Deuteronomy chapter 23

vs 1

In the immortal words of Dave, "You mean there are other ways that allow you in?" to which suggestions such as tearing and biting were suggested. I think the idea is that if you have emasculated yourself for the purpose of becoming a eunuch - that is, purposefully - then you can't come into the community. But if it happened by accident - wild dog accident or runaway cart accident - then it's okay.

vs 2

Now here is a good reason why you get married if you sleep with a virgin - your kids won't be allowed into the community otherwise. But the (T)NIV does it one better, actually - forbidden marriage is more accurately what the Hebrew word describes (although points to the KJV for simply saying 'bastard' - I'd love to read that out in an Aussie church). Because the word isn't just about birth out of wedlock - it also describes birth from an incestuous relationship, or birth of a child with only one Hebrew parent.

vs 3

Does this mean the 11th generation is okay? I'm thinking it's symbolic of "a long time".

vs 4

Everyone remembers how well that worked for them. But that's not the point - even if you screw up your action against God's people, it's still against God's people. Now this might seem incredibly harsh, then - why, if they suddenly change their minds and realise that God alone is God, can they not come to the community? It wasn't them after all, it was their ancestors.

Well, there's nothing stopping them from worshipping God and offering sacrifices. But by not being members of the community, they wouldn't be allowed to do it properly. It's a hard one. In that case, 10 generations might actually be a more literal number - so that there is a sunset clause on this statement. But then, it's not that the symbolic statement doesn't also have a sunset clause - it's just that we can't recognise when it's going to be.

vs 5

At this point I believe cheers and applause are necessary.

vs 6

But if they seek one? That's not really covered.

vs 7

Edomites is understandable - they are Esau's offspring, I think. So that's like brothers. But Egyptians is particularly interesting - they were, at first, like landlords. Then slavemasters. But still, God doesn't want them thought of as the enemy. He's talking to people who are one generation out of slavery - some of them actually lived as slaves under Egyptian rule. That's pretty special.

vs 8

So that is obviously a literal number. I assume the generations are taken from after the entrance to the promised land, otherwise it's a bit useless.

vs 9

Perhaps because there will be more impurities around their enemies? Probably more so that they are holy, because combat for them is something God has told them to do.

vs 10

Lovely. If that's not obscured enough, go for the KJV, "uncleanness that chanceth him by night."

vs 11

God really takes ceremonial cleanness seriously. Imagine how seriously he takes holiness of his people.

vs 12

The KJV and NASB are more literal here - there's no word for "relieve yourself", it is literally "go out there". But then, that's pretty much what we say, "Oh, man, I've really got to go!" So the (T)NIV is really just clarifying idiom.

vs 13

But the KJV is certainly nor literal with its translation "that which cometh from thee." The word is tsa'ah, and it means poo. It's the same word Ezekiel uses to describe, I don't know, Israel or something. We'll get to that in the decades to come.