Deuteronomy 23:4-14

4 They refused to provide you with food and water when you were on your way out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor, from the city of Pethor in Mesopotamia, to curse you.

5 But the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam; instead he turned the curse into a blessing, because he loved you. ¹

6 As long as you are a nation, never do anything to help these nations or to make them prosperous.

7 "Do not despise the Edomites; they are your relatives. And do not despise the Egyptians; you once lived in their land.

8 From the third generation onward their descendants may be included among the Lord's people.

9 "When you are in camp in time of war, you are to avoid anything that would make you ritually unclean.

10 If a man becomes unclean because he has had a wet dream during the night, he is to go outside the camp and stay there.

11 Toward evening he is to wash himself, and at sunset he may come back into camp.

12 "You are to have a place outside the camp where you can go when you need to relieve yourselves.

13 Carry a stick as part of your equipment, so that when you have a bowel movement you can dig a hole and cover it up.

14 Keep your camp ritually clean, because the Lord your God is with you in your camp to protect you and to give you victory over your enemies. Do not do anything indecent that would cause the Lord to turn his back on you

Deuteronomy 23:4-14 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.

Cross References

• 1. 23.4Numbers 22.1-6.
• 2. 23.5Numbers 23.7--24.9.