25 When thou comest H935 into the standing corn H7054 of thy neighbour, H7453 then thou mayest pluck H6998 the ears H4425 with thine hand; H3027 but thou shalt not move H5130 a sickle H2770 unto thy neighbour's H7453 standing corn. H7054
And G2532 it came to pass, G1096 that he G846 went G3899 through G1223 the corn fields G4702 on G1722 the sabbath day; G4521 and G2532 his G846 disciples G3101 began, G756 as they went, G3598 G4160 to pluck G5089 the ears of corn. G4719
At G1722 that G1565 time G2540 Jesus G2424 went G4198 on the sabbath day G4521 through G1223 the corn; G4702 and G1161 his G846 disciples G3101 were an hungred, G3983 and G2532 began G756 to pluck G5089 the ears of corn, G4719 and G2532 to eat. G2068 But G1161 when the Pharisees G5330 saw G1492 it, they said G2036 unto him, G846 Behold, G2400 thy G4675 disciples G3101 do G4160 that which G3739 is G1832 not G3756 lawful G1832 to do G4160 upon G1722 the sabbath day. G4521
And G1161 it came to pass G1096 on G1722 the second G1207 sabbath G4521 after the first, G1207 that he G846 went G1279 through G1223 the corn fields; G4702 and G2532 his G846 disciples G3101 plucked G5089 the ears of corn, G4719 and G2532 did eat, G2068 rubbing G5597 them in their hands. G5495 And G1161 certain G5100 of the Pharisees G5330 said G2036 unto them, G846 Why G5101 do ye G4160 that which G3739 is G1832 not G3756 lawful G1832 to do G4160 on G1722 the sabbath days? G4521
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.