D24-4: The Real Reason Why A Newly Married Hebrew Man Was Exempt From Military Service For A Year

“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.”-Deuteronomy 24:5

From verse 5 of Deuteronomy 24, we finally move away from the theme of adultery that was the topic of discussion over the last two chapters and enter into a section dealing with more humanitarian matters.

The first rule we’re given is that a recently married man is exempt from serving in the military for an entire year.

The reason given for this exemption is so the newly married man can bring happiness to his “new wife”.

The words “new wife” here mean exactly that.

This regulation ONLY applied to a wife whom a man had never before been married to.

On a surface level, most folks assume this commandment is all about giving the bride and groom sufficient time to enjoy each other before the man has to leave for war.

But Scripturally, traditionally, and culturally speaking, the “happiness” being spoken of here is mainly all about the groom impregnating his wife so that they will give birth to children.

Many folks today after getting married decide to hold off having children for a period of time until they are settled into married life and have had ample to enjoy life together as just a couple minus the stresses involved in raising kids.

This is a far cry from how married folks thought in the Biblical era.

In the Biblical era, nothing would have made a married couple happier if the wife succeeded in getting pregnant on their wedding night.

For a new Hebrew family, having children and especially a son was everything!

Especially in a situation where the man would soon be leaving his family to go fight a war and might not come back.

Remember, according to the belief system of folks in those days, a man’s life essence and bloodline was carried on by his son.

In addition, the primary duty of the Abrahamic Covenant was “to be fruitful and produce”.

A married couple who didn’t procreate was looked at as failing to live up to that covenant.

This was a deadly serious matter that also carried with it great public shame.