Deuteronomy 23:4

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; none of his descendants, even to the tenth generation, may enter the assembly of the Lord. 3No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of the Lord; none of their descendants, even to the tenth generation, may ever enter the assembly of the Lord, because they did not meet you with food and 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. 5Nevertheless, the Lord your God was unwilling to listen to Balaam, but the Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing for you because the Lord your God loves you. 6You shall never seek their peace or their prosperity all your days.

Deuteronomy 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

• becauseעַל‛al · uponH5921
• becauseדָּבָרdâbâr · word: becauseH1697
• becauseאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• they did not meetקָדַםqâdam · to meetH6923
• foodלֶ֫חֶםlechem · food: breadH3899
• and waterמַיmayim · waterH4325
• on the wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: journeyH1870
• when you cameיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
• of Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
• they hiredשָׂכַרώâkar sâkar · to hireH7936
• Balaamבִּלְעָםbil‛âm · BalaamH1109
• the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of Beorבְּעוֹרbe‛ôr · BeorH1160
• Mesopotamiaאֲרַם נַהֲרַיִם'ăram nahărayim · MesopotamiaH763
• to curseקָלַלqâlal · to lightenH7043

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 23:4

• Deuteronomy 2:28You will sell me food for money so that I may eat, and give me water for money so that I may drink, only let me pass through on foot,
• Genesis 14:17Then after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).
• 1 Samuel 25:11Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat that I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men whose origin I do not know?”
• 1 Kings 18:4for when Jezebel killed the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave, and provided them with bread and water.)
• Isaiah 63:9In all their distress He was distressed, And the angel of His presence saved them; In His love and in His mercy He redeemed them, And He lifted them and carried them all the days of old.
• Zechariah 2:8For the Lord of armies says this: “After glory He has sent me against the nations that plunder you, for the one who touches you, touches the apple of His eye.
• Matthew 25:40And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of Mine, you did it for Me.’
• Acts 9:4and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
• Numbers 22:5So he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, at Pethor, which is near the Euphrates River, in the land of the sons of his people, to call for him, saying, “Behold, a people came out of Egypt; behold, they have covered the surface of the land, and they are living opposite me.
• Nehemiah 13:2because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, our God 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

• Ammonites
• Balaam
• Inhospitableness
• Malice
• Mesopotamia
• Pethor

In the dictionaries

• Balaam
• Egypt
• Mesopotamia
• Egypt, Egyptian
• Mesopotamia, Aram Naharaim
• Alien
• Ammonite
• Paddle
• Sickle
• Slack

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