Deuteronomy 23:3-13

3 An Ammonite or a Moabite may not come into the assembly of Yahweh; even [to] the tenth generation none {of his descendants} may come into the assembly of Yahweh {forever},

4 {because} they did not come to meet you with food and with water {when you came out of Egypt}, and [also] {because} they hired Balaam, son of Beor, from Pethor, in Aram Naharaim [to act] against you to curse you

5 But Yahweh your God was not willing to listen to Balaam, and Yahweh your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because Yahweh your God loved you.

6 You shall not promote their welfare or their prosperity all your days {forever}.

7 "You shall not abhor an Edomite, because he [is] your brother; you shall not abhor an Egyptian because you were an alien in his land.

8 The children [that] are born to them [in] the third generation may come {representing them} in the assembly of Yahweh.

9 "If you go out to encamp against your enemies, then you shall guard against [doing] anything evil.

10 "If [there] is among you a man that is not clean because of a seminal emission {during the night}, he shall go outside the camp; he shall not come within the camp.

11 {And then} toward the {coming} of the evening, he shall bathe with water, and at the going down of the sun, he may come to the midst of the camp.

12 "And there shall be for you a designated place outside the camp; {and you shall go there to relieve yourself},

13 and a digging tool shall [be included] in addition to your [other] utensils for yourself; {and then} {when you relieve yourself} outside [the camp] you shall dig with it, and [then] you shall turn, and you shall cover your excrement.

Deuteronomy 23:3-13 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]. Literally "to him"
• [b]. Literally "until eternity"
• [c]. Literally "because of the event when"
• [d]. Literally "at your going out of Egypt"
• [e]. Literally "because of the event when"
• [f]. Hebrew "he," but with plural meaning
• [g]. Or "Mesopotamia" = "between the rivers"
• [h]. Literally "until eternity"
• [i]. Or "sons"
• [j]. Literally "for them" or possibly "become members of"
• [k]. Or "when"
• [l]. Literally "of the night"
• [m]. Literally "And it will happen/come about that"
• [n]. Literally "turning"
• [o]. Hebrew "in" but this is instrumental use of this preposition
• [p]. The verb can mean "coming/going" and here it means "going"
• [q]. Literally "and you shall go out there, outside [to relieve yourself]"
• [r]. Or "spade"
• [s]. Hebrew "utensil"
• [t]. Literally "and it will happen"
• [u]. Literally "at your sitting"