Focused Passage

Deuteronomy 23:1-8

Holiness, Exclusion, and the Purity of the Covenant Assembly

Assembly membership restrictions (vv. 1–8) move to camp purity for holy-war conditions (vv. 9–14), then to protection of escaped slaves (vv. 15–16), prohibition of cult prostitution (vv. 17–18), lending rules (vv. 19–20), and vow obligations (vv. 21–23), closing with gleaning permissions (vv. 24–25).

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1 No man with crushed or severed genitals may enter the assembly of the LORD.

2 No one of illegitimate birth may enter the assembly of the LORD, nor may any of his descendants, even to the tenth generation.

3 No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, even to the tenth generation.

4 For they did not meet you with food and water on your way out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram-naharaim to curse you.

5 Yet the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam, and the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you.

6 You are not to seek peace or prosperity from them as long as you live.

7 Do not despise an Edomite, for he is your brother. Do not despise an Egyptian, because you lived as a foreigner in his land.

8 The third generation of children born to them may enter the assembly of the LORD.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Cross-references

Galatians 3:28 Classic cross-references Leviticus 21:20 Classic cross-references Isaiah 56:3 Classic cross-references Deuteronomy 23:2 Classic cross-references Leviticus 21:17 Classic cross-references

Original words

No man לֹֽא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle with crushed פְצֽוּעַ־ H6481 Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular construct . . . דַּכָּ֛א H1795 Noun - masculine singular or severed וּכְר֥וּת H3772 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular construct genitals שָׁפְכָ֖ה H8212 Noun - feminine singular may enter יָבֹ֧א H935 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular the assembly בִּקְהַ֥ל H6951 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct of the LORD יְהוָֽה׃ס H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular

Verse 2

Cross-references

Zechariah 9:6 Classic cross-references Isaiah 57:3 Classic cross-references Deuteronomy 23:1 Classic cross-references Judges 11:2 Classic cross-references Hebrews 12:8 Classic cross-references

Original words

No לֹא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle one of illegitimate birth מַמְזֵ֖ר H4464 Noun - masculine singular may enter יָבֹ֥א H935 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular the assembly בִּקְהַ֣ל H6951 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct of the LORD יְהוָ֑ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular nor may any of his descendants לֹא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle even גַּ֚ם H1571 Conjunction to the tenth עֲשִׂירִ֔י H6224 Number - ordinal masculine singular generation דּ֣וֹר H1755 Noun - masculine singular - יָ֥בֹא H935 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular - יְהוָֽה׃ס H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular - בִּקְהַ֥ל H6951 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct

Verse 3

Cross-references

Nehemiah 13:1 Classic cross-references Lamentations 1:10 Classic cross-references 1 Chronicles 19:2 Classic cross-references 2 Samuel 10:2 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 49:1 Classic cross-references

Original words

No לֹֽא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle Ammonite עַמּוֹנִ֛י H5984 Noun - proper - masculine singular or Moabite וּמוֹאָבִ֖י H4125 Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular or any of their descendants לֹא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle may enter יָבֹ֧א H935 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular the assembly בִּקְהַ֣ל H6951 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct of the LORD יְהוָ֑ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular even גַּ֚ם H1571 Conjunction to the tenth עֲשִׂירִ֔י H6224 Number - ordinal masculine singular generation דּ֣וֹר H1755 Noun - masculine singular - עַד־ H5704 Preposition - עוֹלָֽם׃ H5769 Noun - masculine singular - יָבֹ֥א H935 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular - לָהֶ֛ם Preposition-l | Pronoun - third person masculine plural - יְהוָ֖ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular - בִּקְהַ֥ל H6951 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct

Verse 4

Cross-references

Proverbs 26:2 Classic cross-references Numbers 22:5 Classic cross-references 2 Peter 2:15 Classic cross-references 1 Timothy 6:10 Classic cross-references Jude 1:11 Classic cross-references

