Deuteronomy 23:4-14

4 Because they would not meet you with bread and water in the way, when you came out of Egypt: and because they hired against thee Balaam, the son of Beor, from Mesopotamia in Syria, to curse thee
5 And the Lord thy God would not hear Balaam, and he turned his cursing into thy blessing, because he loved thee.
6 Thou shalt not make peace with them, neither shalt thou seek their prosperity all the days of thy life for ever.
7 Thou shalt not abhor the Edomite, because he is thy brother: nor the Egyptian, because thou wast a stranger in his land.
8 They that are born of them, in the third generation shall enter into the church of the Lord.
9 When thou goest out to war against thy enemies, thou shalt keep thyself from every evil thing.
10 If there be among you any man, that is defiled in a dream by night, he shall go forth out of the camp,
11 And shall not return, before he be washed with water in the evening: and after sunset he shall return into the camp.
12 Thou shalt have a place without the camp, to which thou mayst go for the necessities of nature,
13 Carrying a paddle at thy girdle. And when thou sittest down, thou shalt dig round about, and with the earth that is dug up thou shalt cover
14 That which thou art eased of: (for the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thy enemies to thee:) and let thy camp be holy, and let no uncleanness appear therein, lest he go away from thee

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.

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