Deuteronomy 23:9

Cleanliness of the Camp

9 "When you are encamped against your enemies, be careful to avoid anything offensive.

Deuteronomy 23:9 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 23:9

When the host goeth forth against thine enemies
An army of soldiers march in order to meet the enemy and fight him:

then keep thee from every wicked thing;
the Targum of Jonathan adds, by way of explanation,

``from strange worship, uncovering of nakedness, and from shedding innocent blood;''

that is, from idolatry, uncleanness of every sort, and murder; and all other wickednesses ought to be abstained from at all times by all persons, but especially by soldiers in such a circumstance, just going to battle; since sin committed weakens natural courage, as it loads the conscience with guilt; and since victory and success, which depend upon the blessing of God on arms, cannot be reasonably expected, where vices of all sorts are indulged and abound; and especially seeing such are about to expose their lives to the utmost danger, and know not but that in a few hours they must exchange this life for another, and appear before God, the Judge of all, against whom they sin; and yet how little are these things thought of by such in common! it was the wisdom of the Jewish legislature, which was of God, to inculcate such things into the minds of their soldiers.

Deuteronomy 23:9 In-Context

7 Do not despise an Edomite, because he is your brother. Do not despise an Egyptian, because you were a foreign resident in his land.

8 The children born to them in the third generation may enter the Lord's assembly.

9 "When you are encamped against your enemies, be careful to avoid anything offensive.

10 If there is a man among you who is unclean because of a bodily emission during the night, he must go outside the camp; he may not come anywhere inside the camp.

11 When evening approaches, he must wash with water, and when the sun sets he may come inside the camp.