Deuteronomy 23:1 kjv
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 nkjv
"He who is emasculated by crushing or mutilation shall not enter the assembly of the LORD.
Deuteronomy 23:1 niv
No one who has been emasculated by crushing or cutting may enter the assembly of the LORD.
Deuteronomy 23:1 esv
"No one whose testicles are crushed or whose male organ is cut off shall enter the assembly of the LORD.
Deuteronomy 23:1 nlt
"If a man's testicles are crushed or his penis is cut off, he may not be admitted to the assembly of the LORD.
Deuteronomy 23 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 56:3-5 | Let not the eunuch say, "Behold, I am a dry tree." For thus says the LORD... | Prophetic inclusion of eunuchs. |
| Matt 19:12 | For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother's womb... | Spiritual eunuchs for kingdom of heaven. |
| Acts 8:27-39 | So he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian eunuch... | Ethiopian eunuch baptized, demonstrating inclusion. |
| Lev 21:17-23 | None of your descendants who has a blemish may approach to offer... | Physical blemishes disqualifying priests. |
| Lev 22:20-24 | You shall not offer anything that has a blemish, for it will not be accepted. | Blemished animals disqualified as sacrifices. |
| Deut 23:2 | No one born of a forbidden union may enter the assembly of the LORD... | Further prohibitions for inclusion. |
| Deut 23:3-6 | No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of the LORD... | Exclusion of specific nationalities. |
| Num 16:3 | "You take too much upon yourselves, for all in the congregation are holy..." | Emphasizes the holiness of the congregation. |
| 1 Sam 16:7 | For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance... | God looks at the heart, not outward form. |
| John 4:23-24 | But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth... | Shift from physical presence to spiritual worship. |
| Gal 3:28 | There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female... | Spiritual equality in Christ. |
| Col 3:11 | Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free... | Spiritual equality in Christ, no outward distinctions. |
| Rom 10:12-13 | For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all... | Inclusion for salvation based on faith. |
| 1 Pet 2:9-10 | But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation... | New Covenant community as a spiritual body. |
| Eph 2:19-22 | So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints... | Believers integrated into God's household. |
| Rev 7:9-10 | After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation... | Inclusion of all nations in heavenly worship. |
| Lev 19:28 | You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead... | Prohibits self-mutilation/pagan rituals. |
| Exod 4:11 | Then the LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind?" | God is sovereign over physical conditions. |
| Psa 15:1-5 | O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? | Defines who may dwell with God. |
| Psa 24:3-4 | Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? | Defines who may stand in God's presence. |
Deuteronomy 23 verses
Deuteronomy 23 1 Meaning
Deuteronomy 23:1 prohibits men with specific physical defects—namely, those whose testicles are crushed or whose male organ is severed—from entering "the congregation of the LORD." This regulation barred such individuals from full participation in the civic and religious life of ancient Israel, emphasizing the importance of physical wholeness and integrity in the community's outward representation of holiness before God. It pertained to formal assembly, public worship, and matters of law within the covenant community.
Deuteronomy 23 1 Context
Deuteronomy 23 falls within a section of detailed laws governing the conduct of the Israelite community, emphasizing their distinctiveness as a holy people set apart by God. Chapters 12-26 outline statutes concerning worship, social justice, and purity. Specifically, Deuteronomy 23 begins a series of laws addressing who may and may not be admitted into the "assembly of the LORD," highlighting criteria for membership based on various factors including physical integrity, lineage, and national origin. These laws aim to maintain the ritual and moral purity of Israel's public worship and social life, ensuring that the congregation truly reflects God's holiness.
Deuteronomy 23 1 Word analysis
- He that is wounded in the stones: (Hebrew: p'tzua' dakka') Refers to one whose testicles have been crushed or irreparably damaged. This injury typically resulted in sterility. The wording highlights a permanent, severe physical impairment affecting the reproductive capacity. Its significance lies in physical completeness, a theological concept rooted in the perfection expected in sacred offerings and those ministering in the sanctuary.