Original words

For עַל־ H5921 Preposition . . . דְּבַ֞ר H1697 Noun - masculine singular construct - אֲשֶׁ֨ר H834 Pronoun - relative they did not לֹא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle meet קִדְּמ֤וּ H6923 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural - אֶתְכֶם֙ H853 Direct object marker | second person masculine plural you with food בַּלֶּ֣חֶם H3899 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular and water וּבַמַּ֔יִם H4325 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural on your way בַּדֶּ֖רֶךְ H1870 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular out of בְּצֵאתְכֶ֣ם H3318 Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | second person masculine plural Egypt מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם H4714 Preposition-m | Noun - proper - feminine singular [and] וַאֲשֶׁר֩ H834 Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - relative they hired שָׂכַ֨ר H7936 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular - עָלֶ֜יךָ H5921 Preposition | second person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker Balaam בִּלְעָ֣ם H1109 Noun - proper - masculine singular son בֶּן־ H1121 Noun - masculine singular construct of Beor בְּע֗וֹר H1160 Noun - proper - masculine singular from Pethor מִפְּת֛וֹר H6604 Preposition-m | Noun - proper - feminine singular vvv אֲרַ֥ם H763 in Aram-naharaim נַהֲרַ֖יִם H763 Noun - proper - feminine singular to curse you לְקַֽלְלֶֽךָּ׃ H7043 Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct | second person masculine singular

BSB notes

That is, Mesopotamia; Aram-naharaim means Aram of the two rivers, likely the region between the Euphrates and Balih Rivers in northwestern Mesopotamia.

Verse 5

Cross-references

Deuteronomy 7:7 Classic cross-references Romans 8:31 Classic cross-references Numbers 22:12 Classic cross-references Nehemiah 13:2 Classic cross-references 2 Samuel 16:12 Classic cross-references

Original words

Yet the LORD יְהוָ֤ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular your God אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular would אָבָ֞ה H14 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular not וְלֹֽא־ H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle listen לִשְׁמֹ֣עַ H8085 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct to אֶל־ H413 Preposition Balaam בִּלְעָ֔ם H1109 Noun - proper - masculine singular and the LORD יְהוָ֨ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular your God אֱלֹהֶ֧יךָ H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular אֶת־ אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker turned וַיַּהֲפֹךְ֩ H2015 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular the curse הַקְּלָלָ֖ה H7045 Article | Noun - feminine singular into a blessing לִבְרָכָ֑ה H1293 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular for you לְּךָ֛ Preposition | second person masculine singular because כִּ֥י H3588 Conjunction the LORD יְהוָ֥ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular your God אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃ H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular loves you אֲהֵֽבְךָ֖ H157 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular | second person masculine singular

Verse 6

Cross-references

Ezra 9:12 Classic cross-references Matthew 5:43 Classic cross-references 2 Samuel 12:31 Classic cross-references 2 Samuel 8:2 Classic cross-references Nehemiah 13:23 Classic cross-references

Original words

You are not to לֹא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle seek תִדְרֹ֥שׁ H1875 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular peace שְׁלֹמָ֖ם H7965 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural or prosperity from them וְטֹבָתָ֑ם H2896 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural as long as you live כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct . . . יָמֶ֖יךָ H3117 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular . . . לְעוֹלָֽם׃ס H5769 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular

Verse 7

Cross-references

Deuteronomy 10:19 Classic cross-references Exodus 22:21 Classic cross-references Exodus 23:9 Classic cross-references Leviticus 19:34 Classic cross-references Genesis 25:24 Classic cross-references

Original words

Do not לֹֽא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle despise תְתַעֵ֣ב H8581 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singular an Edomite אֲדֹמִ֔י H130 Noun - proper - masculine singular for כִּ֥י H3588 Conjunction he ה֑וּאס H1931 Pronoun - third person masculine singular is your brother אָחִ֖יךָ H251 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular Do not לֹא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle despise תְתַעֵ֣ב H8581 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singular an Egyptian מִצְרִ֔י H4713 Noun - proper - masculine singular because כִּי־ H3588 Conjunction you lived הָיִ֥יתָ H1961 Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular as a foreigner גֵ֖ר H1616 Noun - masculine singular in his land בְאַרְצֽוֹ׃ H776 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular

Verse 8

Cross-references

Exodus 20:5 Classic cross-references Deuteronomy 23:1 Classic cross-references Ephesians 2:12 Classic cross-references

Original words

The third שְׁלִישִׁ֑י H7992 Number - ordinal masculine singular generation דּ֣וֹר H1755 Noun - masculine singular of children בָּנִ֛ים H1121 Noun - masculine plural - אֲשֶׁר־ H834 Pronoun - relative born יִוָּלְד֥וּ H3205 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural to them לָהֶ֖ם Preposition | third person masculine plural may enter יָבֹ֥א H935 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular the assembly בִּקְהַ֥ל H6951 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct of the LORD יְהוָֽה׃ס H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular

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