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

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

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

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

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

13And 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.

14For 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

Original words

Whenכִּֽי־H3588Conjunctionyou are encampedתֵצֵ֥אH3318Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular. . .מַחֲנֶ֖הH4264Noun - common singularagainstעַל־H5921Prepositionyour enemiesאֹיְבֶ֑יךָH341Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singularthen you shall keep yourselfוְנִ֨שְׁמַרְתָּ֔H8104Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singularfrom everyמִכֹּ֖לH3605Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular constructwickedרָֽע׃H7451Adjective - masculine singularthingדָּבָ֥רH1697Noun - masculine singular
Verse 10

Original words

Ifכִּֽי־H3588Conjunction-יִהְיֶ֤הH1961Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularany manאִ֔ישׁH376Noun - masculine singularamong youבְךָ֙Preposition | second person masculine singular-אֲשֶׁ֛רH834Pronoun - relativebecomesיִהְיֶ֥הH1961Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularvvvלֹא־H3808Adverb - Negative particleuncleanטָה֖וֹרH2889Adjective - masculine singularbecause of a nocturnalלָ֑יְלָהH3915Noun - masculine singularemissionמִקְּרֵה־H7137Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular constructhe must leaveוְיָצָא֙H3318Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularאֶל־אֶל־H413Prepositionthe campלַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔הH4264Preposition-l, Article | Noun - common singular-לֹ֥אH3808Adverb - Negative particle[and] stayיָבֹ֖אH935Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularoutsideמִח֣וּץH2351Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular. . .אֶל־H413Preposition-תּ֥וֹךְH8432Noun - masculine singular construct-הַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃H4264Article | Noun - common singular
Verse 11

Original words

-וְהָיָ֥הH1961Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularWhen eveningעֶ֖רֶבH6153Noun - masculine singularapproachesלִפְנֽוֹת־H6437Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructhe must washיִרְחַ֣ץH7364Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularwith waterבַּמָּ֑יִםH4325Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine pluraland when the sunהַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁH8121Article | Noun - common singularsetsוּכְבֹ֣אH935Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructhe may returnיָבֹ֖אH935Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singulartoאֶל־H413Preposition. . .תּ֥וֹךְH8432Noun - masculine singular constructthe campהַֽמַּחֲנֶה׃H4264Article | Noun - common singular
Verse 12

Original words

You must haveתִּהְיֶ֣הH1961Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singulara placeוְיָד֙H3027Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singularoutsideמִח֖וּץH2351Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singularthe campלַֽמַּחֲנֶ֑הH4264Preposition-l, Article | Noun - common singularto goוְיָצָ֥אתָH3318Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular[and] relieve yourselfשָׁ֖מָּהH8033Adverb | third person feminine singular. . .חֽוּץ׃H2351Noun - masculine singular
Verse 13

Original words

And you must haveתִּהְיֶ֥הH1961Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singulara digging toolוְיָתֵ֛דH3489Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singularinעַל־H5921Prepositionyour equipmentאֲזֵנֶ֑ךָH240Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singularso thatוְהָיָה֙H1961Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularwhen you relieve yourselfבְּשִׁבְתְּךָ֣H3427Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | second person masculine singular. . .ח֔וּץH2351Noun - masculine singularyou can dig a holeוְחָפַרְתָּ֣הH2658Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular-וְשַׁבְתָּ֖H7725Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singularand cover upוְכִסִּ֥יתָH3680Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markeryour excrementצֵאָתֶֽךָ׃H6627Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Verse 14

Original words

Forכִּי֩H3588Conjunctionthe LORDיְהוָ֨הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularyour Godאֱלֹהֶ֜יךָH430Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singularwalksמִתְהַלֵּ֣ךְ׀H1980Verb - Hitpael - Participle - masculine singularthroughoutבְּקֶ֣רֶבH7130Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular constructyour campמַחֲנֶ֗ךָH4264Noun - common singular construct | second person masculine singularto protect youלְהַצִּֽילְךָ֙H5337Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct | second person masculine singularand deliverוְלָתֵ֤תH5414Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructyour enemiesאֹיְבֶ֙יךָ֙H341Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singularto youלְפָנֶ֔יךָH6440Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct | second person masculine singularYour campמַחֲנֶ֖יךָH4264Noun - common plural construct | second person masculine singularmust beוְהָיָ֥הH1961Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularholyקָד֑וֹשׁH6918Adjective - masculine singularlestוְלֹֽא־H3808Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particleHe seeיִרְאֶ֤הH7200Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularanythingדָּבָ֔רH1697Noun - masculine singularuncleanעֶרְוַ֣תH6172Noun - feminine singular constructamong youבְךָ֙Preposition | second person masculine singularand turn awayוְשָׁ֖בH7725Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularfrom youמֵאַחֲרֶֽיךָ׃סH310Preposition-m | second person masculine singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.