New English Translation
Deuteronomy 23:4
4for they did not meet you with food and water on the way as you came from Egypt, and furthermore, they hired Balaam son of Beor of Pethor in Aram Naharaim 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
2A person of illegitimate birth may not enter the assembly of the Lord; to the tenth generation no one related to him may do so. 3An Ammonite or Moabite may not enter the assembly of the Lord; to the tenth generation none of their descendants shall ever do so, for they did not meet you with food and water on the way as you came from Egypt, and furthermore, they hired Balaam son of Beor of Pethor in Aram Naharaim to curse you. 5But the Lord your God refused to listen to Balaam and changed the curse to a blessing, for the Lord your God loves you. 6You must not seek peace and prosperity for them through all the ages to come.
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
Words taken from the KJV.
- Becauseדָּבָרdâbâr · word: becauseH1697
- they metקָדַםqâdam · to meetH6923
- you not with breadלֶ֫חֶםlechem · food: breadH3899
- and with waterמַיmayim · waterH4325
- in the wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: journeyH1870
- when ye came forthיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
- out of Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
- and because they hiredשָׂכַרώâkar sâkar · to hireH7936
- against thee Balaamבִּלְעָםbil‛âm · BalaamH1109
- the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of Beorבְּעוֹרbe‛ôr · BeorH1160
- of Pethorפְּתוֹרpethôr · PethorH6604
- of Mesopotamiaאֲרַם נַהֲרַיִם'ăram nahărayim · MesopotamiaH763
- to curseקָלַלqâlal · to lightenH7043
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 23:4
- Deuteronomy 2:28Sell me food for cash so that I can eat and sell me water to drink. Just allow me to go through on foot,
- Genesis 14:17After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet Abram in the Valley of Shaveh (known as the King’s Valley).
- 1 Samuel 25:11Should I take my bread and my water and my meat that I have slaughtered for my shearers and give them to these men? I don’t even know where they came from!”
- 1 Kings 18:4When Jezebel was killing the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah took one hundred prophets and hid them in two caves in two groups of fifty. He also brought them food and water.)
- Isaiah 63:9Through all that they suffered, he suffered too. The messenger sent from his very presence delivered them. In his love and mercy he protected them; he lifted them up and carried them throughout ancient times.
- Zechariah 2:8For the Lord who rules over all says to me that for his own glory he has sent me to the nations that plundered you – for anyone who touches you touches the pupil of his eye.
- Matthew 25:40And the king will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me.’
- Acts 9:4He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
- Numbers 22:5And he sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the Euphrates River in the land of Amaw, to summon him, saying, “Look, a nation has come out of Egypt. They cover the face of the earth, and they are settling next to me.
- Nehemiah 13:2for they had not met the Israelites with food and water, but instead had hired Balaam to curse them. (Our God, however, turned the curse into 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
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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