God’s Word Translation
Deuteronomy 23:15
15If a slave escapes from his master and comes to you, don’t return him to his master.
Deuteronomy 23:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Thou shalt not deliver unto his master the servant which is escaped from his master unto thee:
- New International Version (NIV)If a slave has taken refuge with you, do not hand them over to their master.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"You shall not give up to his master a slave who has escaped from his master to you.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“You shall not give back to his master the slave who has escaped from his master to you.
Context of Deuteronomy 23:15
13You must carry a pointed stick as part of your equipment. When you go outside to squat, dig a hole with it. When you’re done, cover up your excrement. 14The Lord your God moves around in your camp to protect you and hand your enemies over to you. So your camp must always be holy. This way, the Lord will never see anything offensive among you and turn away from you. If a slave escapes from his master and comes to you, don’t return him to his master. 16Let him stay with you ⌞and live⌟ among your people wherever he chooses, in any of your cities that seems best to him. Never mistreat him. 17No Israelite man or woman should ever become a temple prostitute.
Read all of Deuteronomy 23Deuteronomy 23:15 word by word
לֹא־תַסְגִּ֥יר עֶ֖בֶד אֶל־אֲדֹנָ֑יו אֲשֶׁר־יִנָּצֵ֥ל אֵלֶ֖יךָ מֵעִ֥ם אֲדֹנָֽיו׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 23:15
- 1 Samuel 30:15“Will you lead me to these troops?” David asked him. He answered, “Take an oath in front of God that you won’t kill me or hand me over to my master, and I’ll lead you to these troops.”
- Obadiah 1:14Don’t stand at the crossroads to kill their refugees. Don’t hand over their survivors when they’re in distress.
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 23:15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Thou 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.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15The case in question is that of a slave who fled from a pagan master to the holy land. It is of course assumed that the refugee was not flying from justice, but only from the tyranny of his lord.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-25Verses 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…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 15-1615-16. 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.Read the comment
Topics related to Deuteronomy 23:15
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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