19 Thou shalt not lend upon usury H5391 to thy brother; H251 usury H5392 of money, H3701 usury H5392 of victuals, H400 usury H5392 of any thing H1697 that is lent upon usury: H5391
If thou lend H3867 money H3701 to any of my people H5971 that is poor H6041 by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, H5383 neither shalt thou lay H7760 upon him usury. H5392
And if thy brother H251 be waxen poor, H4134 and fallen in decay H4131 with thee; H3027 then thou shalt relieve H2388 him: yea, though he be a stranger, H1616 or a sojourner; H8453 that he may live H2416 with thee. Take H3947 thou no usury H5392 of him, or increase: H8636 but fear H3372 thy God; H430 that thy brother H251 may live H2416 with thee. Thou shalt not give H5414 him thy money H3701 upon usury, H5392 nor lend H5414 him thy victuals H400 for increase. H4768
And there was a great H1419 cry H6818 of the people H5971 and of their wives H802 against their brethren H251 the Jews. H3064 For there were H3426 that said, H559 We, our sons, H1121 and our daughters, H1323 are many: H7227 therefore we take up H3947 corn H1715 for them, that we may eat, H398 and live. H2421 Some also there were H3426 that said, H559 We have mortgaged H6148 our lands, H7704 vineyards, H3754 and houses, H1004 that we might buy H3947 corn, H1715 because of the dearth. H7458 There were H3426 also that said, H559 We have borrowed H3867 money H3701 for the king's H4428 tribute, H4060 and that upon our lands H7704 and vineyards. H3754 Yet now our flesh H1320 is as the flesh H1320 of our brethren, H251 our children H1121 as their children: H1121 and, lo, we bring into bondage H3533 our sons H1121 and our daughters H1323 to be servants, H5650 and some of our daughters H1323 are H3426 brought unto bondage H3533 already: neither is it in our power H410 H3027 to redeem them; for other men H312 have our lands H7704 and vineyards. H3754 And I was very H3966 angry H2734 when I heard H8085 their cry H2201 and these words. H1697 Then I consulted H4427 with myself, H3820 and I rebuked H7378 the nobles, H2715 and the rulers, H5461 and said H559 unto them, Ye exact H5378 H5383 H5375 usury, H4855 every one H376 of his brother. H251 And I set H5414 a great H1419 assembly H6952 against them.
And hath not oppressed H3238 any, H376 but hath restored H7725 to the debtor H2326 his pledge, H2258 hath spoiled H1497 none by violence, H1500 hath given H5414 his bread H3899 to the hungry, H7457 and hath covered H3680 the naked H5903 with a garment; H899 He that hath not given forth H5414 upon usury, H5392 neither hath taken H3947 any increase, H8636 that hath withdrawn H7725 his hand H3027 from iniquity, H5766 hath executed H6213 true H571 judgment H4941 between man H376 and man, H376
Neither hath oppressed H3238 any, H376 hath not withholden H2254 the pledge, H2258 neither hath spoiled H1497 by violence, H1500 but hath given H5414 his bread H3899 to the hungry, H7457 and hath covered H3680 the naked H5903 with a garment, H899 That hath taken off H7725 his hand H3027 from the poor, H6041 that hath not received H3947 usury H5392 nor increase, H8636 hath executed H6213 my judgments, H4941 hath walked H1980 in my statutes; H2708 he shall not die H4191 for the iniquity H5771 of his father, H1 he shall surely H2421 live. H2421 As for his father, H1 because he cruelly H6233 oppressed, H6231 spoiled H1497 his brother H251 by violence, H1499 and did H6213 that which is not good H2896 among H8432 his people, H5971 lo, even he shall die H4191 in his iniquity. H5771
In thee have they taken H3947 gifts H7810 to shed H8210 blood; H1818 thou hast taken H3947 usury H5392 and increase, H8636 and thou hast greedily gained H1214 of thy neighbours H7453 by extortion, H6233 and hast forgotten H7911 me, saith H5002 the Lord H136 GOD. H3069
And G2532 if G1437 ye lend G1155 to them of G3844 whom G3739 ye hope G1679 G1679 to receive, G618 what G4169 thank G5485 have G2076 ye? G5213 for G1063 sinners G268 also G2532 lend G1155 to sinners, G268 to G2443 receive G618 as much G2470 again. G618 But G4133 love ye G25 your G5216 enemies, G2190 and G2532 do good, G15 and G2532 lend, G1155 hoping G560 for nothing G3367 again; G560 and G2532 your G5216 reward G3408 shall be G2071 great, G4183 and G2532 ye shall be G2071 the children G5207 of the Highest: G5310 for G3754 he G846 is G2076 kind G5543 unto G1909 the unthankful G884 and G2532 to the evil. G4190
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Deuteronomy 23
Commentary on Deuteronomy 23 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
Regulations as to the Right of Citizenship in the Congregation of the Lord - Deuteronomy 23
From the sanctification of the house and the domestic relation, to which the laws of marriage and chastity in the previous chapter pointed, Moses proceeds to instructions concerning the sanctification of their union as a congregation: he gives directions as to the exclusion of certain persons from the congregation of the Lord, and the reception of others into it (Deuteronomy 23:1-8); as to the preservation of the purity of the camp in time of war (Deuteronomy 23:9-14); as to the reception of foreign slaves into the land, and the removal of licentious persons out of it (Deuteronomy 23:15-18); and lastly, as to certain duties of citizenship (Deuteronomy 23:19-25).
