Deuteronomy 22 · Verse 5

Deuteronomy 22:5

The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God.

Deuteronomy 22:5, King James Version

Deuteronomy 22:5 in other translations

BSB	A woman must not wear men’s clothing, and a man must not wear women’s clothing, for whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD your God.
WEB	A woman shall not wear men’s clothing, neither shall a man put on women’s clothing; for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD your God.
ASV	A woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment; for whosoever doeth these things is an abomination unto Jehovah thy God.
YLT	‘The habiliments of a man are not on a woman, nor doth a man put on the garment of a woman, for the abomination of Jehovah thy God is any one doing these.
DARBY	There shall not be a man's apparel on a woman, neither shall a man put on a woman's clothing; for whoever doeth so is an abomination to Jehovah thy God.
BBE	It is not right for a woman to be dressed in man's clothing, or for a man to put on a woman's robe: whoever does such things is disgusting to the Lord your God.
Webster	A woman shall not wear that which pertaineth to a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination to the LORD thy God.

What does Deuteronomy 22:5 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

De 22:5-12. The Sex to Be Distinguished by Apparel.

5. The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment--Though disguises were assumed at certain times in heathen temples, it is probable that a reference was made to unbecoming levities practised in common life. They were properly forbidden; for the adoption of the habiliments of the one sex by the other is an outrage on decency, obliterates the distinctions of nature by fostering softness and effeminacy in the man, impudence and boldness in the woman as well as levity and hypocrisy in both; and, in short, it opens the door to an influx of so many evils that all who wear the dress of another sex are pronounced "an abomination unto the Lord."

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 5 The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man - כלי גבר keli geber, the instruments or arms of a man. As the word גבר geber is here used, which properly signifies a strong man or man of war, it is very probable that armor 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 armor 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.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Deuteronomy 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.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Deuteronomy 22:5 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

לֹא\־lo'-notH3808

יִהְיֶ֤הyih.Yehit will beH1961

כְלִי\־khe.li-[the] garment[s] ofH3627

גֶ֙בֶר֙ge.vera manH1397

עַל\־'al-onH5921

אִשָּׁ֔ה'i.Shaha womanH802

וְלֹא\־ve.lo'-and notH3808

יִלְבַּ֥שׁyil.Bashhe will wearH3847

גֶּ֖בֶרGe.vera manH1397

שִׂמְלַ֣תsim.Lat[the] clothing ofH8071

אִשָּׁ֑ה'i.Shaha womanH802

כִּ֧יkiforH3588

תוֹעֲבַ֛תto.'a.Vat[is] [the] abomination ofH8441

יְהוָ֥הYah.wehYahwehH3068

אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ'e.lo.Hei.khaGod yourH430

כָּל\־kol-everyH3605

עֹ֥שֵׂה'O.seh[one who] doesH6213

אֵֽלֶּה\׃\ \פ'E.leh<of> these [things]H428

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Deuteronomy 22:5

1 Corinthians 11:4-15
Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. …
Deuteronomy 18:12
For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

woman shall not.
1Co 11:4-15
abomination.
18:12

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Deuteronomy 22:4
Thou shalt not see thy brother’s ass or his ox fall down by the way, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt surely help him to lift them up again.
Deuteronomy 22:5
The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God.
Deuteronomy 22:6
If a bird’s nest chance to be before thee in the way in any tree, or on the ground, whether they be young ones, or eggs, and the dam sitting upon the young, or upon the eggs, thou shalt not take the dam with the young:

Read all of Deuteronomy 22

Deuteronomy 22:5 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	No vestirá la mujer hábito de hombre, ni el hombre vestirá ropa de mujer; porque abominación es á Jehová tu Dios cualquiera que esto hace.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	La femme ne portera pas un habit d’homme, et l’homme ne se vêtira pas d’un vêtement de femme; car quiconque fait ces choses est en abomination à l’ Éternel, ton Dieu.
German Elberfelder 1871	Es soll nicht Mannszeug auf einem Weibe sein, und ein Mann soll nicht das Gewand eines Weibes anziehen; denn wer irgend solches tut, ist ein Greuel für Jehova, deinen Gott.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Non induetur mulier veste virili, nec vir utetur veste feminea: abominabilis enim apud Deum est qui facit hæc.