Deuteronomy 23:1

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

Neither he that hath been mutilated by crushing, nor he that hath had his privy member cut off, shall enter into the convocation of Yahweh.

Parallel Translations

English Standard Version
"No one whose testicles are crushed or whose male organ is cut off shall enter the assembly of the Lord .

Update Bible Version
He that is wounded in the stones, or has his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the assembly of Yahweh.

English Revised Version
He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the assembly of the LORD.

New Century Version
No man who has had part of his sex organ cut off may come into the meeting to worship the Lord .

New English Translation
A man with crushed or severed genitals may not enter the assembly of the Lord .

Webster's Bible Translation
He that is wounded or mutilated in his secrets, shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD.

World English Bible
He who is wounded in the stones, or has his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the assembly of Yahweh.

Amplified Bible
"He who has been castrated by having his testicles crushed or his male organ cut off shall not enter the congregation of the LORD.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
A geldyng whanne hise stoonys ben brokun, ethir kit awey, and his yerde is kit awei, schal not entre in to the chirche of the Lord.

Young's Literal Translation
`One wounded, bruised, or cut in the member doth not enter into the assembly of Jehovah;

Berean Standard Bible
No man with crushed or severed genitals may enter the assembly of the LORD.

Contemporary English Version
Moses said to Israel: If a man's private parts have been crushed or cut off, he cannot fully belong to the Lord 's people.

American Standard Version
He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the assembly of Jehovah.

Bible in Basic English
No man whose private parts have been wounded or cut off may come into the meeting of the Lord's people.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
None that is hurt by burstyng, or hath his priuie members cut of, shal come into the congregation of ye Lord.

Complete Jewish Bible
"A man is not to take his father's wife, thus violating his father's rights.

Darby Translation
He that is a eunuch, whether he have been crushed or cut, shall not come into the congregation of Jehovah.

Easy-to-Read Version
"A man with a crushed testicle or part of his sex organ cut off may not join with the men of Israel to worship the Lord .

JPS Old Testament (1917)
A man shall not take his father's wife, and shall not uncover his father's skirt.

King James Version (1611)
Hee that is wounded in the stones, or hath his priuie member cut off, shall not enter into the Congregation of the Lord.

New Life Bible
"No man who has his sex part crushed or cut off will go into the meeting of the Lord.

New Revised Standard
No one whose testicles are crushed or whose penis is cut off shall be admitted to the assembly of the Lord .

Geneva Bible (1587)
None that is hurt by bursting, or that hath his priuie member cut off, shall enter into the Congregation of the Lord.

George Lamsa Translation
NO adulterer shall enter into the assembly of the LORD.

Good News Translation
"No man who has been castrated or whose penis has been cut off may be included among the Lord 's people.

Douay-Rheims Bible
An eunuch, whose testicles are broken or cut away, or yard cut off, shall not enter into the church of the Lord.

Revised Standard Version
"He whose testicles are crushed or whose male member is cut off shall not enter the assembly of the LORD.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
He that is fractured or mutilated in his private parts shall not enter into the assembly of the Lord.

Christian Standard Bible®
“No man whose testicles have been crushed or whose penis has been cut off may enter the Lord’s assembly.

Hebrew Names Version
He who is wounded in the stones, or has his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the assembly of the LORD.

King James Version
He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord .

Lexham English Bible
"No man with crushed testicles or whose male organ is cut off may come into the assembly of Yahweh.

Literal Translation
He being wounded, crushed, or cut in his male member shall not enter into the assembly of Jehovah.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
There shal none that hath his stones broken or yt is gelded, come in to the cogregacion of the LORDE.

THE MESSAGE
No eunuch is to enter the congregation of God .

New American Standard Bible
"No one who is emasculated or has his male organ cut off may enter the assembly of the LORD.

New King James Version
"He who is emasculated by crushing or mutilation shall not enter the assembly of the LORD.

New Living Translation
"If a man's testicles are crushed or his penis is cut off, he may not be admitted to the assembly of the Lord .

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"No one who is emasculated or has his male organ cut off shall enter the assembly of the LORD.

Legacy Standard Bible
"No one who is emasculated or has his male organ cut off shall enter the assembly of Yahweh.

