stay at home and make his wife happy.

Douay-Rheims Bible
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.

Revised Standard Version
"When a man is newly married, he shall not go out with the army or be charged with any business; he shall be free at home one year, to be happy with his wife whom he has taken.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
and the last husband should hate her, and write for her a bill of divorcement; and should give it into her hands, and send her away out of his house, and the last husband should die, who took her to himself for a wife;

Christian Standard Bible®
“When a man takes a bride, he must not go out with the army or be liable for any duty. He is free to stay at home for one year, so that he can bring joy to the wife he has married.

Hebrew Names Version
When a man takes 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 has taken.

Lexham English Bible
"When a man takes a new wife he shall not go out with the army, and he shall not be obligated with anything; he shall be free from obligation, to stay at home for one year, and he shall bring joy to his wife that he took.

Literal Translation
When a man has taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war, and he shall not be given any thing to do . He shall be free at his own house for one year, and shall gladden his wife whom he has taken.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Whan a man hath newly taken a wyfe, he shall not go awarre fare, nether shall he be charged withall. He shal be fre in his house one yeare longe, that he maye be mery wt his wife which he hath taken.

THE MESSAGE
When a man takes a new wife, he is not to go out with the army or be given any business or work duties. He gets one year off simply to be at home making his wife happy.

New American Standard Bible
"When a man takes a new wife, he is not to go out with the army, nor be assigned any duty; he shall be free at home for one year and shall make his wife whom he has taken happy.

New King James Version
"When a man has taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war or be charged with any business; he shall be free at home one year, and bring happiness to his wife whom he has taken.

New Living Translation
"A newly married man must not be drafted into the army or be given any other official responsibilities. He must be free to spend one year at home, bringing happiness to the wife he has married.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"When a man takes a new wife, he shall not go out with the army nor be charged with any duty; he shall be free at home one year and shall give happiness to his wife whom he has taken.

Legacy Standard Bible
"When a man takes a new wife, he shall not go out with the army nor be charged with any duty; he shall be free at home one year and shall give gladness to his wife whom he has taken.

Contextual Overview

⁵ 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. ⁶ No man shall take the nether or the upper millstone to pledge: for he taketh a man's life to pledge. ⁷ If a man be found stealing any of his brethren of the children of Israel, and maketh merchandise of him, or selleth him; then that thief shall die; and thou shalt put evil away from among you. ⁸ Take heed in the plague of leprosy, that thou observe diligently, and do according to all that the priests the Levites shall teach you: as I commanded them, so ye shall observe to do. ⁹ Remember what the Lord thy God did unto Miriam by the way, after that ye were come forth out of Egypt. ¹⁰ When thou dost lend thy brother any thing, thou shalt not go into his house to fetch his pledge. ¹¹ Thou shalt stand abroad, and the man to whom thou dost lend shall bring out the pledge abroad unto thee. ¹² And if the man be poor, thou shalt not sleep with his pledge: ¹³ In any case thou shalt deliver him the pledge again when the sun goeth down, that he may sleep in his own raiment, and bless thee: and it shall be righteousness unto thee before the Lord thy God.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

a man: Deuteronomy 20:7, Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:4-6, Mark 10:6-9, 1 Corinthians 7:10-15, Ephesians 5:28, Ephesians 5:29, Titus 2:4, Titus 2:5

neither: etc. Heb. not anything shall pass upon him

cheer up: Proverbs 5:18, Ecclesiastes 9:9, 1 Corinthians 7:29

Reciprocal: Numbers 1:3 - able

Cross-References

Genesis 24:58
And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.

Exodus 9:2
For if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still,

Exodus 20:7
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Proverbs 13:16
Every prudent man dealeth with knowledge: but a fool layeth open his folly.

Jeremiah 4:2
And thou shalt swear, The Lord liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

When a man hath taken a new wife,.... A wife he has lately married, new to him, though a widow, as Jarchi observes; but the Targum of Jonathan says a virgin; however this is opposed to his old wife, and divorced; for this, as Jarchi and Ben Melech say, excepts the return of a divorced wife, who cannot be said to be a new one:

he shall not go out to war; this is to be understood of a man that had not only betrothed, but married a wife; a man that had betrothed a wife, and not married her, who went out to war, might return if he would, Deuteronomy 20:7; but one that had married a wife was not to go out to war:

neither shall be charged with any business; as betrothed ones were; they, though they had a liberty of returning, yet they were to provide food and drink for the army, and to prepare or mend the highways, as Jarchi observes; but these were not obliged to such things, nor even to keep watch on the walls of the city, or to pay taxes, as Maimonides b writes:

[but] he shall be free at home one year; not only from all tributes and taxes, and everything relative to the affairs of war, but from public offices and employments, which might occasion absence from home. Jarchi remarks, that his house or home comprehends his vineyard; and so he thinks that this respects his house and his vineyard, that if he had built a house and dedicated it, or planted a vineyard and made it common, yet was not to remove from his house because of the necessities of war:

and shall cheer up his wife which he hath taken; or rejoice with his wife which he hath taken, and solace themselves with love; and thereby not only endear himself to her, but settle his affections on her, and be so confirmed in conjugal love, that hereafter no jealousies may arise, or any cause of divorce, which this law seems to be made to guard against. So it is said c, that Alexander after the battle of Granicus sent home to Macedonia his newly married soldiers, to winter with their wives, and return at spring; which his master Aristotle had taught him, and as he was taught by a Jew.

b Hilchot Melachim, c. 7. sect. 10, 11. c Arrian. Expedit Alex. l. 1.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Deuteronomy 24:5. When a man hath taken a new wife — Other people made a similar provision for such circumstances. Alexander ordered those of his soldiers who had married that year to spend the winter with their wives, while the army was in winter quarters. See Arrian, lib. i.