SEV Biblia, Chapter 22:5
¶ No vestirá la mujer hábito de hombre, ni el hombre vestirá vestido de mujer; porque abominación es al SEÑOR tu Dios cualquiera que esto hace.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 22:5
Verse 5. The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man] rbg ylk keli geber, the instruments or arms of a man. As the word rbg geber is here used, which properly signifies a strong man or man of war, it is very probable that armour is here intended; especially as we know that in the worship of Venus, to which that of Astarte or Ashtaroth among the Canaanites bore a striking resemblance, the women were accustomed to appear in armour before her. It certainly cannot mean a simple change in dress, whereby the men might pass for women, and vice versa. This would have been impossible in those countries where the dress of the sexes had but little to distinguish it, and where every man wore a long beard. It is, however, a very good general precept understood literally, and applies particularly to those countries where the dress alone distinguishes between the male and the female. The close-shaved gentleman may at any time appear like a woman in the female dress, and the woman appear as a man in the male's attire. Were this to be tolerated in society, it would produce the greatest confusion. Clodius, who dressed himself like a woman that he might mingle with the Roman ladies in the feast of the Bona Dea, was universally execrated.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 5. The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man , etc.] It being very unseemly and impudent, and contrary to the modesty of her sex; or there shall not be upon her any “instrument of a man” f326 , any utensil of his which he makes use of in his trade and business; as if she was employed in it, when her business was not to do the work of men, but to take care of her house and family; and so this law may be opposed to the customs of the Egyptians, as is thought, from whom the Israelites were lately come; whose women, as Herodotus relates, used to trade and merchandise abroad, while the men kept at home; and the word also signifies armour f328 , as Onkelos renders it; and so here forbids women putting on a military habit and going with men to war, as was usual with the eastern women; and so Maimonides illustrates it, by putting a mitre or an helmet on her head, and clothing herself with a coat of mail; and in like manner Josephus explains it, “take heed, especially in war, that a woman do not make use of the habit of a man, or a man that of a woman;” nor is he to be found fault with so much as he is by a learned writer f331 , since he does not restrain it wholly to war, though he thinks it may have a special regard to that; for no doubt the law respects the times of peace as well as war, in neither of which such a practice should obtain: but the Targum of Jonathan very wrongly limits it to the wearing fringed garments, and to phylacteries, which belonged to men: neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment ; which would betray effeminacy and softness unbecoming men, and would lead the way to many impurities, by giving an opportunity of mixing with women, and so to commit fornication and adultery with them; to prevent which and to preserve chastity this law seems to be made; and since in nature a difference of sexes is made, it is proper and necessary that this should be known by difference of dress, or otherwise many evils might follow; and this precept is agreeably to the law and light of nature: it is observed by an Heathen writer f332 , that there is a twofold distribution of the law, the one written, the other not written; what we use in civil things is written, what is from nature and use is unwritten, as to walk naked in the market, or to put on a woman’s garment: and change of the clothes of sexes was used among the Heathens by way of punishment, as of the soldiers that deserted, and of adulteresses f333 ; so abominable was it accounted: indeed it may be lawful in some cases, where life is in danger, to escape that, and provided chastity is preserved: for all that do so are an abomination to the Lord thy God ; which is a reason sufficient why such a practice should not be used. Some from this clause have been led to conclude, that respect is had to some customs of this kind used in idolatrous worship, which are always abominable to the Lord. So Maimonides observes, that in a book of the Zabians, called “Tomtom”, it is commanded, that a man should wear a woman’s garment coloured when he stood before the star of Venus, and likewise that a woman should put on a coat of mail and warlike armour when she stood before the star of Mars; which he takes to be one reason of this law, though besides that he gives another, because hereby concupiscence would be excited, and an occasion for whoredom given: that there was some such customs among the Heathens may be confirmed from Macrobius f335 , and Servius as has been observed by Grotius; the former of which relates, that Philochorus affirmed that Venus is the moon, and that men sacrificed to her in women’s garments, and women in men’s; and for this reason, because she was thought to be both male and female; and the latter says, there was an image of Venus in Cyprus with a woman’s body and garment, and with the sceptre and distinction of a man, to whom the men sacrificed in women’s garments, and women in men’s garments; and, as the above learned commentator observes, there were many colonies of the Phoenicians in Cyprus, from whom this custom might come; and to prevent it obtaining among the Israelites in any degree, who were now coming into their country, it is thought this law was made; for the priests of the Assyrian Venus made use of women’s apparel f337 , and in the feasts of Bacchus men disguised themselves like women f338 .
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 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, a we are under his eye and care. Yet the tendency of these laws, whic 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, an 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 ey should be single, our heart simple, and our behaviour all of a piece.
Original Hebrew
לא 3808 יהיה 1961 כלי 3627 גבר 1397 על 5921 אשׁה 802 ולא 3808 ילבשׁ 3847 גבר 1397 שׂמלת 8071 אשׁה 802 כי 3588 תועבת 8441 יהוה 3069 אלהיך 430 כל 3605 עשׂה 6213 אלה׃ 428