Contextual Overview

¹ Neither he that hath been mutilated by crushing, nor he that hath had his privy member cut off, shall enter into the convocation of Yahweh. ² A bastard shall not enter into the convocation of Yahweh, - even to the tenth generation, shall none of his enter into the convocation of Yahweh. ³ Neither an Ammonite nor a Moabite shall enter into the convocation of Yahweh, - even to the tenth generation, shall none that belong to them enter into the convocation of Yahweh, unto times age-abiding: ⁴ because they met you not with bread and water, in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt, - but hired against thee Balaam son of Beer from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee. ⁵ Nevertheless, Yahweh thy God consented not to hearken unto Balaam, but Yahweh thy God turned, for thee, the curse into a blessing, - because Yahweh thy God loved thee. ⁶ Thou shalt not seek their peace nor their welfare, - all thy days, unto times age-abiding. ⁷ Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite, for thy brother, he is, - thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian, for a sojourner, becamest thou in his land; ⁸ the sons who are born to them, of the third generation, may enter unto them in the convocation of Yahweh.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

wounded: Leviticus 21:17-21, Leviticus 22:22-24, Galatians 3:28

shall not enter: 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. Deuteronomy 23:2, Deuteronomy 23:3, Deuteronomy 23:8, Nehemiah 13:1-3, Isaiah 56:3, Isaiah 56:4, Lamentations 1:10

Reciprocal: Leviticus 21:20 - or hath Leviticus 22:24 - broken

Cross-References

Genesis 17:17
And Abraham fell on his face and laughed, - and said in his heart To one a hundred years old, shall a child be born? And shall even Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth?

Gill's Notes on the Bible

He that is wounded in the stones,.... In any of them, not accidentally, but purposely; which are crushed and bruised by the hands of men, with a design to make him unfit for generation, or to make an eunuch of him:

or that hath his privy member cut by himself or another, and is a thorough eunuch by the hands of men; for of such eunuchs that are made by men, and not born so, the law speaks; so Maimonides interprets it f; :-

shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; which is to be understood not of the sanctuary of the Lord, or of being refused admittance into the church of God, and to join in religious rites, and partake of sacred ordinances, which all Israelites, and strangers that were proselytes, had a right unto; such might bring their offerings, keep the passover, c. Exodus 12:48 nor of the commonwealth of Israel, as if unfit to be members of civil society it cannot be thought that such defects should abridge them of their civil rights and privileges: but by the congregation is to be understood the elders, judges, and representatives of the people, that met together in some one place to execute judgment; see

Numbers 35:12, into which such persons were not to be admitted; either because disgraceful and dishonourable, or because of the influence such defects have on their minds, they thereby becoming effeminate, irresolute, and wanting courage, as well as in opposition to the customs and usages of the Heathens, with whom it was common to admit such persons to civil offices; hence the word eunuch is sometimes used for an officer, Genesis 37:36 and elsewhere; the Jews g restrain this law to marriage, but unnecessarily.

f Hilchot lssure Biah, c. 16. sect. 8. g Targum Jon. in loc. Misn. Yebamot, c. 8. sect. 2, 4, 5, 6. Maimon. Moreh Nevochim, par. 3. c. 49.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Compare Leviticus 21:17-24. Such persons, exhibiting a mutilation of that human nature which was made in God’s image, were rejected from the covenant entirely. However, they could be proselytes (compare Acts 8:27). The Old Testament itself foretells Isaiah 56:3-5 the removal of this ban when under the kingdom of Messiah the outward and emblematic perfection and sanctity of Israel should be fulfilled in their inner meaning by the covenanted presence and work of the Holy Spirit in the Church.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER XXIII

Neither eunuchs, bastards, Ammonites, nor Moabites, shall be

incorporated with the genuine Israelites, 1-3.

The reason why the Ammonites and Moabites were excluded, 4-6.

Edomites and Egyptians to be respected, 7.

Their descendants in the third generation may be incorporated

with the Israelites, 8.

Cautions against wickedness when they go forth against their

enemies, 9.

To keep the camp free from every defilement, and the reason why,

10-14.

The slave who had taken refuge among them is not to be delivered

up to his former master, 15, 16.

There shall be no prostitutes nor sodomites in the land, 17.

The hire of a prostitute or the price of a dog is not to be

brought into the house of God, 18.

The Israelites shall not lend on usury to each other, 19;

but they may take usury from strangers, 20.

Vows must be diligently paid, 21-23.

In passing through a vine yard or field a man may eat of the

grapes or corn, but must carry away none with him, 24, 25.

NOTES ON CHAP. XXIII

Verse Deuteronomy 23:1. Shall not enter into the congregation, c. — If by entering the congregation be meant the bearing a civil office among the people, such as magistrate, judge, &c., then the reason of the law is very plain no man with any such personal defect as might render him contemptible in the sight of others should bear rule among the people, lest the contempt felt for his personal defects might be transferred to his important office, and thus his authority be disregarded. The general meaning of these words is, simply, that the persons here designated should not be so incorporated with the Jews as to partake of their civil privileges.