HolyStudy
Bible IndexRead BibleNotesChurchesMissionPrivacyTermsContact
© 2026 HolyStudy
HomeRead BibleBible NotesChurchesSign in
HolyStudy
HomeRead BibleBible NotesChurches
Sign in

Deuteronomy 23

1

He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord.

2

A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the Lord.

3

An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the Lord for ever:

4

Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee.

5

Nevertheless the Lord thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the Lord thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the Lord thy God loved thee.

6

Thou shalt not seek their peace nor their prosperity all thy days for ever.

7

Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite; for he is thy brother: thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian; because thou wast a stranger in his land.

8

The children that are begotten of them shall enter into the congregation of the Lord in their third generation.

9

When the host goeth forth against thine enemies, then keep thee from every wicked thing.

10

If there be among you any man, that is not clean by reason of uncleanness that chanceth him by night, then shall he go abroad out of the camp, he shall not come within the camp:

11

But it shall be, when evening cometh on, he shall wash himself with water: and when the sun is down, he shall come into the camp again.

12

Thou shalt have a place also without the camp, whither thou shalt go forth abroad:

13

And thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon; and it shall be, when thou wilt ease thyself abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which cometh from thee:

14

For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee.

15

Thou shalt not deliver unto his master the servant which is escaped from his master unto thee:

16

He shall dwell with thee, even among you, in that place which he shall choose in one of thy gates, where it liketh him best: thou shalt not oppress him.

17

There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel.

18

Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the Lord thy God.

19

Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing that is lent upon usury:

20

Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon usury: that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all that thou settest thine hand to in the land whither thou goest to possess it.

21

When thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee.

1
22

But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee.

23

That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform; even a freewill offering, according as thou hast vowed unto the Lord thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth.

24

When thou comest into thy neighbour’s vineyard, then thou mayest eat grapes thy fill at thine own pleasure; but thou shalt not put any in thy vessel.

25

When thou comest into the standing corn of thy neighbour, then thou mayest pluck the ears with thine hand; but thou shalt not move a sickle unto thy neighbour’s standing corn.

← Previous ChapterNext Chapter →

Deuteronomy 23

The exclusions from the assembly—Ammonite and Moabite to the tenth generation, Edomite and Egyptian to the third—establish historical memory as constitutive of Israel's identity, with different severities of exclusion reflecting varying degrees of hostility toward Israel. The principle that the LORD walks in your camp establishes the military camp as sacred space requiring purity and holiness, a principle that moves beyond ritual purity toward ethical and theological demands. The prohibition of interest charged to a brother establishes an economic principle distinctive to covenantal relationships, where loans among Israelites are acts of mutual aid rather than profit-seeking, while interest may be charged to foreigners. The requirement that vows be fulfilled establishes the sacred character of the spoken word and creates binding obligation between person and God, making vows a form of covenant-making. This chapter establishes boundaries of inclusion and codes of purity and promise as central to Israel's identity and its relationship with the divine.

Deuteronomy 23:1

No one born of a forbidden union shall enter the assembly of the LORD — this verse opens Israel's boundary laws, establishing the holy community's exclusivity. The term 'forbidden union' (mamzer) refers to offspring of unions prohibited by covenant law. Purity of lineage guards the integrity of God's people, reflecting the logic that the assembly's holiness extends even to genealogy.

Deuteronomy 23:2

No one whose testicles are crushed or whose penis is cut off shall enter the assembly of the LORD — the physical wholeness required for sanctuary participation reflects ancient Near Eastern concepts of completeness necessary for holy space. This is not condemnation of the individual but a statement about ritual purity boundaries; eunuchs (like those later in the Persian and Hellenistic periods) served faithfully despite these rules.

Deuteronomy 23:3

No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants even to the tenth generation shall ever be admitted to the assembly of the LORD — though both nations were kinfolk (descended from Lot), their hostility toward Israel at the exodus is remembered. The 'tenth generation' emphasizes an enduring (though not permanent) exclusion, distinguishing these from the gentile nations.

Deuteronomy 23:4

Because they did not meet you with bread and water on your way when you came out of Egypt — the covenant breach is explicit: hospitality withheld during Israel's vulnerability. Failure to show basic hospitality during the exodus journey grounds this exclusion in historical covenant violation, not mere ethnic prejudice.

Deuteronomy 23:5

Because they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram Naharaim to pronounce a curse on you — the reference is to Numbers 22–24, where Balaam was hired by Balak of Moab to curse Israel. The LORD transformed the curse into blessing, and this episode justifies Moab's permanent exclusion from the assembly.

Deuteronomy 23:6

You shall not seek their peace or their prosperity all your days — the prohibition extends beyond the lifetime of the Exodus generation into perpetuity. 'Peace' (shalom) and 'prosperity' connote covenantal relationship; Israel must maintain distance from those who opposed her at the crucial moment of liberation.

Deuteronomy 23:7

You shall not despise an Edomite, for he is your brother — the Edomites (descendants of Esau) receive a different ruling: kinship by descent grants them more favorable status than Ammonites or Moabites. The brotherhood language reflects Jacob-Esau genealogy and suggests a path to reconciliation despite tensions.

Deuteronomy 23:8

You shall not despise an Egyptian, for you were an alien residing in his land — Egypt's hospitality during the famine years (Genesis 37–50) is remembered; Egyptians are treated with gratitude. This prohibition against 'despising' them balances the memory of Egypt's later oppression with recognition of earlier refuge.