The Right of Citizenship in the Congregation of the Lord. - Deuteronomy 23:1. Into the congregation of the Lord there was not to come, i.e., not to be received, any person who was mutilated in his sexual member. פּצוּע־דּכּה , literally wounded by crushing, i.e., mutilated in this way; Vulg . eunuchus attritis vel amputatis testiculis . Not only animals (see at Leviticus 22:24), but men also, were castrated in this way. שׁפכה כּרוּת was one whose sexual member was cut off; Vulg . abscisso veretro . According to Mishnah Jebam. vi. 2, “ contusus דּכּה est omnis, cujus testiculi vulnerati sunt, vel certe unus eorum; exsectus ( כּרוּת ), cujus membrum virile praecisum est .” In the modern East, emasculation is generally performed in this way (see Tournefort, Reise. ii. p. 259, and Burckhardt, Nubien, pp. 450, 451). The reason for the exclusion of emasculated persons from the congregation of Jehovah, i.e., not merely from office ( officio et publico magistratu , Luth .) and from marriage with an Israelitish woman ( Fag., C. a Lap., and others), but from admission into the covenant fellowship of Israel with the Lord, is to be found in the mutilation of the nature of man as created by God, which was irreconcilable with the character of the people of God. Nature is not destroyed by grace, but sanctified and transformed. This law, however, was one of the ordinances intended for the period of infancy, and has lost its significance with the spread of the kingdom of God over all the nations of the earth (Isaiah 56:4).
Deuteronomy 23:2
So also with the ממזר , i.e., not persons begotten out of wedlock, illegitimate children generally (lxx, Vulg .), but, according to the Talmud and the Rabbins , those who were begotten in incest or adultery (cf. Ges. thes . p. 781). The etymology of the word is obscure. The only other place in which it occurs is Zechariah 9:6; and it is neither contracted from מוּם and זר (according to the Talmud , and Hitzig on Zechariah 9:6), nor from זר מעם ( Geiger Urschr. p. 52), but in all probability is to be derived from a root מזר , synonymous with the Arabic word “to be corrupt, or foul.” The additional clause, “ not even in the tenth generation ,” precludes all possibility of their ever being received. Ten is the number of complete exclusion. In Deuteronomy 23:3, therefore, “ for ever ” is added. The reason is the same as in the case of mutilated persons, namely, their springing from a connection opposed to the divine order of the creation.
Deuteronomy 23:3-8
Also no Ammonite or Moabite was to be received, not even in the tenth generation; not, however, because their forefathers were begotten in incest (Genesis 19:30.), as Knobel supposes, but on account of the hostility they had manifested to the establishment of the kingdom of God. Not only had they failed to give Israel a hospitable reception on its journey (see at Deuteronomy 2:29), but they (viz., the king of the Moabites) had even hired Balaam to curse Israel. In this way they had brought upon themselves the curse which falls upon all those who curse Israel, according to the infallible word of God (Genesis 12:3), the truth of which even Balaam was obliged to attest in the presence of Balak (Numbers 24:9); although out of love to Israel the Lord turned the curse of Balaam into a blessing (cf. Num 22-24). For this reason Israel was never to seek their welfare and prosperity, i.e., to make this an object of its care (“to seek,” as in Jeremiah 29:7); not indeed from personal hatred, for the purpose of repaying evil with evil, since this neither induced Moses to publish the prohibition, nor instigated Ezra when he put the law in force, by compelling the separation of all Ammonitish, Moabitish, and Canaanitish wives from the newly established congregation in Jerusalem (Ezra 9:12). How far Moses was from being influenced by such motives of personal or national revenge is evident, apart from the prohibition in Deuteronomy 2:9 and Deuteronomy 2:19 against making war upon the Moabites and Ammonites, from the command which follows in Deuteronomy 23:8 and Deuteronomy 23:9 with reference to the Edomites and Egyptians. These nations had also manifested hostility to the Israelites. Edom had come against them when they desired to march peaceably through his land (Numbers 20:18.), and the Pharaohs of Egypt had heavily oppressed them. Nevertheless, Israel as to keep the bond of kindred sacred (“he is thy brother”), and not to forget in the case of the Egyptians the benefits derived from their sojourn in their land. Their children might come into the congregation of the Lord in the third generation, i.e., the great-grandchildren of Edomites of Egyptians, who had lived as strangers in Israel (see at Exodus 20:5). Such persons might be incorporated into the covenant nation by circumcision.
