Deuteronomy 23:16-18
New English Translation
16 Indeed, he may live among you in any place he chooses, in whichever of your villages[a] he prefers; you must not oppress him.
Cultic Prostitution Banned
17 There must never be a sacred prostitute[b] among the young women[c] of Israel nor a sacred male prostitute[d] among the young men[e] of Israel. 18 You must never bring the pay of a female prostitute[f] or the wage of a male prostitute[g] into the temple of the Lord your God in fulfillment of any vow, for both of these are abhorrent to the Lord your God.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Deuteronomy 23:16 tn Heb “gates.”
- Deuteronomy 23:17 tn The Hebrew term translated “sacred prostitute” here (קְדֵשָׁה [qedeshah], from קַדֵשׁ [qadesh, “holy”]; cf. NIV “shrine prostitute”; NASB “cult prostitute”; NRSV, TEV, NLT “temple prostitute”) refers to the pagan fertility cults that employed female and male prostitutes in various rituals designed to evoke agricultural and even human fecundity (cf. Gen 38:21-22; 1 Kgs 14:24; 15:12; 22:47; 2 Kgs 23:7; Hos 4:14). The Hebrew term for a regular, noncultic (i.e., “secular”) female prostitute is זוֹנָה (zonah).
- Deuteronomy 23:17 tn Heb “daughters.”
- Deuteronomy 23:17 tn The male cultic prostitute was called קָדֵשׁ (qadesh; see note on the phrase “sacred prostitute” earlier in this verse). The colloquial Hebrew term for a “secular” male prostitute (i.e., a sodomite) is the disparaging epithet כֶּלֶב (kelev, “dog”) which occurs in the following verse (cf. KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB).
- Deuteronomy 23:17 tn Heb “sons.”
- Deuteronomy 23:18 tn Here the Hebrew term זוֹנָה (zonah) refers to a noncultic (i.e., “secular”) female prostitute; see note on the phrase “sacred prostitute” in v. 17.
- Deuteronomy 23:18 tn Heb “of a dog.” This is the common Hebrew term for a noncultic (i.e., “secular”) male prostitute. See note on the phrase “sacred male prostitute” in v. 17.
Deuteronomy 23:16-18
New International Version
16 Let them live among you wherever they like and in whatever town they choose. Do not oppress(A) them.
17 No Israelite man(B) or woman is to become a shrine prostitute.(C) 18 You must not bring the earnings of a female prostitute or of a male prostitute[a] into the house of the Lord your God to pay any vow, because the Lord your God detests them both.(D)
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 23:18 Hebrew of a dog
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