Deuteronomy 23:9

When you go out as an army against your enemies, keep yourself from every evil thing — the transition to camp hygiene laws connects military readiness with moral and ritual purity. The camp is not a merely military arrangement but a sacred space where the warrior community approaches holiness.

Deuteronomy 23:10

If one of you becomes unclean because of a nocturnal emission, he shall go outside the camp — the camp's holiness is maintained by separation of impurities. Nocturnal emission, though involuntary, renders unclean; the individual must 'turn toward evening' in repentance and physical ablution.

Deuteronomy 23:11

Toward evening he shall wash himself with water, and when the sun has set, he may come back into the camp — the restoration happens through water and the setting sun, connecting physical cleansing to the natural cycle. Reintegration into the holy camp follows ritual purification, emphasizing that uncleanness is temporary and remediable.

Deuteronomy 23:12

You shall have a designated area outside the camp to which you shall go — a specified place for bodily functions maintains the camp's sanctity. The practical provision reflects the theology that the LORD moves about in the camp (v. 14) and therefore the entire space must reflect holiness.

Deuteronomy 23:13

With your utensils you shall have a paddle, and when you relieve yourself outside, you shall dig a hole and cover up your excrement — the specificity is remarkable: Israel's camp discipline anticipates modern hygiene by millennia. Covering excrement is both practical and symbolic of concealing shame in the holy assembly's midst.

Deuteronomy 23:14

Because the LORD your God travels along with your camp, to save you and to hand over your enemies before you, therefore your camp must be holy; otherwise he might turn away from you — the theological foundation is explicit: God's presence (shekhinah) dwells in the midst of Israel's community. Holiness is not primarily individual piety but corporate maintenance of the sanctuary where God dwells among his people.

Deuteronomy 23:15

You shall not hand over to his master a slave who has escaped from his master to you — the slave who flees to Israel finds asylum and protection, reversing the dynamics of power. This law protects the vulnerable and asserts Israel's moral obligation to those seeking refuge, likely reflecting memory of Israel's own bondage.

Deuteronomy 23:16

He shall reside with you, in any place he chooses in any of your towns, wherever he pleases; you shall not oppress him — the escaped slave becomes an Israelite resident with full protection and freedom of settlement. 'You shall not oppress him' (lo-ta'ashoku) echoes the prohibition against oppressing Israel's own sojourners.

Deuteronomy 23:17

None of the daughters of Israel shall be a temple prostitute; none of the sons of Israel shall be a temple prostitute — the kedesha and qadesh (shrine prostitutes) engaged in ritual sexuality are forbidden. This prohibition protects Israel's daughters and sons from commodification within religious contexts, maintaining human dignity against pagan cultic practices.

Deuteronomy 23:18

You shall not bring the fee of a prostitute or the wages of a male prostitute into the house of the LORD your God in fulfillment of any vow; for both of these are abhorrent to the LORD — the earnings of sexual commerce are 'toevah' (abomination), unsuitable for sanctuary offerings. The LORD will not accept any vow funded by such practice; the offering would carry moral corruption.

Deuteronomy 23:19

You shall not charge interest on loans to another Israelite, whether in the form of money, food, or anything else that is lent with interest — the term 'neshekh' (bite, interest) treats usury as a predatory act. Loans within the covenant community are acts of mercy, not profit; interest-taking violates the brother-relationship fundamental to Israel.

Deuteronomy 23:20

On loans to a foreigner you may charge interest, but on loans to another Israelite you may not charge interest, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all your undertakings in the land that you are about to enter and occupy — the economic boundary distinguishes intra-covenant generosity from commerce with the outside world. The blessing promised for covenant obedience is contingent on treating the Israelite brother with mercy.

Deuteronomy 23:21

If you make a vow to the LORD your God, do not postpone fulfilling it; for the LORD your God will surely require it of you, and you would incur guilt — vows are binding speech acts before God; delay is sin. The Hebrew connotes that God actively 'seeks' (yidreshenu) the fulfillment, treating vows as obligations to the divine person directly.

Deuteronomy 23:22

But if you refrain from vowing, you will not incur guilt — refraining from vows is permissible; silence is safer than a broken promise. The emphasis falls on the seriousness of vows once undertaken, not on encouraging them; it is better not to vow than to vow and fail.

Deuteronomy 23:23

Whatever your lips utter you must diligently perform, just as you have freely vowed to the LORD your God with your own mouth — the vow is a covenant formula in miniature, binding the person through spoken word. Performance (asher dabbarta) must match promise; the mouth that spoke the vow is responsible for its fulfillment.

Deuteronomy 23:24

If you go into your neighbor's vineyard, you may eat your fill of grapes, as many as you wish, but you shall not put any into a container — permission to eat while passing through reflects a grace law for the hungry; however, harvesting for removal is theft. The boundary protects the neighbor's harvest while meeting immediate hunger.

Deuteronomy 23:25

If you go into your neighbor's standing grain, you may pluck the ears with your hand, but you shall not put a sickle to your neighbor's standing grain — as in Matthew 12:1 (Jesus' disciples plucking grain on the Sabbath), this law permits gleaning by hand as mercy to the hungry. The sickle would constitute harvesting, crossing from need-based consumption to stealing.