- or hath his privy member cut off: (Hebrew: ukh'rut shefkha') Denotes a man whose penis has been cut off, or one who is emasculated, a eunuch. This also implies permanent impairment and sterility. The prohibition likely targets those who were castrated, a common practice in ancient Near Eastern courts for servants or religious rites (like cultic emasculation). The integrity of the male reproductive organ, central to the command to "be fruitful and multiply," was paramount.
- shall not enter: (Hebrew: lo yavo') A definitive and absolute prohibition. It signifies complete exclusion from the formal, official "congregation of the LORD." This was not just exclusion from the Temple precinct but from the full civic and religious rights and responsibilities within the covenant community.
- the congregation of the LORD: (Hebrew: q'hal YHVH) Refers to the official assembly of Israel as God's people. This was the collective body responsible for public worship, judicial proceedings, and communal decision-making. Being barred from this "congregation" meant social and religious marginalization, signifying a degree of ceremonial impurity or incompleteness that made one unsuitable to represent the whole and holy people before God. It implied unfitness for full covenantal participation.
- Words-group analysis:
- "Wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off": This phrase details a category of male sexual/reproductive impairment, specifically targeting severe and irreversible damage that renders a man unable to procreate or represents a bodily mutilation. This likely served as a barrier against pagan cultic practices involving castration and affirmed Israel's emphasis on natural procreation as part of God's blessing.
- "Shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD": This legal statement declares an unequivocal exclusion from Israel's sacred assembly. It underscores that membership in the visible covenant community required a certain physical wholeness, reflecting God's order and holiness. While not implying eternal damnation, it marked individuals as outside the sphere of full public and cultic participation in old covenant Israel.
Deuteronomy 23 1 Bonus section
This prohibition serves as a counter-polemic against contemporary pagan practices in Canaan and Egypt, where emasculation or cultic self-mutilation sometimes occurred in connection with fertility cults (e.g., priests of Cybele). By barring such individuals, Israel reinforced its commitment to YHWH's natural order of creation and distanced itself from abhorrent practices. The rule may also indirectly reflect a broader value of procreation within the covenant, crucial for the nation's survival and fulfillment of the Abrahamic promise. It should not be understood as a theological statement about God's disdain for those with disabilities but rather as a ceremonial regulation emphasizing the perfect standard for God's holy nation. The distinction between ceremonial law (like this one) and moral law is critical for understanding its ongoing relevance, with the New Covenant revealing God's spiritual economy transcends these physical distinctions.
Deuteronomy 23 1 Commentary
Deuteronomy 23:1 highlights the deep-seated concern in ancient Israel for physical integrity and ritual purity within the community of faith. The exclusion of men with crushed testicles or severed penises from "the congregation of the LORD" reflected an emphasis on wholeness (tamim), especially related to the ability to procreate and represent a "perfect" offering before God. Such physical defects, which might have resulted from accidents or pagan cultic practices (where self-mutilation or emasculation occurred), were seen as incompatible with the sacred purity required for communal worship and legal participation in covenant Israel. This was not a judgment on a person's individual worth or spiritual state before God, but rather a functional and ceremonial rule for the national assembly, emphasizing external integrity.
In a broader biblical context, particularly with the advent of the New Covenant, this specific physical barrier diminishes in importance. The focus shifts from outward physical wholeness to inner spiritual wholeness and a heart devoted to God, as demonstrated by the inclusion of the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:27-39) and Isaiah's prophecy of a greater place for eunuchs in God's house (Isa 56:3-5). The New Testament redefines "the congregation of the LORD" as the global body of Christ, where all are welcomed regardless of physical condition or background, emphasizing grace and faith in Jesus Christ (Gal 3:28). This historical transition underscores that the law's outward restrictions pointed to a spiritual purity now fulfilled in Christ.