Deuteronomy 23:15-25

Several Other Laws

15 If a slave comes to you for safety, don't hand him over to his master.

16 Let him live among you anywhere he wants to. Let him live in any town he chooses. Don't crush him.

17 A man or woman in Israel must not become a temple prostitute.

18 The LORD your God hates the money that men and women get for being prostitutes. So don't take that money into the house of the LORD to pay what you promised to give.

19 Don't charge your own people any interest. Don't charge them when they borrow money, food or anything else

20 You can charge interest to people from another country. But don't charge your own people. Then the LORD your God will bless you in everything you do. He will bless you in the land you are entering to take as your own.

21 Don't put off giving to the LORD your God everything you promise him. He will certainly require it from you. And you will be guilty of committing a sin

22 But if you don't make a promise, you won't be guilty.

23 Make sure you do what you promised to do. With your own mouth you made the promise to the LORD your God. No one forced you to do it.

24 When you enter your neighbor's vineyard, you can eat all of the grapes you want. But don't put any of them in your basket.

25 When you enter your neighbor's field, you can pick heads of grain. But don't cut down his standing grain.

Deuteronomy 23:15-25 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 23

Orders are here given to restrain certain persons from entering into the congregation of the Lord, De 23:1-8, and to take care that there be no unclean person in the camp, or any indecent thing done in it, De 23:9-14, to protect fugitive servants, and not deliver them up to their masters, De 23:15,16 not to suffer a filthy person to be among them, or any filthy thing to be brought into the house of God for a vow, De 23:17,18, then follow some laws against usury, and for the payment of vows, De 23:19-23, and the chapter is concluded with some directions how to behave in a neighbour's vineyard, or standing corn, De 23:24,25.