Deuteronomy 23:16

16 He shall reside with you in your midst in the place that he chooses in one of {your towns wherever he pleases}; you shall not oppress him.

Deuteronomy 23:16 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 23:16

He shall dwell in thee, [even] among you
This seems to confirm the sense of it, being a stranger, a: proselyte servant that is here spoken of, since the law provides for his dwelling among the Israelites:

in that place he shall choose, in one of thy gates, where it liketh
him best:
he was not to be detained by the person that took him up in his own house, or be obliged to dwell in any certain place under, a restraint, but he might take up his abode in any of the cities of Israel, which would be most for his good, profit, and advantage:

thou shalt not oppress him;
by words, as the Targum of Jonathan adds,

``calling him a fugitive servant, or by any opprobrious name.''

Deuteronomy 23:16 In-Context

14 For Yahweh your God [is] walking about in the midst of your camp to deliver you and {to hand your enemies over to you before you}, and so let your camp be holy, so that he shall not see in it {anything indecent}, and he shall turn away {from going with you}.

15 "And you shall not hand over a slave to his master who has escaped [and fled] to you from his master.

16 He shall reside with you in your midst in the place that he chooses in one of {your towns wherever he pleases}; you shall not oppress him.

17 "No woman {of Israel} shall be a temple prostitute, and no man {of Israel} shall be a male shrine prostitute.

18 You may not bring the {hire} of a prostitute or {the earnings of a male prostitute} [into] the house of Yahweh your God, for any vow offerings, because {both} are a detestable thing to Yahweh your God.

Footnotes

• [a] Literally "in your gates good for him"