Deuteronomy 23:1
He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord.
Deuteronomy 23:1 in other translations
| BSB | No man with crushed or severed genitals may enter the assembly of the LORD. |
|---|---|
| WEB | He who is emasculated by crushing or cutting shall not enter into the LORD’s assembly. |
| ASV | He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the assembly of Jehovah. |
| YLT | ‘One wounded, bruised, or cut in the member doth not enter into the assembly of Jehovah; |
| DARBY | He that is a eunuch, whether he have been crushed or cut, shall not come into the congregation of Jehovah. |
| BBE | No man whose private parts have been wounded or cut off may come into the meeting of the Lord's people. |
| Webster | He that is wounded or mutilated in his secrets, shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD. |
What does Deuteronomy 23:1 mean?
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Deuteronomy 23:1-3
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.Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain
Adam Clarke's Commentary
Introduction
Neither eunuchs, bastards, Ammonites, nor Moabites, shall be incorporated with the genuine Israelites, Deu 23:1-3. The reason why the Ammonites and Moabites were excluded, Deu 23:4-6. Edomites and Egyptians to be respected, Deu 23:7. Their descendants in the third generation may be incorporated with the Israelites, Deu 23:8. Cautions against wickedness when they go forth against their enemies, Deu 23:9. To keep the camp free from every defilement, and the reason why, Deu 23:10-14. The slave who had taken refuge among them is not to be delivered up to his former master, Deu 23:15, Deu 23:16. There shall be no prostitutes nor sodomites in the land, Deu 23:17. The hire of a prostitute or the price of a dog is not to be brought into the house of God, Deu 23:18. The Israelites shall not lend on usury to each other, Deu 23:19; but they may take usury from strangers, Deu 23:20. Vows must be diligently paid, Deu 23:21-23. In passing through a vine yard or field a man may eat of the grapes or corn, but must carry away none with him, Deu 23:24, Deu 23:25. Verse 1 Shall not enter into the congregation, etc. - If by entering the congregation be meant the bearing a civil office among the people, such as magistrate, judge, etc., then the reason of the law is very plain; no man with any such personal defect as might render him contemptible in the sight of others should bear rule among the people, lest the contempt felt for his personal defects might be transferred to his important office, and thus his authority be disregarded. The general meaning of these words is, simply, that the persons here designated should not be so incorporated with the Jews as to partake of their civil privileges.Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Deuteronomy 23:1-8
Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain
Deuteronomy 23:1 in the original Hebrew
Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.
Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).
Cross references for Deuteronomy 23:1
- Galatians 3:28
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
- Isaiah 56:3-4
Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the Lord, speak, saying, The Lord hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant;
- Leviticus 21:17-21
Speak unto Aaron, saying, Whosoever he be of thy seed in their generations that hath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God. For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing superfluous, Or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded, Or crookbackt, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken; …
- Nehemiah 13:1-3
On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for ever; Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing. Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude.
- Deuteronomy 23:2-3
A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the Lord. An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the Lord for ever:
- Lamentations 1:10
The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things: for she hath seen that the heathen entered into her sanctuary, whom thou didst command that they should not enter into thy congregation.
- Deuteronomy 23:8
The children that are begotten of them shall enter into the congregation of the Lord in their third generation.
- Leviticus 22:22-24
Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having a wen, or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not offer these unto the Lord, nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the Lord. Either a bullock or a lamb that hath any thing superfluous or lacking in his parts, that mayest thou offer for a freewill offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted. Ye shall not offer unto the Lord that which is bruised, or crushed, or broken, or cut; neither shall ye make any offering thereof in your land.
Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
9 Uncleanness is to be avoided in the host.
15 Of the fugitive servant.
17 Of filthiness.
18 Of abominable sacrifices.
19 Of usury.
21 Of vows.
24 Of trespasses.
wounded.
Le 21:17-21; 22:22-24; Ga 3:28
shall not enter.It is evident that his law was not meant to exclude such Israelites either from the common benefits of civil society, or any essential religious advantages; but merely to lay them under a disgraceful distinction. This would tend to discourage parents from thus treating their children; a practice which was exceedingly common in those ages and countries. To this they were induced by the custom which prevailed, of employing such in the houses of the great and the courts of princes; so that they often rose to the highest posts of honour and authority. Some expositors therefore consider the phrase, "shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord," as meaning, that they should be incapable of bearing any office in that government which was placed over the people of God, who must thus enter a protest against this custom, and deliver selfish parents from this temptation.
2,3,8; Ne 13:1-3; Isa 56:3,4; La 1:10
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain
Context
- Deuteronomy 23:1
He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord.
- Deuteronomy 23:2
A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the Lord.
Deuteronomy 23:1 in other languages
| Spanish Reina-Valera 1909 | NO entrará en la congregación de Jehová el que fuere quebrado, ni el castrado. |
|---|---|
| French Bible J.N. Darby 1885 | Un homme ne prendra pas la femme de son père, et ne relèvera pas le pan du vêtement de son père. |
| German Elberfelder 1871 | Es soll keiner, dem die Hoden zerstoßen sind oder der Harnstrang abgeschnitten ist, in die Versammlung Jehovas kommen. |
| Latin Clementine Vulgate | Non intravit eunuchus, attritis vel amputatis testiculis et abscisso veretro, ecclesiam Domini. |