Berean Standard Bible
Deuteronomy 23:4
4For they did not meet you with food and water on your way out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram-naharaim1 to curse you.
Deuteronomy 23:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee.
- New International Version (NIV)For they did not come to meet you with bread and water on your way when you came out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram Naharaim to pronounce a curse on you.
- English Standard Version (ESV)because they did not meet you with bread and with water on the way, when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you.
- New King James Version (NKJV)because they did not meet you with bread and water on the road when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you.
Context of Deuteronomy 23:4
2No one of illegitimate birth may enter the assembly of the LORD, nor may any of his descendants, even to the tenth generation. 3No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, even to the tenth generation. For they did not meet you with food and water on your way out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram-naharaim to curse you. 5Yet the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam, and the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you. 6You are not to seek peace or prosperity from them as long as you live.
Read all of Deuteronomy 23Deuteronomy 23:4 word by word
עַל־דְּבַ֞ר אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹא־קִדְּמ֤וּ אֶתְכֶם֙ בַּלֶּ֣חֶם וּבַמַּ֔יִם בַּדֶּ֖רֶךְ בְּצֵאתְכֶ֣ם מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם וַאֲשֶׁר֩ שָׂכַ֨ר עָלֶ֜יךָ אֶת־בִּלְעָ֣ם בֶּן־בְּע֗וֹר מִפְּת֛וֹר אֲרַ֥ם נַהֲרַ֖יִם לְקַֽלְלֶֽךָּ׃Read the interlinear
- Forעַל‛al · uponH5921
- Forדָּבָרdâbâr · word: becauseH1697
- ·אֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
- they did notלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
- meetקָדַםqâdam · to meetH6923
- ·אֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
- you with foodלֶ֫חֶםlechem · food: breadH3899
- and waterמַיmayim · waterH4325
- on your wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: journeyH1870
- out ofיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
- Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
- they hiredשָׂכַרώâkar sâkar · to hireH7936
- Balaamבִּלְעָםbil‛âm · BalaamH1109
- sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of Beorבְּעוֹרbe‛ôr · BeorH1160
- from Pethorפְּתוֹרpethôr · PethorH6604
- in Aram-naharaimאֲרַם נַהֲרַיִם'ăram nahărayim · MesopotamiaH763
- to curse youקָלַלqâlal · to lightenH7043
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 23:4
- Deuteronomy 2:28You can sell us food to eat and water to drink in exchange for silver. Only let us pass through on foot,
- Genesis 14:17After Abram returned from defeating Chedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).
- 1 Samuel 25:11Why should I take my bread and water and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give them to these men whose origin I do not know?”
- 1 Kings 18:4for when Jezebel had slaughtered the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty men per cave, providing them with food and water.)
- Isaiah 63:9In all their distress, He too was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them. In His love and compassion He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.
- Zechariah 2:8For this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “After His Glory has sent Me against the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of His eye—
- Matthew 25:40And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’
- Acts 9:4He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?”
- Numbers 22:5he sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the Euphrates in the land of his people. “Behold, a people has come out of Egypt,” said Balak. “They cover the face of the land and have settled next to me.
- Nehemiah 13:2because they had not met the Israelites with food and water, but had hired Balaam to call down a curse against them (although our God had turned the curse into a blessing).
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 23:4
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3-5Verses 3-5 This law forbids only the naturalization of those against whom it is directed. It does not forbid their dwelling in the land; and seems to refer rather to the nations than to individuals. It was not understood at any rate to interdict marriage with a Moabitess; compare Rth 1:4 ; Rth 4:13 . Ruth however, and her sister were doubtless proselytes. Deuteronomy 23:4 Compare the marginal reference. The Moabites and the Ammonites are to be regarded as…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4Pethor is now identified with Pitru in Mesopotamia (see study note on Numbers 22:5–6). Aram-naharaim means "Aram of the two rivers." It was located between the Euphrates River and the Balih River in upper Mesopotamia.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-251-3. He that is wounded ..., shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord--"To enter into the congregation of the Lord" means either admission to public honors and offices in the Church and State of Israel, or, in the case of foreigners, incorporation with that nation by marriage. The rule was that strangers and foreigners, for fear of friendship or marriage connections with them leading the people into idolatry, were not admissible till their…Read the comment
Topics related to Deuteronomy 23:4
In the dictionaries
Notes
- 1. Deuteronomy 23:4 That is, Mesopotamia; Aram-naharaim means Aram of the two rivers, likely the region between the Euphrates and Balih Rivers in northwestern Mesopotamia. ↩
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 23
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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Commentaries