Deuteronomy 23:3

3 The Ammonites and the Moabites shall not come in to the cogregacyon of the Lorde, no not in the tenth generacion, no they shall neuer come in to the cogregacion of the Lorde,

Deuteronomy 23:3 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 23:3

An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of
the Lord
Or marry an Israelitish woman, as Jarchi, and so the Targum of Jonathan,

``the male Ammonites and Moabites are not fit to take a wife of the congregation of the Lord;''

for the Jews restrain this to men, because it is, as Aben Ezra observes, an Ammonite, not an Ammonitess, a Moabite, not a Moabitess; they allow that females of those nations might be married to Israelites, that is, provided they were proselytesses, as Ruth was ^F13:

even to their tenth generation, shall they not enter into the
congregation of the Lord for ever;
that is, not only to the tenth generation, but for ever; and this law was understood as in force in Nehemiah's time, which was more than ten generations from the making of it; though now, as these nations are no more a distinct people, they suppose it is no longer binding ^F14.

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FOOTNOTES:

F13 Misn. Yebamot, c. 8. sect. 3.
F14 Misn. Yadaim, c. 4. sect. 4.

Deuteronomy 23:3 In-Context

1 None that is gelded or hath his preuey membres cutt of, shall come in to the congregacion of the Lorde.

2 And he that is borne of a comen woman shall not come in the congregacion of the Lorde, no in the tenth generacyon he shall not entre in to the congregacyon of the Lorde.

3 The Ammonites and the Moabites shall not come in to the cogregacyon of the Lorde, no not in the tenth generacion, no they shall neuer come in to the cogregacion of the Lorde,

4 because they met you not with bred and water in the waye when ye came out of Egipte, and because they hyred agenst the Balaam the sonne of Beor the interpreter of Mesopotamia, to curse the

5 Neuerthelesse the Lorde thy God wolde not herken vnto Balaam, but turned the curse to a blessinge vnto the, because the Lorde thy God loued the.