Deuteronomy 23:1-8
Expanded Bible
The Lord’s People
23 No man who has had ·part of his sex organ [L his testicles crushed or his penis] cut off may come into the ·meeting to worship [assembly of] the Lord [Acts 8:26–40].
2 No one born ·to parents who were forbidden by law to marry [of a forbidden marriage] may come into the ·meeting to worship [assembly of] the Lord. The descendants for ten generations may not come in either.
3 No Ammonite or Moabite may come into the ·meeting to worship [assembly of] the Lord, and none of their descendants for ten generations may come in. 4 This is because the Ammonites and Moabites did not give you bread and water when you came out of Egypt. And they hired Balaam son of Beor, from Pethor in Northwest Mesopotamia, to put a curse on you [Num. 22–24]. 5 But the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam. He ·turned [transformed; overturned] the curse into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loves you. 6 Don’t ·wish for [seek] their peace or ·success [prosperity] as long as you live.
7 Don’t ·hate [detest] Edomites; they are your ·close relatives [brothers; C descendants of Esau the brother of Jacob/Israel]. Don’t ·hate [detest] Egyptians, because you were ·foreigners [resident aliens] in their country [C during the time of Joseph, God’s people survived a famine in Egypt; Gen. 41–42]. 8 ·The great-grandchildren of these two peoples [L their children to the third generation] may come into the ·meeting to worship [assembly of] the Lord.
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Deuteronomy 23:1-8
Amplified Bible
Persons Excluded from the Assembly
23 “He who has been castrated by having his testicles crushed or his male organ cut off shall not enter the congregation of the Lord. 2 A person of [a]illegitimate birth shall not enter the assembly of the Lord; none of his descendants, even to the tenth generation. 3 An Ammonite or [b]Moabite shall not enter the assembly of the Lord; none of their descendants, even to the tenth generation, shall ever enter the assembly of the Lord, 4 because they did not meet you with bread (food) and water on the road as you came out of Egypt, and because they hired [to act] against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you. 5 Nevertheless, the Lord your God was not willing to listen to Balaam, but the Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing for you because the Lord your God has loved you. 6 You shall never seek their peace nor their prosperity all your days.
7 “You shall not detest an Edomite, for he is your brother [Esau’s descendant]. You shall not detest an Egyptian, because you were a stranger (resident alien, foreigner) in his land. 8 Their children of the third generation who are born to them may enter the assembly of the Lord.
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- Deuteronomy 23:2 That is, one who was born from incest, an adulterous relationship, or a mixed marriage (a Jew or a Jewess and a Gentile).
- Deuteronomy 23:3 Ruth, one of the ancestors of Jesus, was a Moabitess, but she essentially became an Israelite (Ruth 1:16) and married an Israelite (Boaz). Moreover, the rabbis taught that Deut 23:3 applied only to Ammonite and Moabite men. This teaching was summarized by what became a common saying: “An Ammonite [is forbidden], but not an Ammonitess; a Moabite, but not a Moabitess!” (as quoted from the Talmud).
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