18 Do not take into the house of the Lord your God, as an offering for an oath, the price of a loose woman or the money given to one used for sex purposes in the worship of the gods: for these two things are disgusting to the Lord your God.
You may not have sex relations with men, as you do with women: it is a disgusting thing.
When you take an oath to the Lord, do not be slow to give effect to it: for without doubt the Lord your God will make you responsible, and will put it to your account as sin.
Be on the watch against dogs, against the workers of evil, against those of the circumcision:
Outside are the dogs, and those who make use of evil powers, those who make themselves unclean, and the takers of life, and those who give worship to images, and everyone whose delight is in what is false.
For you are not a God who takes pleasure in wrongdoing; there is no evil with you. The sons of pride have no place before you; you are a hater of all workers of evil. You will send destruction on those whose words are false; the cruel man and the man of deceit are hated by the Lord.
Dogs have come round me: I am shut in by the band of evil-doers; they made wounds in my hands and feet.
Like a dog going back to the food which he has not been able to keep down, is the foolish man doing his foolish acts over again.
His watchmen are blind, they are all without knowledge; they are all dogs without tongues, unable to make a sound; stretched out dreaming, loving sleep. Yes, the dogs are for ever looking for food; while these, the keepers of the sheep, are without wisdom: they have all gone after their pleasure, every one looking for profit; they are all the same.
For I, the Lord, take pleasure in upright judging; I will not put up with the violent taking away of right; and I will certainly give them their reward, and I will make an eternal agreement with them.
They give payment to all loose women: but you give rewards to your lovers, offering them payment so that they may come to you on every side for your cheap love.
A curse on the false man who has a male in his flock, and takes his oath, and gives to the Lord a damaged thing: for I am a great King, says the Lord of armies, and my name is to be feared among the Gentiles.
They are an example of that true saying, The dog has gone back to the food it had put out, and the pig which had been washed to its rolling in the dirty earth.
And there you are to take your burned offerings and other offerings, and the tenth part of your goods, and the offerings to be lifted up to the Lord, and the offerings of your oaths, and those which you give freely from the impulse of your hearts, and the first births among your herds and your flocks;
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Deuteronomy 23
Commentary on Deuteronomy 23 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 23
The laws of this chapter provide,
Deu 23:1-8
Interpreters are not agreed what is here meant by entering into the congregation of the Lord, which is here forbidden to eunuchs and to bastards, Ammonites and Moabites, for ever, but to Edomites and Egyptians only till the third generation.
It is plain, in general, that disgrace is here put,
Deu 23:9-14
Israel was now encamped, and this vast army was just entering upon action, which was likely to keep them together for a long time, and therefore it was fit to give them particular directions for the good ordering of their camp. And the charge is in one word to be clean. They must take care to keep their camp pure from moral, ceremonial, and natural pollution.
Deu 23:15-25
Orders are here given about five several things which have no relation one to another:-