Deuteronomy 23:16

23:15-25 It is honourable to shelter and protect the weak, provided they are not wicked. Proselytes and converts to the truth, should be treated with particular tenderness, that they may have no temptation to return to the world. We cannot honour God with our substance, unless it be honestly and honourably come by. It must not only be considered what we give, but how we got it. Where the borrower gets, or hopes to get, it is just that the lender should share the gain; but to him that borrows for necessary food, pity must be showed. That which is gone out of thy lips, as a solemn and deliberate vow, must not be recalled, but thou shalt keep and perform it punctually and fully. They were allowed to pluck and eat of the corn or grapes that grew by the road side; only they must not carry any away. This law intimated what great plenty of corn and wine they should have in Canaan. It provided for the support of poor travellers, and teaches us to be kind to such, teaches us to be ready to distribute, and not to think every thing lost that is given away. Yet it forbids us to abuse the kindness of friends, or to take advantage of what is allowed. Faithfulness to their engagements should mark the people of God; and they should never encroach upon others.

He shall dwell in thee, even among you,.... This seems to confirm the sense of it, being a stranger, a: proselyte servant that is here spoken of, since the law provides for his dwelling among the Israelites: in that place he shall choose, in one of thy gates, where it liketh him best: he was not to be detained by the person that took him up in his own house, or be obliged to dwell in any certain place under, a restraint, but he might take up his abode in any of the cities of Israel, which would be most for his good, profit, and advantage: thou shalt not oppress him; by words, as the Targum of Jonathan adds,"calling him a fugitive servant, or by any opprobrious name.''

15, 16. Thou shalt not deliver unto his master the servant which has escaped from his master unto thee—evidently a servant of the Canaanites or some of the neighboring people, who was driven by tyrannical oppression, or induced, with a view of embracing the true religion, to take refuge in Israel.

Toleration and Non-Toleration in the Congregation of the Lord. - Deuteronomy 23:15 , Deuteronomy 23:16 . A slave who had escaped from his master to Israel was not to be given up, but to be allowed to dwell in the land, wherever he might choose, and not to be oppressed. The reference is to a slave who had fled to them from a foreign country, on account of the harsh treatment which he had received from his heathen master. The plural `adoniym denotes the rule.

Verses 16, 17. - (Cf. Exodus 23:17 ; Exodus 34:23 .) The law is repeated here with the additional clause, "at the place which the Lord shall choose;" and the words, "not empty," are explained to mean with gifts according to the gift of their hands, according to the blessing of Jehovah their God, which he had given them. Deuteronomy 16:16

Moses certainly knew that when Canaan was reached God would select a place to “put His name there” (Deuteronomy 12:5; Deuteronomy 12:11; Deuteronomy 12:14; Deuteronomy 14:23-24; Deuteronomy 16:6; Deuteronomy 16:11, &c.), and possibly knew by revelation what place would be ultimately selected.

As soon as we enter on the books of the Kings we find that the writer has another standpoint, and counts it an evil that the high places still remain. Hence the language of this verse. sacrificed ] It is not possible to express the exact force in good English of the participle used both here and in the next verse. It implies the continuance of this custom, both with king and people, of worshipping on the high places. The Hebrew requires both here and in the following verse ‘in the high places.’ They were well-known seats of worship. unto the name of the Lord ] The phrase in the Pentateuch is that God ‘chooses to place His name’ where He desires to be worshipped. Cf. Deuteronomy 12:11 ; Deuteronomy 14:23 ; Deuteronomy 16:2 ; Deuteronomy 16:6 ; Deuteronomy 16:11 ; &c. Hence ‘Name’ came to be synonymous with ‘worship’; nomen gained the sense of numen .

15 . Amen ] The Heb. ’amen (lit. firm or assured ) when used as an exclamation means true, truly , or be it assured . All the instances of ’Amen which are parallel to this are post-exilic. Cp. Deuteronomy 4:16 ; Deuteronomy 4:23 ; Deuteronomy 4:25 , Deuteronomy 5:8 ( Deuteronomy 7:5 ; Deuteronomy 7:25 ), Deuteronomy 9:12 ; Deuteronomy 9:16 ; Deuteronomy 9:21 ( Deuteronomy 12:3 ); E, Exodus 20:23 ; J, Exodus 34:17 ; H, Leviticus 19:4 ; Leviticus 26:1 . Graven image (Heb. pesel ), Deuteronomy 4:16 ; molten , Deuteronomy 9:12 ; Deuteronomy 9:16 ; the work of the hands of the craftsman , so Jeremiah 10:3 , cp. Hosea 8:6 ; Hosea 13:2 , Isaiah 40:19 f., Isaiah 41:7 , Isaiah 44:11-17 , Isaiah 45:16 ; in secret , Isaiah 13:6 (7), cp. Job 31:27 . 15–26 . Cursed be ] The Heb. for this is simply the passive part. of the vb. ‘to curse’ (the original sense of which may have been ‘to bind’), and may be rendered either cursed be or cursed is .