3 An Ammonite H5984 or Moabite H4125 shall not enter H935 into the congregation H6951 of the LORD; H3068 even to their tenth H6224 generation H1755 shall they not enter H935 into the congregation H6951 of the LORD H3068 for H5704 ever: H5769
On that day H3117 they read H7121 in the book H5612 of Moses H4872 in the audience H241 of the people; H5971 and therein was found H4672 written, H3789 that the Ammonite H5984 and the Moabite H4125 should not come H935 into the congregation H6951 of God H430 for H5704 ever; H5769 Because they met H6923 not the children H1121 of Israel H3478 with bread H3899 and with water, H4325 but hired H7936 Balaam H1109 against them, that he should curse H7043 them: howbeit our God H430 turned H2015 the curse H7045 into a blessing. H1293
Moreover Ruth H7327 the Moabitess, H4125 the wife H802 of Mahlon, H4248 have I purchased H7069 to be my wife, H802 to raise up H6965 the name H8034 of the dead H4191 upon his inheritance, H5159 that the name H8034 of the dead H4191 be not cut off H3772 from among H5973 his brethren, H251 and from the gate H8179 of his place: H4725 ye are witnesses H5707 this day. H3117 And all the people H5971 that were in the gate, H8179 and the elders, H2205 said, H559 We are witnesses. H5707 The LORD H3068 make H5414 the woman H802 that is come H935 into thine house H1004 like Rachel H7354 and like Leah, H3812 which two H8147 did build H1129 the house H1004 of Israel: H3478 and do H6213 thou worthily H2428 in Ephratah, H672 and be famous H7121 H8034 in Bethlehem: H1035 And let thy house H1004 be like the house H1004 of Pharez, H6557 whom Tamar H8559 bare H3205 unto Judah, H3063 of the seed H2233 which the LORD H3068 shall give H5414 thee of this young woman. H5291 So Boaz H1162 took H3947 Ruth, H7327 and she was his wife: H802 and when he went in H935 unto her, the LORD H3068 gave H5414 her conception, H2032 and she bare H3205 a son. H1121 And the women H802 said H559 unto Naomi, H5281 Blessed H1288 be the LORD, H3068 which hath not left H7673 thee this day H3117 without a kinsman, H1350 that his name H8034 may be famous H7121 in Israel. H3478 And he shall be unto thee a restorer H7725 of thy life, H5315 and a nourisher H3557 of thine old age: H7872 for thy daughter in law, H3618 which loveth H157 thee, which is better H2896 to thee than seven H7651 sons, H1121 hath born H3205 him. And Naomi H5281 took H3947 the child, H3206 and laid H7896 it in her bosom, H2436 and became nurse H539 unto it. And the women her neighbours H7934 gave H7121 it a name, H8034 saying, H559 There is a son H1121 born H3205 to Naomi; H5281 and they called H7121 his name H8034 Obed: H5744 he is the father H1 of Jesse, H3448 the father H1 of David. H1732 Now these are the generations H8435 of Pharez: H6557 Pharez H6557 begat H3205 Hezron, H2696 And Hezron H2696 begat H3205 Ram, H7410 and Ram H7410 begat H3205 Amminadab, H5992 And Amminadab H5992 begat H3205 Nahshon, H5177 and Nahshon H5177 begat H3205 Salmon, H8009 And Salmon H8012 begat H3205 Boaz, H1162 and Boaz H1162 begat H3205 Obed, H5744 And Obed H5744 begat H3205 Jesse, H3448 and Jesse H3448 begat H3205 David. H1732
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.