Deuteronomy 23 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Deuteronomy 23

Those Excluded from the Assembly

23:1 “No one whose testicles are crushed or whose male organ is cut off shall enter the assembly of the LORD.

2 “No one born of a forbidden union may enter the assembly of the LORD. Even to the tenth generation, none of his descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD.

3 “No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of the LORD. Even to the tenth generation, none of them may enter the assembly of the LORD forever, 4 because they did not meet you with bread and with water on the way, when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you. 5 But the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam; instead the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loved you. 6 You shall not seek their peace or their prosperity all your days forever.

7 “You shall not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother. You shall not abhor an Egyptian, because you were a sojourner in his land. 8 Children born to them in the third generation may enter the assembly of the LORD.

Uncleanness in the Camp

9 “When you are encamped against your enemies, then you shall keep yourself from every evil thing.

10 “If any man among you becomes unclean because of a nocturnal emission, then he shall go outside the camp. He shall not come inside the camp, 11 but when evening comes, he shall bathe himself in water, and as the sun sets, he may come inside the camp.

12 “You shall have a place outside the camp, and you shall go out to it. 13 And you shall have a trowel with your tools, and when you sit down outside, you shall dig a hole with it and turn back and cover up your excrement. 14 Because the LORD your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and to give up your enemies before you, therefore your camp must be holy, so that he may not see anything indecent among you and turn away from you.

Miscellaneous Laws

15 “You shall not give up to his master a slave¹ who has escaped from his master to you. 16 He shall dwell with you, in your midst, in the place that he shall choose within one of your towns, wherever it suits him. You shall not wrong him.

17 “None of the daughters of Israel shall be a cult prostitute, and none of the sons of Israel shall be a cult prostitute. 18 You shall not bring the fee of a prostitute or the wages of a dog² into the house of the LORD your God in payment for any vow, for both of these are an abomination to the LORD your God.

19 “You shall not charge interest on loans to your brother, interest on money, interest on food, interest on anything that is lent for interest. 20 You may charge a foreigner interest, but you may not charge your brother interest, that the LORD your God may bless you in all that you undertake in the land that you are entering to take possession of it.

21 “If you make a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not delay fulfilling it, for the LORD your God will surely require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin. 22 But if you refrain from vowing, you will not be guilty of sin. 23 You shall be careful to do what has passed your lips, for you have voluntarily vowed to the LORD your God what you have promised with your mouth.

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 in your bag. 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.

Footnotes

[1] 23:15 Or servant; the Hebrew term ‘ebed designates a range of social and economic roles (see Preface)
[2] 23:18 Or male prostitute

Commentary

v1-6: Some people were kept from the congregation of Israel. Although the individual was 'innocent' in that he had not chosen his circumstances, he would still be excluded. The overriding principle was that of holiness (Lev 11.15; Deut 22.9-11); a person's supposed 'personal rights' are not the issue.

In the N.T. a person becomes part of the church of Jesus Christ through faith in Jesus Christ. This is irrespective of his history, background, and the circumstances of his birth.

Emasculation was different from circumcision; the person was neither fruitful nor pure.

Illegitimacy implies parental rebellion; a household acting against God and His standards.

Belonging to another god, since these nations followed false religion which opposed Israel, through Balaam. Such was God's grace, however, that Ruth the Moabite could enter the congregation.

v4-5: The prohibition for Ammonites and Moabites had a clear historical reason. These peoples, although Semitic, refused to give bread and water to Israel, and hired Balaam against Israel. Again, God's love for His own was such that the schemes of Balaam were overturned.

v7-8: Edomites were to be treated differently. There was more opportunity for them to enter the congregation. Here too is the concept of ‘conversion,’ whereby a person might join the congregation of God’s people.

v9-13: In everyday life the Israelites had to maintain purity and holiness. This meant that an individual was kept outside the camp (v10-11). A toilet area was also to be maintained outside the camp (v12-13).

v14: If God is to walk amongst us, should we not be careful how we live!

v15-16: Slaves should always have a welcome amongst God’s people, since they had previously been slaves in Egypt.

v19-20: Interest on a debt could be charged to an outsider, but not to a brother.

v21-23: Although vows were not obligatory, where a vow was taken, the person had to fulfil it. Our words are to be faithful and true.

v24-25: Kindness to others. A farmer allowed his neighbour to pick a little corn, or gather a few grapes. This was not considered stealing. The visitor had no right to harvest the grain of the grapes.

In Mark 2.23 the disciples plucked ears of corn in this way; this could not be considered as work on the Sabbath day, as they were not harvesting. The Pharisees' complaint was therefore groundless.