1What persons may not enter into the congregation. 3An Ammonite or Moabite are excluded to the tenth generation; 7but an Edomite or Egyptian may be admitted in the third. 9Every wicked thing to be avoided in the host. 10An unclean person must remove out of the camp. 12Cleanliness to be attended to therein because of God's presence. 15Of the fugitive servant. 17Whoredom and sodomy not to be committed in Israel. 18Of abominable sacrifices. 19Of usury. 21Of vows. 24Of trespasses.
1HE that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter 1into the congregation of the LORD.
1 That is, according to the opinion of most interpreters, shall have no voice in public assemblies, nor a place in the counsel of rulers, judges or officers of the people, which assembly is also called a congregation of God, Psalm 82:1. Likewise none were admitted to the priesthood who had any blemish on their body, Lev. 21:17, etc. The reason of this law may be partly because such are commonly fainthearted, partly because it might tend to the upbraiding and disparagement of the office. Of the convening or meeting together of the congregation for the public service of God, this cannot in any wise be understood, because even strangers themselves (if circumcised) were admitted into it, Exod. 12:48; Lev. 22:18; Num. 9:14; 15:15. The Ammonites and Moabites, on the contrary, might not enter at all into the congregation, whereof mention is made here and in the following verses; as follows verse 3.
22A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD.
2 As was Jephthah, Judges 11:1, 2, who, in case of necessity, was extraordinary, and was blessed of God in it.
3An Ammonitea or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the LORD for ever:
a Neh. 13:1.
4Because they met you not 3with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because 4they hired against thee Balaamb the son of Beor of Pethor of 5Mesopotamia, to curse thee.
3 See Deut. 2:28.
4 Namely, the Moabite, Num. 22:3, 4, 5, etc.
b Num. 22:3, 4, 5, etc.
5 Hebr. Aram Naharajim, that is, Syria of the two rivers. See Gen. 24 on verse 10.
5Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee.
6Thou shalt not seek their 6peace nor their prosperity all thy days for ever.
6 That is, health, well-being.
7¶Thou shalt not abhor an 7Edomite; for he is 8thy brother: thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian; because thou wast a stranger in his land.
7 Except the Amalekites only. See Deut. 25 on verse 17.
8 A descendant of Esau, who was the brother of your forefather Jacob.
8The children that are begotten of them 9shall enter into the congregation of the LORD in their third generation.
9 That is, may enter.
9¶When the host goeth forth against thine enemies, then keep thee from every wicked thing.
10¶If there be among you any man, that is not clean by reason of uncleanness that 10chanceth him by night, then shall he go abroad out of the camp, he shall not come within the camp:
10 See Lev. 15:4, 16, 17.
11But it shall be, when evening cometh on, he shall wash himself with water: and when the sun is down, he shall come into the camp again.
12¶Thou shalt have a 11place also without the camp, whither thou shalt go forth abroad:
11 Hebr. hand, which word is also taken for room, space, side, place, thing, containing, etc. See Prov. 8:3; Isa. 57:8 with the annotation.
13And thou shalt have a paddlec12upon thy weapon; and it shall be, when thou wilt 13ease thyself abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which cometh from thee:
c small spade or trowel
12 Or, next to thy weapons.
13 That is, has done the work of nature.
14For the LORD thy God 14walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies 15before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy: that 16he see 17no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee.
14 See Lev. 26 on verse 12.
15 See Deut. 1 on verse 8.
16 Namely, the LORD.
17 Hebr. no nakedness of any thing, or, shamefulness of any thing, that is, no impropriety, impurity, which modesty does not permit to remain bare and uncovered.
15¶Thou shalt not deliver unto his master the servant which is escaped from 18his master unto thee:
18 Who used him tyrannically.
16He shall 19dwell with thee, even among you, in that place which he shall choose in one of thy 20gates, where it liketh him best: thou shalt not oppress him.
19 After you shall have taken notice of the matter, and found out that he has left his master upon sufficient and warrantable ground; unless you could reconcile him to his master, and so send him back again. Some understand this only of such servants, as pertained to the nations round about, whom they used as they listed with inhumane and intolerable cruelty.
20 That is, cities or dwelling places, where it shall suit or agree him best.
17¶There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a 21sodomite of the sons of Israel.
21 That is, who suffers himself to be defiled by mankind. See Gen. 19:5; Lev. 18:22; 1 Kings 14:24; 22:47; 2 Kings 23:7; Rom. 1:27.
18Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the 22price of a dog, into the house of the LORD thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the LORD thy God.
22 That is, money, which was earned by the abominable sin of uncleanness, mentioned in the previous verse. Compare 2 Sam. 3 on verse 8; Rev. 22:15. Some understand this properly of the price at which a dog, as an unclean creature, was sold.
19¶Thou shalt not 23lendd upon usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing that is lent upon usury:
23 See Lev. 25 on verse 36.
d Exod. 22:25; Lev. 25:36; Neh. 5:2, etc.; Luke 6:34, 35.
20Unto a stranger thou 24mayest lend upon usury; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon usury: that the LORD thy God may bless thee 25in all that thou settest thine hand to in the land whither thou goest to possess it.
24 Or, thou shalt lend upon usury; because they had dealings with the Jews, not as the poor Israelites had by reason of poverty, to trade and do business with them.
25 Hebr. in all the settling or putting to of thine hand.
21¶When thou shalt vow ae vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will 26surely require it of thee; and it would be 27sin in thee.
e Num. 30:2.
26 Hebr. requiring require.
27 That is, it would be counted to you for sin, and consequently be punished. Also Deut. 15:9.
22But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee.
2328That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform; even a freewill offering, according as thou hast vowed unto the LORD thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth.
28 Hebr. the going out of thy lips.
24¶When thou comest into thy neighbour's vineyard, then thou mayest 29eat grapes 30thy fill at thine own pleasure; but thou shalt not put any in thy vessel.
29 That is, mayest eat, so likewise in the following verse.
30 Hebr. according to your soul, that is, according your own pleasure, as above often.
25When thou comest into the standingf corn of thy neighbour, then thou mayest pluck the 31ears with thine hand; but thou shalt not 32move a sickle unto thy neighbour's standing corn.
f Mat. 12:1.
31 See hereof an example in Christ’s apostles, Mat. 12:1.
32 Or, cause it to pass, or to beat it, to and fro.