Deuteronomy 23:13-23

13 and thou shalt bear a little stake in thy girdle; and when thou hast set, thou shalt dig about, and thou shalt cover with earth things voided out, where thou art relieved. (and thou shalt bring a little peg in thy belt; and after that thou hast squatted down, thou shalt dig about, and thou shalt cover with earth the things voided out, where thou art relieved.)
14 For thy Lord God goeth in (the) midst of the tents, that he deliver thee, and betake thine enemies to thee, that thy tents be holy, and nothing of filth appear in them, lest for uncleanness he forsake thee. (For the Lord thy God goeth in the midst of thy tents, to keep thee safe, and to deliver thy enemies to thee, so thy tents must be kept holy, and nothing of filth appear in them, otherwise he shall leave thee because of thy uncleanness.
15 Thou shalt not take a servant (back) to his lord, which fleeth to thee; (Thou shalt not take a slave, who hath fled to thee, back to his master;)
16 he shall dwell with thee in the place that pleaseth him, and he shall abide in one of thy cities; and make thou not him sorry, or heavy (and do not thou mistreat him).
17 None whore/No strumpet shall be of the daughters of Israel, neither a lecher of the sons of Israel.
18 Thou shalt not offer the hire of an whorehouse, neither the price of a dog, in the house of thy Lord God, (for) whatever thing it is that thou hast avowed; for ever either is abomination before thy Lord God. (Thou shalt not offer the wages of a common whore, or the fee of a male prostitute, in the House of the Lord thy God, to fulfill thy vow; for both of them be abominable before the Lord thy God.)
19 Thou shalt not lend to thy brother to usury, money, neither fruits, neither any other thing, (Thou shalt not lend money, or fruits, or any other thing, to thy brother, that is, thy kinsman, and charge him interest,
20 but (thou mayest) to an alien. For thou shalt lend to thy brother without usury that that he needeth, that thy Lord God bless thee in all thy work in the land to which thou shalt enter to wield. (but thou mayest do so to a foreigner, or a stranger. For thou shalt lend to thy brother what he needeth without charging interest, and then the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy work in the land to which thou shalt enter to take.)
21 When thou makest a vow to thy Lord God, thou shalt not tarry to yield it, for thy Lord God shall ask that of thee; and if thou tarriest, it shall be reckoned to thee into sin. (When thou makest a vow to the Lord thy God, thou shouldest not delay in fulfilling it, for the Lord thy God shall ask for that of thee; and if thou delayest, it shall be reckoned unto thee as a sin.
22 If thou wilt not promise, thou shalt be without sin. (If thou maketh no vow, thou hast not sinned.)
23 Forsooth thou shalt keep (thy word), and do that that went out once of thy lips, as thou promisedest to thy Lord God, and hast spoken with thine own will and thy mouth. (But once thy vow hath gone out of thy lips, thou shalt keep thy word, and do it, as thou promisedest to the Lord thy God, and hast spoken with thy own will and thy own mouth.)

Deuteronomy 23:13-23 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.