--- title: "Clarke" description: "Verse Deuteronomy 23:1. Shall not enter into the congregation, c. — If by entering the congregation be meant the bearing a civil office among the people," image: "/images/missing.jpg" url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/deuteronomy/23" --- Verse [Deuteronomy 23:1](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/23/1). ***Shall not enter into the congregation, c.*** — If by entering the congregation be meant the bearing a *civil* office among the people, such as magistrate, judge, &c., 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*. Verse [Deuteronomy 23:2](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/23/2). ***A bastard shall not enter*** — ממזר *mamzer*, which is here rendered *bastard*, should be understood as implying the *offspring* of an illegitimate or *incestuous* mixture. Verse [Deuteronomy 23:3](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/23/3). ***An Ammonite or Moabite*** — These nations were subjected for their impiety and wickedness, (see [Deuteronomy 23:4](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/23/4); [Deuteronomy 23:5](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/23/5)), to peculiar disgrace, and on this account were not permitted to hold any office among the Israelites. But this did not disqualify them from being *proselytes*: Ruth, who was a Moabitess, was married to Boaz, and she became one of the progenitors of our Lord. ***Even to their tenth generation*** — That is, *for ever*, as the next clause explains; see [Nehemiah 13:1](../../../kjv/nehemiah/13/1). Verse [Deuteronomy 23:12](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/23/12). ***&c.*** — These directions may appear trifling to some, but they were essentially necessary to this people in their present circumstances. Decency and cleanliness promote health, and prevent many diseases. Verse [Deuteronomy 23:15](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/23/15). ***Thou shalt not deliver - the servant which is**********escaped - unto thee*** — That is, a servant who left an idolatrous master that he might join himself to God and to his people. In any other case, it would have been injustice to have harboured the runaway. Verse [Deuteronomy 23:17](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/23/17). ***There shall be no whore*** — See on [Genesis 38:15-21](../../../kjv/genesis/38/15-21). Verse [Deuteronomy 23:18](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/23/18). ***The hire of a whore, or the price of a dog*** — Many public prostitutes dedicated to their gods a part of their impure earnings; and some of these prostitutes were publicly kept in the temple of Venus Melytta, whose gains were applied to the support of her abominable worship. Verse [Deuteronomy 23:19](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/23/19). ***Usury*** — [Leviticus 25:36](../../../kjv/leviticus/25/36); [Leviticus 25:36](../../../kjv/leviticus/25/36). Verse [Deuteronomy 23:21](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/23/21). ***When thou shalt vow, &c.*** — [Numbers 30:2](../../../kjv/numbers/30/2); [Numbers 30:2](../../../kjv/numbers/30/2), &c. Verse [Deuteronomy 23:24](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/23/24). ***Thou shalt not put any in thy vessel.*** — Thou shalt carry none away with thee. The old English proverb, *Eat thy fill* *but pocket none*, seems to have been founded on this law. Verse [Deuteronomy 23:25](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/23/25). ***Thou mayest pluck the ears with thine hand*** — It was on the permission granted by this law that the disciples plucked the ears of corn, as related [Matthew 12:1](../../../kjv/matthew/12/1). This was both a considerate and humane law, and is no dishonour to the Jewish code. ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com","name":"Real Bible Believers","description":"RBB","publisher":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/search?q={search_term_string}","query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/deuteronomy/23#primaryimage","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/images/missing.jpg","contentUrl":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/images/missing.jpg","width":640,"height":370,"caption":"Clarke's Commentary - Deuteronomy 23"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/deuteronomy/23#webpage","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/deuteronomy/23","name":"Clarke's Commentary - Deuteronomy 23","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/deuteronomy/23#primaryimage"},"datePublished":null,"dateModified":null,"author":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"description":"Verse Deuteronomy 23:1. 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