Deuteronomy 23:10
in Deuteronomy 23If any man among you becomes unclean because of a nocturnal emission, he must leave the camp and stay outside.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
If there be among you any man, that is not clean by reason of that which chanceth him by night, then shall he go abroad out of the camp, he shall not come within the camp:
KJV
If there be among you any man, that is not clean by reason of uncleanness that chanceth him by night, then shall he go abroad out of the camp, he shall not come within the camp:
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This verse in Deuteronomy 23
Commentary
3 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
When you are encamped against your enemies
on Deuteronomy 23:9-14
Verse 9 puts the army in the field under the law it keeps at home. Verse 14 gives the reason, “the LORD your God walks throughout your camp”.
This site's exposition
he must leave the camp
A man at home needed only to wash. Matthew Henry notes that the army asked more of him: he had to leave the camp itself. Service at the front earned no exemption.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
If there be among you any man that is not clean,....
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
WHEN THOU GOEST FORTH IN CAMP AGAINST THINE ENEMIES, THEN THOU SHALT KEEP THEE FROM EVERY EVIL — “because Satan indicts [people] in the hour of danger.” This is Rashi’s language.
2 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
When you go out to encamp against your enemies take precautions from every evil thing.
מקרה לילה [IF THERE BE AMONG YOU ANY MAN THAT IS NOT CLEAN BY REASON OF] UNCLEANNESS THAT CHANCETH HIM BY NIGHT — By night: Scripture speaks of what usually occurs (but the law applies also if the uncleanness happens at day time) (Sifrei Devarim:3).
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | if | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יִהְיֶ֤ה | yihyeh | he will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| בְךָ֙ | vekha | among <the> you | ||
| אִ֔ישׁ | ʾish | a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֛ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִהְיֶ֥ה | yihyeh | he will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| טָה֖וֹר | tahor | clean | H2889 → | 94 times |
| מִקְּרֵה־ | mikereh- | from a happening of | H7137 → | |
| לָ֑יְלָה | layelah | night | H3915 → | 233 times |
| וְיָצָא֙ | veyatza' | and he will go out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| מִח֣וּץ | michutz | from [the] outside | H2351 → | 164 times |
| לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה | lamachaneh | of the camp | H4264 → | 215 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָבֹ֖א | yavo' | he will come | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | into | H413 → | 5510 times |
| תּ֥וֹךְ | tokh | [the] middle of | H8432 → | 418 times |
| הַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃ | hamachaneh | the camp | H4264 → | 215 times |
כִּֽי־if
ki-H3588 →4482 times
יִהְיֶ֤הhe will be
yihyehH1961 →3559 times
בְךָ֙among <the> you
vekha
אִ֔ישׁa man
ʾishH376 →1663 times
אֲשֶׁ֛רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יִהְיֶ֥הhe will be
yihyehH1961 →3559 times
טָה֖וֹרclean
tahorH2889 →94 times
מִקְּרֵה־from a happening of
mikereh-H7137 →
לָ֑יְלָהnight
layelahH3915 →233 times
וְיָצָא֙and he will go out
veyatza'H3318 →1067 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
מִח֣וּץfrom [the] outside
michutzH2351 →164 times
לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔הof the camp
lamachanehH4264 →215 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יָבֹ֖אhe will come
yavo'H935 →2568 times
אֶל־into
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
תּ֥וֹךְ[the] middle of
tokhH8432 →418 times
הַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃the camp
hamachanehH4264 →215 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Leviticus 15:16When a man has an emission of semen, he must bathe his whole body with water, and he will be unclean until evening.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 23:10–11
If any man among you becomes unclean because of a nocturnal emission, he must leave the camp and stay outside.
- Leviticus 22:4
If a descendant of Aaron has a skin disease or a discharge, he may not eat the sacred offerings until he is clean. Whoever touches anything defiled by a corpse or by a man…
- Leviticus 15:5
Anyone who touches his bed must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean until evening.
- 1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
- 1 Peter 2:11
Beloved, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which war against your soul.
- Deuteronomy 23:10–11
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies13
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.