Deuteronomy 23:5-15

5 and thy Lord God would not hear Balaam (but the Lord thy God would not listen to Balaam), and God turned his curse into thy blessing, for he loved thee.
6 Thou shalt not make peace with them, neither thou shalt seek good things to them (nor shalt thou seek good things for them), in all the days of thy life (and) into without end.
7 Thou shalt not loathe a man of Idumea, for he is thy brother, neither of a man of Egypt, for thou were a comeling in the land of him. (Thou shalt not despise an Edomite, for he is thy brother, nor an Egyptian, for thou were newcomers in his land.)
8 They that be born of them, shall enter in the third generation into the church of the Lord. (They who be born of them, from the third generation onward, can be part of the Lord's congregation.)
9 When thou shalt go out into battle against thine enemies, thou shalt keep thee from all evil thing (thou shalt keep thyself from all evil things).
10 If a man is among you, that is defouled in his night sleep, he shall go out of your tents; and he shall not turn again (If there is a man among you, who is defiled during his night's sleep, he shall go away from your tents; and he shall not return)
11 before that he be washed in water at the eventide, and after the going down of the sun, he shall turn again into the tents. (until he is washed in water in the evening, and then, after the going down of the sun, he shall return to the camp.)
12 Thou shalt have a place without the tents, to which thou shalt go out to (do the) needful things of (man)kind;
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;)

Deuteronomy 23:5-15 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.