(KJV) Deuteronomy 231

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⥃Exclusion from the Congregation

[1] He that is wounded2 in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter3 into the congregation of the Lord. [2] A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the Lord.4 [3] An Ammonite5 or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the Lord for ever: [4] Because they met6 you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired7 against thee Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee. [5] Nevertheless8 the Lord thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the Lord thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the9 Lord thy God loved thee. [6] Thou shalt10 not seek their peace nor their prosperity11 all thy days for ever.

[7] [¶]Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite; for he [is] thy12 brother: thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian; because thou13 wast a stranger in his land. [8] The children that are begotten of them shall enter into14 the congregation of the Lord in their third generation15.

⥃Uncleanness in the Camp [ Leviticus 15:1–12 ]

[9] When the host goeth forth against thine enemies, then keep thee from every wicked thing.16

[10] [¶]If there be among you any man, that is not clean by reason of uncleanness that chanceth him by night, then shall he go abroad out of the camp, he shall not come within the camp:17 [11] But it shall be, when evening18 cometh on19, he shall wash [himself20] with water: and when the sun is down, he shall come into the camp [again].

[12] [¶]Thou shalt have a place also without the camp, whither thou shalt go forth abroad:21 [13] And thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon; and it shall be, when thou wilt ease thyself22 abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that23 which cometh from thee: [14] For the Lord thy God walketh24 in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing25 in thee, and turn away from thee.

⥃Miscellaneous Laws

[15] Thou shalt not deliver unto his master the servant which is escaped from his master unto thee:2627 [16] He shall dwell28 with thee, [even] among you, in that place which he shall choose in one of thy gates, where it liketh him best29: thou shalt not30 oppress him.

[17] [¶]There shall be31 no whore32 of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite33 of the sons of Israel. [18] Thou shalt not bring the hire34 of a whore, or the price of a dog35, into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow36: for even both these [are] abomination unto the Lord thy God.

[19] [¶]Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing that is lent upon usury:37 [20] Unto a stranger38 thou mayest lend upon usury; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon usury: that the39 Lord thy God may bless thee in all that thou settest thine hand to in the land whither thou goest to possess it.

[21] [¶]When thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee.40 [22] But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee. [23] That which41 is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform; [even] a freewill offering, according as thou hast vowed42 unto the Lord thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth.

[24] [¶]When thou comest into thy neighbour’s vineyard, then thou mayest43 eat grapes thy fill at thine own pleasure; but thou shalt not put [any] in thy vessel. [25] When thou comest into the standing corn of thy neighbour, then thou mayest44 pluck the ears with thine hand; but thou shalt not move a sickle unto thy neighbour’s standing corn.

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  1. Deut 23:1, Who may or may not enter into the congregation; Deut 23:9, Uncleanness is to be avoided in the host; Deut 23:15, Of the fugitive servant; Deut 23:17, Of filthiness; Deut 23:18, Of abominable sacrifices; Deut 23:19, Of usury; Deut 23:21, Of vows; Deut 23:24, Of trespasses. ↩

  2. Lev 21:17-21, Lev 22:22-24; Gal 3:28 ↩

  3. It is evident that his law was not meant to exclude such Israelites either from the common benefits of civil society, or any essential religious advantages; but merely to lay them under a disgraceful distinction. This would tend to discourage parents from thus treating their children; a practice which was exceedingly common in those ages and countries. To this they were induced by the custom which prevailed, of employing such in the houses of the great and the courts of princes; so that they often rose to the highest posts of honour and authority. Some expositors therefore consider the phrase, "shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord," as meaning, that they should be incapable of bearing any office in that government which was placed over the people of God, who must thus enter a protest against this custom, and deliver selfish parents from this temptation. Deut 23:2-3, Deut 23:8; Neh 13:1-3; Isa 56:3-4; Lam 1:10 ↩

  4. Isa 57:3; Zech 9:6; John 8:41; Heb 12:8 ↩

  5. These nations were subjected for their impiety, wickedness, and enmity to Israel (Deut 23:4 and Deut 23:5), to peculiar disgrace; and on this account were not permitted to hold any office among the Israelites. This did not, however, disqualify them from becoming proselytes; for Ruth, who was a Moabitess, was married to Boaz, and became one of the progenitors of our Lord. Ruth 4:6, Ruth 4:10-22; Neh 4:3, Neh 4:7, Neh 13:1-2, Neh 13:23; Isa 56:3 ↩

