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
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H899 He that hath not given forth H5414 upon usury, H5392 neither hath taken H3947 any increase, H8636 that hath withdrawn H7725 his hand H3027 from iniquity, H5766 hath executed H6213 true H571 judgment H4941 between man H376 and man, H376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
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 » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Deuteronomy 23
Commentary on Deuteronomy 23 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 23
De 23:1-25. Who May and Who May Not Enter into the Congregation.
1-3. He that is wounded …, shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord—"To enter into the congregation of the Lord" means either admission to public honors and offices in the Church and State of Israel, or, in the case of foreigners, incorporation with that nation by marriage. The rule was that strangers and foreigners, for fear of friendship or marriage connections with them leading the people into idolatry, were not admissible till their conversion to the Jewish faith. But this passage describes certain limitations of the general rule. The following parties were excluded from the full rights and privileges of citizenship: (1) Eunuchs—It was a very ancient practice for parents in the East by various arts to mutilate their children, with a view to training them for service in the houses of the great. (2) Bastards—Such an indelible stigma in both these instances was designed as a discouragement to practices that were disgraceful, but too common from intercourse with foreigners. (3) Ammonites and Moabites—Without provocation they had combined to engage a soothsayer to curse the Israelites; and had further endeavored, by ensnaring them into the guilt and licentious abominations of idolatry, to seduce them from their allegiance to God.
3. even to the their tenth generation shall they not enter—Many eminent writers think that this law of exclusion was applicable only to males; at all events that a definite is used for an indefinite number (Ne 13:1; Ru 4:10; 2Ki 10:2). Many of the Israelites being established on the east side of Jordan in the immediate neighborhood of those people, God raised this partition wall between them to prevent the consequences of evil communications. More favor was to be shown to Edomites and Egyptians—to the former from their near relationship to Israel; and to the latter, from their early hospitalities to the family of Jacob, as well as the many acts of kindness rendered them by private Egyptians at the Exodus (Ex 12:36). The grandchildren of Edomite or Egyptian proselytes were declared admissible to the full rights of citizenship as native Israelites; and by this remarkable provision, God taught His people a practical lesson of generosity and gratitude for special deeds of kindness, to the forgetfulness of all the persecution and ill services sustained from those two nations.
9-14. When the host goeth forth against thine enemies, then keep thee from every wicked thing—from the excesses incident to camp life, as well as from habits of personal neglect and impurity.
15, 16. Thou shalt not deliver unto his master the servant which has escaped from his master unto thee—evidently a servant of the Canaanites or some of the neighboring people, who was driven by tyrannical oppression, or induced, with a view of embracing the true religion, to take refuge in Israel.
19, 20. Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother … Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury—The Israelites lived in a simple state of society, and hence they were encouraged to lend to each other in a friendly way without any hope of gain. But the case was different with foreigners, who, engaged in trade and commerce, borrowed to enlarge their capital, and might reasonably be expected to pay interest on their loans. Besides, the distinction was admirably conducive to keeping the Israelites separate from the rest of the world.
21, 22. When thou shalt vow a vow—(See on Nu 30:2).
24, 25. When thou comest into thy neighbour's vineyard, then thou mayest eat grapes thy fill at thine own pleasure—Vineyards, like cornfields mentioned in the next verse [De 23:25], were often unenclosed. In vine-growing countries grapes are amazingly cheap; and we need not wonder, therefore, that all within reach of a person's arm, was free; the quantity plucked was a loss never felt by the proprietor, and it was a kindly privilege afforded to the poor and wayfaring man.