and see among the captives a beautiful woman, and you are attracted to her, and desire to take her as your wife,
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 11. Lovest her. The Jewish doctors explain this of an action, which modesty disallows, and which they tolerate nevertheless in the first transports of victory; (Seld. Jur. verse 13,) though the pagans condemned it as unjust and contrary to reason. Grot. Jur. iii. 4.—All know with what reserve Alexander treated women; and the Romans banished one Torquatus, for having violated a prisoner of war. Plut.—Yet the Jews blush not to assert, that such liberties might be taken even with married women, as their former marriage with a pagan was by some deemed null, and by others thought to be dissolved. Josep. iv. 8. Calmet.—The law, however, seems only to allow the marrying of those who had no husbands before, as the women are only said to mourn for father and mother, verse 13. Bible.—On these occasions the Chinese, and probably the Egyptians also, and the Roman matrons, formerly clothed themselves in white, while almost all other nations assumed black. Tirinus.