Women at Work in the Deuteronomistic History - International Voices ...

296 | WOMEN AT WORK IN THE DTRH
v. 7, 8, 16, 18 and 20. This leaves us with a rather uniform set of laws, where
very few laws and explanations appear with the verb without the negative
particle.
The divine name ךיהלא הוהי, and הוהי in construct with להק, appears
repeatedly in v. 2–6 and 19–22, once each time in v. 9, 15, and 24.
There is also the use of relational terms: sons and daughters of Israel (v. 9,
18), “your brother” v. 20; “you/your” throughout the chapter, and “YHWH your
God” (v. 6 [3x], 19, 21, 22, 24). Additionally, there is a distinction between
these “you” who belong, and the ones who do not belong because of various
categories (especially v. 1–8, 18–19, 20–21).
The semantic field of cultic purity for Israel is expressed also by the use of
שׁדק in v. 15 and twice in v. 18; the הוהי להק (“assembly of those belonging to
YHWH, or YHWH’s assembly” in v. 2–4, 9), and the words בעת (“abhor” v. 8
[2x], 19), אשׂח (“guilt” v. 22–23), ער רבד (“bad thing, impropriety” v. 10) and
רבד תורע (“anything indecent,” v. 15) to express what is unacceptable behavior
for those within. This separation is further stressed by the use of ךיחא (v. 20
“your brother”) and ךער (v. 25–26 “your neighbor”), with whom you deal
rightly, and ךיביא (v. 15 “your enemy”), דבע (v. 16–17, “the slave”), and ירכנ
(v. 21 “the alien”).
The law on protection of the run-away slave (v. 16–17) serves as a buffer
between both parts of the chapter, which then turns into issues clustered together
because of their financial implications. Although it is not clear what type of runaway
slaves are protected by this law, in all likelihood they are Israelites sold
abroad who managed to return and should be accepted into the Israelite
community once again rather than being returned to their owners abroad. 71 Thus,
they are included at the end of the section on those who belong to Israel, and at
the beginning of the section on financial obligations.
This law is followed in Deut 23:19 by the first law on vows, which
regulates payment of vows—a financial issue—through prostitution, another
financial issue. 72 The chapter continues with regulations on lending money with
or without interest. This law is followed by another one on vows again. Vows
had serious consequences for daily life and for relations, and had to be
regulated. 73 Finally the last law concerns the right to eat from the neighbor’s
field, but not to take more than that (v. 25–26).
71 See above, chapter 3, on legal material on slaves.
72 Prostitution is foremost not a sexual issue, no matter how fulfilling, safe, or deviating it is to be
seen, but it is, as our definition above already emphasized, “an organized form of sexual extramarital
commerce,” and as such it is a financial issue. Emphasis added. See definitions, above.
73 The seriousness of the issue can be seen in the power of the father and then the husband to confirm
or veto a vow made by a woman (Num 30); in the laws in Lev 27, and in stories concerning, for
instance, Jephthah’s vow (Judg 11), and Hannah’s vow (1 Sam 1). See van der Toorn, “Female