Deuteronomy 23:15-25

Purity in the Treatment of the Nonprivileged

23:15 You must not return an escaped slave to his master when he has run away to you. ¹  23:16 Indeed, he may live among you in any place he chooses, in whichever of your villages ²  he prefers; you must not oppress him.

Purity in Cultic Personnel

23:17 There must never be a sacred prostitute ³  among the young women ⁴  of Israel nor a sacred male prostitute ⁵  among the young men ⁶  of Israel. 23:18 You must never bring the pay of a female prostitute ⁷  or the wage of a male prostitute ⁸  into the temple of the Lord your God in fulfillment of any vow, for both of these are abhorrent to the Lord your God.

Respect for Others’ Property

23:19 You must not charge interest on a loan to your fellow Israelite, ⁹  whether on money, food, or anything else that has been loaned with interest. 23:20 You may lend with interest to a foreigner, but not to your fellow Israelite; if you keep this command the Lord your God will bless you in all you undertake in the land you are about to enter to possess. 23:21 When you make a vow to the Lord your God you must not delay in fulfilling it, for otherwise he ¹⁰  will surely ¹¹  hold you accountable as a sinner. ¹²  23:22 If you refrain from making a vow, it will not be sinful. 23:23 Whatever you vow, you must be careful to do what you have promised, such as what you have vowed to the Lord your God as a freewill offering. 23:24 When you enter the vineyard of your neighbor you may eat as many grapes as you please, ¹³  but you must not take away any in a container. ¹⁴  23:25 When you go into the ripe grain fields of your neighbor you may pluck off the kernels with your hand, ¹⁵  but you must not use a sickle on your neighbor’s ripe grain.

[23:15]  ¹ tn The Hebrew text includes “from his master,” but this would be redundant in English style.

[23:16]  ² tn Heb “gates.”

[23:17]  ³ tn The Hebrew term translated “sacred prostitute” here (קְדֵשָׁה [qÿdeshah], 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).

[23:17]  ⁴ tn Heb “daughters.”

[23:17]  ⁵ 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).

[23:17]  ⁶ tn Heb “sons.”

[23:18]  ⁴ 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.

[23:18]  ⁵ 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.

[23:19]  ⁵ tn Heb “to your brother” (likewise in the following verse). Since this is not limited to actual siblings, “fellow Israelite” is used in the translation (cf. NAB, NASB “countrymen”).

[23:21]  ⁶ tn Heb “the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.

[23:21]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which is reflected in the translation by “surely.”

[23:21]  ⁸ tn Heb “and it will be a sin to you”; NIV, NCV, NLT “be guilty of sin.”

[23:24]  ⁷ tn Heb “grapes according to your appetite, your fullness.”

[23:24]  ⁸ tn Heb “in your container”; NAB, NIV “your basket.”

[23:25]  ⁸ sn For the continuation of these practices into NT times see Matt 12:1-8; Mark 2:23-28; Luke 6:1-5.