Preservation of the Purity of the Camp in Time of War. - The bodily appearance of the people was also to correspond to the sacredness of Israel as the congregation of the Lord, especially when they gathered in hosts around their God. “ When thou marchest out as a camp against thine enemies, beware of every evil thing .” What is meant by an “evil thing” is stated in Deuteronomy 23:10-13, viz., uncleanness, and uncleanliness of the body.
Deuteronomy 23:10-11
The person who had become unclean through a nightly occurrence, was to go out of the camp and remain there till he had cleansed himself in the evening. On the journey through the desert, none but those who were affected with uncleanness of a longer duration were to be removed from the camp (Numbers 5:2) but when they were encamped, this law was to apply to even lighter defilements.
Deuteronomy 23:12-13
The camp of war was also not to be defiled with the dirt of excrements. Outside the camp there was to be a space or place ( יד , as in Numbers 2:17) for the necessities of nature, and among their implements they were to have a spade, with which they were to dig when they sat down, and then cover it up again. יתד , generally a plug, here a tool for sticking in, i.e., for digging into the ground.
Deuteronomy 23:14
For the camp was to be (to be kept) holy, because Jehovah walked in the midst of it, in order that He might not see “ nakedness of a thing ,” i.e., anything to be ashamed of (see at Deuteronomy 24:1) in the people, “ and turn away from thee .” There was nothing shameful in the excrement itself; but the want of reverence, which the people would display through not removing it, would offend the Lord and drive Him out of the camp of Israel.
Toleration and Non-Toleration in the Congregation of the Lord. - Deuteronomy 23:15, Deuteronomy 23:16. A slave who had escaped from his master to Israel was not to be given up, but to be allowed to dwell in the land, wherever he might choose, and not to be oppressed. The reference is to a slave who had fled to them from a foreign country, on account of the harsh treatment which he had received from his heathen master. The plural `adoniym denotes the rule.
On the other hand, male and female prostitutes of Israelitish descent were not to be tolerated; i.e., it was not to be allowed, that either a male or female among the Israelites should give himself up to prostitution as an act of religious worship. The exclusion of foreign prostitutes was involved in the command to root out the Canaanites. קדּשׁ and קדשׁה were persons who prostituted themselves in the worship of the Canaanitish Astarte (see at Genesis 38:21). - “ The wages of a prostitute and the money of dogs shall not come into the house of the Lord on account of ( ל , for the more remote cause, Ewald , §217) any vow; for even both these (viz., even the prostitute and dog, not merely their dishonourable gains) are abomination unto the Lord thy God .” “The hire of a whore” is what the kedeshah was paid for giving herself up. “The price of a dog” is not the price paid for the sale of a dog ( Bochart, Spencer, Iken, Baumgarten, etc.), but is a figurative expression used to denote the gains of the kadesh , who was called κίναιδος by the Greeks, and received his name from the dog-like manner in which the male kadesh debased himself (see Revelation 22:15, where the unclean are distinctly called “dogs”).
Different Theocratic Rights of Citizenship. - Deuteronomy 23:19, Deuteronomy 23:20. Of his brother (i.e., his countryman), the Israelite was not to take interest for money, food, or anything else that he lent to him; but only of strangers (non-Israelites: cf. Exodus 22:24 and Leviticus 25:36-37).
Vows vowed to the Lord were to be fulfilled without delay; but omitting to vow was not a sin. (On vows themselves, see at Lev and Numbers 30:2.) נדבה is an accusative defining the meaning more fully: in free will, spontaneously.
In the vineyard and cornfield of a neighbour they might eat at pleasure to still their hunger, but they were not to put anything into a vessel, or swing a sickle upon another's corn, that is to say, carry away any store of grapes or ears of corn. כּנפשׁך , according to thy desire, or appetite (cf. Deuteronomy 14:26). “ Pluck the ears: ” cf. Matthew 12:1; Luke 6:1. - The right of hungry persons, when passing through a field, to pluck ears of corn, and rub out the grains and eat, is still recognised among the Arabs (vid., Rob. Pal. ii. 192).