Deuteronomy 23:1-8

Exclusion from the Congregation

1 No man with crushed or severed genitals may enter the assembly of the LORD.

2 No one of illegitimate birth may enter the assembly of the LORD, nor may any of his descendants, even to the tenth generation.

3 No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, even to the tenth generation.

4 For they did not meet you with food and water on your way out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram-naharaim ^[a] to curse you.

5 Yet the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam, and the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you.

6 You are not to seek peace or prosperity from them as long as you live.

7 Do not despise an Edomite, for he is your brother. Do not despise an Egyptian, because you lived as a foreigner in his land.

8 The third generation of children born to them may enter the assembly of the LORD.

Deuteronomy 23:1-8 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.

Footnotes

• [a] That is, Mesopotamia; Aram-naharaim means Aram of the two rivers, likely the region between the Euphrates and Balih Rivers in northwestern Mesopotamia.