Deuteronomy 23:17-18

(2) MORALITY, ILLEGITIMATE PRACTICES AND WAGES (Deuteronomy 23:17-18)

There shall be no prostitute of the daughters of Israel, neither shall there be a sodomite of the sons of Israel. 18 Thou shalt not bring the hire of a harlot, or the wages of a dog, into the house of Jehovah thy God for any vow: for even both these are an abomination unto Jehovah thy God.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 23:17, 18

395.

Is a sodomite the masculine form of a prostitute?

396.

There seems to be a strong emphasis upon sex in both the heathen nations and in the life of Israel. Why?

397.

Was the practice of such persons so common that some of them claimed a place in the worship of Jehovah? Discuss.

398.

It is a sad day when a dog can be used to exploit the erotic desires of man, Cf, Deuteronomy 22:19; Leviticus 18:23; Leviticus 20:15-16, Or is this the meaning of the text?

AMPLIFIED TRANSLATION 23:17, 18

17 There shall be no cult prostitute of the daughters of Israel, neither shall there be a cult prostitute (a sodomite) of the sons of Israel.
18 You shall not bring the hire of a harlot or the price of a dog [a sodomite] into the house of the Lord your God, in payment for a vow; for both of thesethe gift and the giverare an abomination to the Lord your God.

COMMENT 23:17, 18

PROSTITUTE. SODOMITE (Deuteronomy 23:16)These words represent the feminine and masculine of the same Hebrew root. The word is Kedeshah in the first instance, Kahesh in the seconda woman who devoted herself to immoral practices as a part of her heathen and idolatrous worship, and a man who did the same. The root kedesh literally signifies sanctuary, a reference to the idolatrous houses where these practices were carried on. These persons were sanctified or set aside for an (un)holy purpose by the religions in and around Canaan.

Of the female member of the class, the I.S.B.E. states, She was a kedheshah, one of a consecrated class, and as such was a concrete expression and agent of the most insidious and powerful influence and system menacing the purity and permanence of the religion of Jehovah. This system diefied the reproductive organs and forces of nature and its devotees worshipped their idol symbols in grossly licentious rites and orgies. The temple prostitute was invested with sanctity as a member of the religious caste. The Canaanite sanctuaries were gigantic brothels, legalized under the sanctions of religion.

The wares of these women, however, were not always sold in the sanctuaries. See Genesis 38:15-23, where Tamar poses as a prostitute (kedeshah) as well as a harlot (zanah), a more general word (see below). Note Hosea 4:11-19, where both of these words again occur, aptly depicting both the moral and spiritual degredation of Israel.

The male prostitute (sodomite) was normally attached to one of these sanctuaries also, though, like his female counterpart, his practices were apparently not restricted to that area. (Genesis 19:5, etc.) Josiah had to break down their houses that were in the house of Jehovah, where the women wove hangings for the Asherah (2 Kings 23:7)a passage which testifies of its great influence as a practice. In both ancient and modern societies, sodomites have frequently been transvestitesa fact to remember in the exhortation of Deuteronomy 22:5. See also Leviticus 18:22; Leviticus 20:13.

HIRE OF A HARLOT (Deuteronomy 23:18)i.e. the wages or income she obtained by her practices. The Heb. word here rendered harlot (Zanah) is more general than prostitute (kedeshah) above, including her but also any others given over to illicit sexual relations (cf. its use in Deuteronomy 22:21). This woman might not be religious even by heathen standards.

THE WAGES OF A DOG (Deuteronomy 23:18)i.e. the wages some owner of a dog might charge for his relations with an Israelite. See Exodus 22:19, Leviticus 18:23; Leviticus 20:15-16. Others believe dog is here used figuratively as a derisive term for the sodomite.

In either case, illicitly and illegally gained money was not to be contributed to Jehovah God. Money so gained was shrouded with sin and impurity. Using it for the sanctuary of God would be tantamount to robbing a bank so the money could be contributed to the church building fund!