9 When the host H4264 goeth forth H3318 against thine enemies, H341 then keep H8104 thee from every wicked H7451 thing. H1697
Israel H3478 hath sinned, H2398 and they have also transgressed H5674 my covenant H1285 which I commanded H6680 them: for they have even taken H3947 of the accursed thing, H2764 and have also stolen, H1589 and dissembled H3584 also, and they have put H7760 it even among their own stuff. H3627 Therefore the children H1121 of Israel H3478 could H3201 not stand H6965 before H6440 their enemies, H341 but turned H6437 their backs H6203 before H6440 their enemies, H341 because they were accursed: H2764 neither will I be with you any more, H3254 except H3808 ye destroy H8045 the accursed H2764 from among H7130 you. Up, H6965 sanctify H6942 the people, H5971 and say, H559 Sanctify H6942 yourselves against to morrow: H4279 for thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel, H3478 There is an accursed thing H2764 in the midst H7130 of thee, O Israel: H3478 thou canst H3201 not stand H6965 before H6440 thine enemies, H341 until ye take away H5493 the accursed thing H2764 from among H7130 you.
And Jehoshaphat H3092 feared, H3372 and set H5414 himself H6440 to seek H1875 the LORD, H3068 and proclaimed H7121 a fast H6685 throughout H5921 all Judah. H3063 And Judah H3063 gathered themselves together, H6908 to ask H1245 help of the LORD: H3068 even out of all the cities H5892 of Judah H3063 they came H935 to seek H1245 the LORD. H3068 And Jehoshaphat H3092 stood H5975 in the congregation H6951 of Judah H3063 and Jerusalem, H3389 in the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 before H6440 the new H2319 court, H2691 And said, H559 O LORD H3068 God H430 of our fathers, H1 art not thou God H430 in heaven? H8064 and rulest H4910 not thou over all the kingdoms H4467 of the heathen? H1471 and in thine hand H3027 is there not power H3581 and might, H1369 so that none is able to withstand H3320 thee? Art not thou our God, H430 who didst drive out H3423 the inhabitants H3427 of this land H776 before H6440 thy people H5971 Israel, H3478 and gavest H5414 it to the seed H2233 of Abraham H85 thy friend H157 for ever? H5769 And they dwelt H3427 therein, and have built H1129 thee a sanctuary H4720 therein for thy name, H8034 saying, H559 If, when evil H7451 cometh H935 upon us, as the sword, H2719 judgment, H8196 or pestilence, H1698 or famine, H7458 we stand H5975 before H6440 this house, H1004 and in thy presence, H6440 (for thy name H8034 is in this house,) H1004 and cry H2199 unto thee in our affliction, H6869 then thou wilt hear H8085 and help. H3467 And now, behold, the children H1121 of Ammon H5983 and Moab H4124 and mount H2022 Seir, H8165 whom thou wouldest not let H5414 Israel H3478 invade, H935 when they came out H935 of the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 but they turned H5493 from them, and destroyed H8045 them not; Behold, I say, how they reward H1580 us, to come H935 to cast us out H1644 of thy possession, H3425 which thou hast given us to inherit. H3423 O our God, H430 wilt thou not judge H8199 them? for we have no might H3581 against H6440 this great H7227 company H1995 that cometh H935 against us; neither know H3045 we H587 what to do: H6213 but our eyes H5869 are upon thee. And all Judah H3063 stood H5975 before H6440 the LORD, H3068 with H1571 their little ones, H2945 their wives, H802 and their children. H1121
And G2532 I saw G1492 heaven G3772 opened, G455 and G2532 behold G2400 a white G3022 horse; G2462 and G2532 he that sat G2521 upon G1909 him G846 was called G2564 Faithful G4103 and G2532 True, G228 and G2532 in G1722 righteousness G1343 he doth judge G2919 and G2532 make war. G4170 G1161 His G846 eyes G3788 were as G5613 a flame G5395 of fire, G4442 and G2532 on G1909 his G846 head G2776 were many G4183 crowns; G1238 and he had G2192 a name G3686 written, G1125 that G3739 no man G3762 knew, G1492 but G1508 he himself. G846 And G2532 he was clothed G4016 with a vesture G2440 dipped G911 in blood: G129 and G2532 his G846 name G3686 is called G2564 The Word G3056 of God. G2316 And G2532 the armies G4753 which were G3588 in G1722 heaven G3772 followed G190 him G846 upon G1909 white G3022 horses, G2462 clothed G1746 in fine linen, G1039 white G3022 and G2532 clean. G2513
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.