Deuteronomy · chapter 23 of 34
Updated on
Deuteronomy 23 regulates who may enter the assembly of the Lord, commands that the camp be kept clean because God walks in its midst, and protects the slave who flees. It also forbids cultic prostitution and interest between brothers, requires vows to be kept promptly, and allows eating from a neighbor's field without carrying away a harvest.
Moses continues applying the covenant to daily life. After the family laws of chapter 22, here he speaks of who belongs to the assembly, how to keep the camp holy and how to treat others in economic and social life. The common thread is that God lives in the midst of his people, and that changes worship, cleanliness and justice.
The chapter begins with restrictions on who may enter the assembly of the Lord: certain people are excluded because of physical condition or doubtful birth. Ammonites and Moabites are barred until the tenth generation, because they did not meet Israel with bread and water on the way and hired Balaam to curse it, though God turned the curse into a blessing. By contrast, the Edomite is not to be abhorred, for he is a brother, nor the Egyptian, because Israel was a sojourner in his land; their children may enter in the third generation.
When the army goes out to war, it must keep itself from every evil thing. The camp is to be kept clean, with a place outside for relieving oneself and a trowel to cover it, because the Lord walks in the midst of the camp and must see nothing indecent.
The slave who flees from his master and seeks refuge is not to be returned but may live where he chooses. Sacred prostitution is forbidden, and its earnings may not come into the house of the Lord as an offering. No interest is to be charged to a fellow Israelite, though it may be charged to a foreigner. Vows made to the Lord must be paid without delay. Finally, someone passing through a neighbor's vineyard or grainfield may eat his fill but may not carry a container or use a sickle.
References follow ESV book names and verse numbers. Read each verse in your Bible before the explanation.
The Lord refused to listen to Balaam and turned the curse into a blessing because he loved his people. God protects Israel even when others try to harm it.
The Lord walks in the midst of the camp to deliver Israel and give enemies over to it, so the camp must be holy. God's presence is both a promise and a responsibility.
The slave who flees from his master and seeks refuge must be allowed to live where he wishes, without being oppressed. The law protects the fugitive instead of returning him, which was remarkable in the ancient world.
Whoever makes a vow to the Lord must not delay paying it, because God will require it and delay is sin. The law teaches that promises made before God must be taken seriously.
6 questions with answers and references, ready for Sunday school, small group or a Bible quiz night.
Answer: Until the tenth generation, forever. — Deuteronomy 23:3
Answer: The Edomite is Israel's brother, and Israel had lived as a sojourner in the land of Egypt. — Deuteronomy 23:7
Answer: Go outside the camp and cover them with a trowel they carried. — Deuteronomy 23:12-13
Answer: He was not to be returned; he could live where he chose, without being oppressed. — Deuteronomy 23:15-16
Answer: Interest on money, food or anything lent. — Deuteronomy 23:19
Answer: Eat grapes until satisfied, but not carry any away in a container. — Deuteronomy 23:24
This chapter speaks about belonging: who comes in and who stays out. For Christian readers it recalls that in Christ the door is open to people of every nation and condition, and that the church should welcome generously and not build walls God has not built. A group can ask whether there are people they find hard to receive and why.
It also teaches us to guard the holiness of ordinary life: kept words, fair dealing with the needy and respect for what belongs to others. Promising something to God or to another person and not following through weakens trust. Keeping a vow, paying on time and not taking advantage of someone in trouble are concrete ways of living with God in our midst.
Deuteronomy 23 reminds us that because God walks among his people, everything from the assembly to the harvest is lived in his presence. In chapter 24 Moses continues with laws about divorce, pledges, wages and the most vulnerable.
The text gives the reason: they did not meet Israel with bread and water on the way and hired Balaam to curse it. Even so, the book of Ruth shows a Moabite, Ruth, welcomed into Israel and part of David's line, which reflects God's grace beyond that rule.
The law protected poor fellow Israelites from usury. A loan to a foreigner was considered a business transaction, not help to someone in need. The text distinguishes the two cases without giving further detail.
It allowed the traveler or day laborer to eat what he needed without stealing the harvest. Jesus recalls this principle when his disciples pick grain on the Sabbath, according to Matthew 12.