  6. Deut 2:28-29; Gen 14:17-18; 1Sam 25:11; 1Kgs 18:4; Isa 63:9; Zech 2:8; Matt 25:40; Acts 9:4 ↩

  7. Num 22:5, Num 22:7, Num 22:17; Neh 13:2 ↩

  8. Num 22:35, Num 23:5-12, Num 23:16-26, Num 24:9; Mic 6:5; Rom 8:31; 2Cor 4:17 ↩

  9. Deut 7:7-8, Deut 33:3; Ps 73:1; Jer 31:3; Ezek 16:8; Mal 1:2; Rom 9:13, Rom 11:28; Eph 2:4-5 ↩

  10. 2Sam 8:2, 2Sam 12:31; Ezra 9:12; Neh 13:23-25 ↩

  11. Heb. good ↩

  12. Gen 25:24-26, Gen 25:30; Num 20:14; Obad 1:10-12; Mal 1:2 ↩

  13. Deut 10:19; Gen 45:17-18, Gen 46:7, Gen 47:6, Gen 47:12, Gen 47:27; Exod 22:21, Exod 23:9; Lev 19:34; Ps 105:23; Acts 7:10-18 ↩

  14. Deut 23:1; Rom 3:29-30; Eph 2:12-13 ↩

  15. Deut 23:2-3; Exod 20:5-6 ↩

  16. Josh 6:18, Josh 7:11-13; Judg 20:26; 2Chr 19:4, 2Chr 20:3-13, 2Chr 31:20-21, 2Chr 32:1-22; Luke 3:14; Rev 19:11-14 ↩

  17. Lev 15:16; Num 5:2-3; 1Cor 5:11-13 ↩

  18. Lev 11:25, Lev 15:17-23 ↩

  19. Heb. turneth toward ↩

  20. Lev 14:9, Lev 15:5, Lev 15:11, Lev 15:13, Lev 22:6; Ps 51:2, Ps 51:7; Ezek 36:25; Matt 3:11; Luke 11:38-39; Eph 5:26-27; Heb 9:9-10, Heb 10:22; 1Pet 3:21; Rev 1:5 ↩

  21. In such a vast camp as that of the Israelites (see Num 1:1 and Num 2:1), and indeed, as Scheuchzer remarks, in every well regulated camp, cleanliness is considered as indispensably necessary. ↩

  22. Heb. sittest down ↩

  23. Ezek 24:6-8 ↩

  24. Gen 17:1; Lev 26:12; 2Cor 6:16 ↩

  25. Heb. nakedness of any thing ↩

  26. We cannot suppose that this law required the Israelites to entertain slaves who had robbed their masters, or left their service without cause; but such only as were cruelly treated, and fled to them for protection, especially from the neighbouring nations. To such they were commanded to afford shelter, and shew great kindness. ↩

  27. 1Sam 30:15; Obad 1:14; Phlm 1:10-19 ↩

  28. Isa 16:3-4; Luke 15:15-24; Titus 3:2-3 ↩

  29. Heb. is good for him ↩

  30. Exod 22:21, Exod 23:9; Jer 7:6; Zech 7:10; Mal 3:5; Jas 2:6 ↩

  31. etc. The prohibition in the text, like many others, has no direct application to practices that were common among the Israelites at that time; but was intended to guard them against the enormities which were practised among the surrounding nations. Deut 22:21, Deut 22:29; Lev 19:29; Prov 2:16 ↩

  32. or, sodomitess, Rom 1:26 ↩

  33. Gen 19:4-5; Judg 19:22; 1Kgs 14:24, 1Kgs 15:12, 1Kgs 22:46; 2Kgs 23:7; Rom 1:27-28; 1Cor 6:9; 1Tim 1:10 ↩

  34. Ezek 16:33 ↩

  35. Ps 22:16; Prov 26:11; Isa 56:10-11; Matt 7:6; Phil 3:2; 2Pet 2:22; Rev 22:15 ↩

  36. Deut 23:21, Deut 12:6; Lev 7:16; Ps 5:4-6; Isa 61:8; Hab 1:13; Mal 1:14 ↩

  37. Exod 22:25; Lev 25:35-37; Neh 5:1-7; Ps 15:5; Ezek 18:7-8, Ezek 18:13, Ezek 18:16-18; Ezek 22:12; Luke 6:34-35 ↩

  38. Deut 14:21, Deut 15:3; Lev 19:33-34 ↩

  39. Deut 15:10; Prov 19:17; Isa 1:19; Luke 14:14; 1Cor 15:58 ↩

  40. Deut 23:18; Gen 28:20, Gen 35:1-3; Lev 27:2-34; Num 30:2-16; Ps 56:12, Ps 66:13-14; Ps 76:11, Ps 116:18; Eccl 5:4-5; Jonah 1:16, Jonah 2:9; Nah 1:15 ↩

  41. Num 30:2; Judg 11:30-31, Judg 11:35; 1Sam 1:11; Ps 66:13-14, Ps 116:18; Prov 20:25; Eccl 5:4-5 ↩

  42. 1Sam 14:24; Jer 44:25-27; Mark 6:22-23; Acts 23:12, Acts 23:21 ↩

  43. Rom 12:13; 1Cor 10:26; Heb 13:5 ↩

  44. Matt 12:1-2; Mark 2:23; Luke 6:1-2 ↩