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(ProQuest: ... denotes formulae omitted.)
Deuteronomy 22:5, the Hebrew Bible's anti-transvestitism clause, has long presented translators and scholars with difficulty.1 The verse reads as follows:
Although scholars are in general agreement on the translation (if not the exact meaning) of ..., the struggle to understand ... is evident in the vagueness of our translations,2 a sampling of which follow (the renderings of ... appear in italics):
A woman must not put on man's apparel, nor shall a man wear woman's clothing; for whoever does these things is abhorrent to the Lord your God. (NJPS)
No woman shall wear an article of man's clothing, nor shall a man put on woman's dress; for those who do these things are abominable to the Lord your God. (NEB)
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 to the LORD thy God. (KJV)
A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman's garment; for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God. (RSV)
A woman must not wear a man's apparel, nor may a man put on a woman's garment; for whoever does these things is repugnant to Yahweh your God.3
The broader context of the verse is of little help. While it is common in ancient Near Eastern law codes for the laws to be arranged topically, sometimes providing insight into the meaning of a particular provision, Deut 22:5 lacks such a clear context.4 It occurs between a set of commands to assist one's neighbor in matters of animal husbandry and other property (22:1-4) and rules governing the treatment of birds and the use of their eggs for food (22:6-7), followed by a law requiring the construction of a parapet on a house to prevent an accidental fall and the blood-guilt that this might bring (22:8). Only in Deut 22:9-10 are there prohibitions against mixing (of agricultural seed, the types of animals used in plowing, and mixed-fiber garments) that might be considered similar to 22:5.
Another approach is clearly required. In this study I argue that the meaning of Deut 22:5 can be better determined...