Focused Passage

Deuteronomy 23:9-14

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

9 When you are encamped against your enemies, then you shall keep yourself from every wicked thing.

10 If any man among you becomes unclean because of a nocturnal emission, he must leave the camp and stay outside.

11 When evening approaches, he must wash with water, and when the sun sets he may return to the camp.

12 You must have a place outside the camp to go and relieve yourself.

13 And you must have a digging tool in your equipment so that when you relieve yourself you can dig a hole and cover up your excrement.

14 For the LORD your God walks throughout your camp to protect you and deliver your enemies to you. Your camp must be holy, lest He see anything unclean among you and turn away from you.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 9

Cross-references

Leviticus 15 BSB references Joshua 6:18 Classic cross-references Deuteronomy 20:8 Classic cross-references

Original words

When כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction you are encamped תֵצֵ֥א H3318 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular . . . מַחֲנֶ֖ה H4264 Noun - common singular against עַל־ H5921 Preposition your enemies אֹיְבֶ֑יךָ H341 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular then you shall keep yourself וְנִ֨שְׁמַרְתָּ֔ H8104 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular from every מִכֹּ֖ל H3605 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct wicked רָֽע׃ H7451 Adjective - masculine singular thing דָּבָ֥ר H1697 Noun - masculine singular

Verse 10

Cross-references

Leviticus 15:16 Classic cross-references Numbers 5:2 Classic cross-references

Original words

If כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction - יִהְיֶ֤ה H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular any man אִ֔ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular among you בְךָ֙ Preposition | second person masculine singular - אֲשֶׁ֛ר H834 Pronoun - relative becomes יִהְיֶ֥ה H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular vvv לֹא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle unclean טָה֖וֹר H2889 Adjective - masculine singular because of a nocturnal לָ֑יְלָה H3915 Noun - masculine singular emission מִקְּרֵה־ H7137 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct he must leave וְיָצָא֙ H3318 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular אֶל־ אֶל־ H413 Preposition the camp לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה H4264 Preposition-l, Article | Noun - common singular - לֹ֥א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle [and] stay יָבֹ֖א H935 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular outside מִח֣וּץ H2351 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular . . . אֶל־ H413 Preposition - תּ֥וֹךְ H8432 Noun - masculine singular construct - הַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃ H4264 Article | Noun - common singular

Verse 11

Cross-references

Ephesians 5:26 Classic cross-references Hebrews 10:22 Classic cross-references Hebrews 9:10 Classic cross-references Leviticus 14:9 Classic cross-references Leviticus 15:5 Classic cross-references

Original words

- וְהָיָ֥ה H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular When evening עֶ֖רֶב H6153 Noun - masculine singular approaches לִפְנֽוֹת־ H6437 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct he must wash יִרְחַ֣ץ H7364 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular with water בַּמָּ֑יִם H4325 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural and when the sun הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ H8121 Article | Noun - common singular sets וּכְבֹ֣א H935 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct he may return יָבֹ֖א H935 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular to אֶל־ H413 Preposition . . . תּ֥וֹךְ H8432 Noun - masculine singular construct the camp הַֽמַּחֲנֶה׃ H4264 Article | Noun - common singular

Verse 12

Original words

You must have תִּהְיֶ֣ה H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular a place וְיָד֙ H3027 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular outside מִח֖וּץ H2351 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular the camp לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֑ה H4264 Preposition-l, Article | Noun - common singular to go וְיָצָ֥אתָ H3318 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular [and] relieve yourself שָׁ֖מָּה H8033 Adverb | third person feminine singular . . . חֽוּץ׃ H2351 Noun - masculine singular

Verse 13

Cross-references

Ezekiel 24:6 Classic cross-references

Original words

And you must have תִּהְיֶ֥ה H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular a digging tool וְיָתֵ֛ד H3489 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular in עַל־ H5921 Preposition your equipment אֲזֵנֶ֑ךָ H240 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular so that וְהָיָה֙ H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular when you relieve yourself בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ֣ H3427 Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | second person masculine singular . . . ח֔וּץ H2351 Noun - masculine singular you can dig a hole וְחָפַרְתָּ֣ה H2658 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular - וְשַׁבְתָּ֖ H7725 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular and cover up וְכִסִּ֥יתָ H3680 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker your excrement צֵאָתֶֽךָ׃ H6627 Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular

Verse 14

Cross-references

Psalms 46:5 Classic cross-references Genesis 17:1 Classic cross-references Leviticus 26:12 Classic cross-references 2 Corinthians 6:16 Classic cross-references Exodus 3:5 Classic cross-references

Original words

For כִּי֩ H3588 Conjunction the LORD יְהוָ֨ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular your God אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular walks מִתְהַלֵּ֣ךְ׀ H1980 Verb - Hitpael - Participle - masculine singular throughout בְּקֶ֣רֶב H7130 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct your camp מַחֲנֶ֗ךָ H4264 Noun - common singular construct | second person masculine singular to protect you לְהַצִּֽילְךָ֙ H5337 Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct | second person masculine singular and deliver וְלָתֵ֤ת H5414 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct your enemies אֹיְבֶ֙יךָ֙ H341 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular to you לְפָנֶ֔יךָ H6440 Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct | second person masculine singular Your camp מַחֲנֶ֖יךָ H4264 Noun - common plural construct | second person masculine singular must be וְהָיָ֥ה H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular holy קָד֑וֹשׁ H6918 Adjective - masculine singular lest וְלֹֽא־ H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle He see יִרְאֶ֤ה H7200 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular anything דָּבָ֔ר H1697 Noun - masculine singular unclean עֶרְוַ֣ת H6172 Noun - feminine singular construct among you בְךָ֙ Preposition | second person masculine singular and turn away וְשָׁ֖ב H7725 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular from you מֵאַחֲרֶֽיךָ׃ס H310 Preposition-m | second person masculine singular

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