Bible Commentaries
Deuteronomy 23

Verse 1

congregation = assembly.

Verse 3

Moabite. Hebrew, masculine. Therefore not excluding Ruth the Moabitess. Matthew 1:5 . Compare Ruth 1:14-16 .

Verse 4

they hired. Compare Numbers 22:5 .Jude 1:11 .

Mesopotamia. Hebrew = Aram-Naharaim, i.e. "Syria of the two rivers".

Verse 7

Thou. Some codices, with Samaritan Pentateuch, Targum of Onkelos, Syriac, Vulgate, read "But thou".

thy brother. The posterity of Esau. Genesis 25:25-30 . Obadiah 1:10 , Obadiah 1:12 .

Verse 8

shall enter into the congregation, &c. The Massorah ( App-30 ) quotes the Babylonian Codex, which reads "shall enter unto you in the assembly of Jehovah", by reading lakem, "unto you" instead of the second lakem which the Revised Version ignores, and the Authorized Version paraphrases. The present Hebrew text reads "shall enter unto them", which can only mean unto the Edomite and Egyptian, which is incongruous. The reading of the Babylonian Codex makes all clear

Verse 9

wicked. See App-44 .

Verse 11

wash himself with water. See note on Leviticus 14:9 .

Verse 13

paddle = blade.

weapon = staff.

wilt ease. Hebrew sit down. Beautiful Euphemy ( App-6 ), when dealing with physical uncleanness, but plain speaking when dealing with moral uncleanness.

Verse 14

walketh. Figure of speech Anthropopatheia. App-6 . Compare Genesis 3:8 . Leviticus 26:12 .

camp. Some codices, with Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, read "camps".

holy = separated. See note on Exodus 3:5 .

Verse 17

whore = sodomitess. Hebrew means one consecrated as such in connection with heathen worship. Hence her name kedeshah, a separated one. Compare 1 Kings 14:24 ; 1Ki 15:12 ; 1 Kings 22:46 . Job 36:14 ("unclean" = temple women). Hosea 4:14 . The Laws of Khammurabi refer to these (181, 187, 192).

sodomite. First occurrence. See above note.

Verse 18

whore = a prostitute. Hebrew. zonah, different from Deuteronomy 23:17 .

dog. Hebrew. keleb ; but here, probably = priest (of the above orgies), same as Arabic kaleb.

Verse 19

usury. Compare Exodus 22:25 .Leviticus 25:35-37 .

Verse 21

vow a vow. Figure of speech Polyptoton ( App-6 ) make a solemn vow. Compare Numbers 30:2 .

sin. See App-44 .

Verse 24

at thine own pleasure = as thy soul [desireth], Hebrew. nephesh. App-13 .

Verse 25

standing corn. Compare Matthew 12:1 .