TRV
Translation
King James Version
He shall dwell with thee, even among you, in that place which he shall choose in one of thy gates, where it liketh him best: thou shalt not oppress him.
Complete Jewish Bible
Allow him to stay with you, in whichever place suits him best among your settlements; do not mistreat him.
Berean Standard Bible
Let him live among you wherever he chooses, in the town of his pleasing. Do not oppress him.
American Standard Version
he shall dwell with thee, in the midst of thee, in the place which he shall choose within one of thy gates, where it pleaseth him best: thou shalt not oppress him.
World English Bible Messianic
He shall dwell with you, in your midst, in the place which he shall choose within one of your gates, where it pleases him best. You shall not oppress him.
Geneva Bible (1599)
He shall dwell with thee, euen among you, in what place he shall chuse, in one of thy cities where it liketh him best: thou shalt not vexe him.
Young's Literal Translation
with thee he doth dwell, in thy midst, in the place which he chooseth within one of thy gates, where it is pleasing to him; thou dost not oppress him.
In the KJVVerse 5,517 of 31,102
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Commentary on Deuteronomy 23 verses 15–25
15 ¶ Thou shalt not deliver unto his master the servant which is escaped from his master unto thee:
16 He shall dwell with thee, even among you, in that place which he shall choose in one of thy gates, where it liketh him best: thou shalt not oppress him.
17 There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel.
18 Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the LORD thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the LORD thy God.
19 Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing that is lent upon usury:
20 Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon usury: that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all that thou settest thine hand to in the land whither thou goest to possess it.
21 When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee.
22 But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee.
23 That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform; even a freewill offering, according as thou hast vowed unto the LORD thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth.
24 When thou comest into thy neighbour's vineyard, then thou mayest eat grapes thy fill at thine own pleasure; but thou shalt not put any in thy vessel.
25 When thou comest into the standing corn of thy neighbour, then thou mayest pluck the ears with thine hand; but thou shalt not move a sickle unto thy neighbour's standing corn.
Orders are here given about five several things which have no relation one to another: -
I. The land of Israel is here made a sanctuary, or city of refuge, for servants that were wronged and abused by their masters, and fled thither for shelter from the neighbouring countries, Deu 23:15, Deu 23:16. We cannot suppose that they were hereby obliged to give entertainment to all the unprincipled men that ran from service; Israel needed not (as Rome at first did) to be thus peopled. But, 1. They must not deliver up the trembling servant to his enraged master, till upon trial it appeared that the servant has wronged his master and was justly liable to punishment. Note, It is an honourable thing to shelter and protect the weak, provided they be not wicked. God allows his people to patronise the oppressed. The angel bid Hagar return to her mistress, and Paul sent Onesimus back to his master Philemon, because they had neither of them any cause to go away, nor was either of them exposed to any danger in returning. But the servant here is supposed to escape, that is, to run for his life, to the people of Israel, of whom he had heard (as Benhadad of the kings of Israel, Kg1 20:31) that they were a merciful people, to save himself from the fury of a tyrant; and in that case to deliver him up is to throw a lamb into the mouth of a lion. 2. If it appeared that the servant was abused, they must not only protect him, but, supposing him willing to embrace their religion, they must give him all the encouragement that might be to settle among them. Care is taken both that he should not be imposed up on in the place of his settlement - let it be that which he shall choose and where it liketh him best, and that he should not exchange one hard master for many - thou shalt not oppress him. Thus would he soon find a comfortable difference between the land of Israel and other lands, and would choose it to be his rest for ever. Note, Proselytes and converts to the truth should be treated with particular tenderness, that they may have no temptation to return.
II. The land of Israel must be no shelter for the unclean; no whore, no Sodomite, must be suffered to live among them (Plm 1:17, Plm 1:18), neither a whore nor a whoremonger. No houses of uncleanness must be kept either by men or women. Here is, 1. A good reason intimated why there should be no such wickedness tolerated among them: they were Israelites. This seems to have an emphasis laid upon it. For a daughter of Israel to be a whore, or a son of Israel a whoremaster, is to reproach the stock they are come of, the people they belong to, and the God they worship. It is bad in any, but worst in Israelites, a holy nation, Sa2 13:12. 2. A just mark of displeasure put upon this wickedness, that the hire of a whore, that is, the money she gets by her whoring, and the price of a dog, that is, of the Sodomite, pimp, or whoremaster (so I incline to understand it, for such are called dogs, Rev 22:15), the money he gets by his lewd and villainous practices, no part of it shall be brought into the house of the Lord (as the hire of prostitutes among the Gentiles was into their temples) for any vow. This intimates, (1.) That God would not accept of any offering at all from such wicked people; they had nothing to bring an offering of but what they got by their wickedness, and therefore their sacrifice could not but be an abomination to the Lord, Pro 15:8. (2.) That they should not think, by making and paying vows, and bringing offerings to the Lord, to obtain leave to go on in this sin, as (it should seem) some that followed that trade suggested to themselves, when their offerings were admitted. Pro 7:14, Pro 7:15, This day have I paid my vows, therefore came I forth to meet thee. Nothing should be accepted in commutation of penance. (3.) That we cannot honour God with our substance unless it be honestly and honourably come by. It must not only be considered what we give, but how we got it; God hates robbery for burnt-offerings, and uncleanness too.
III. The matter of usury is here settled, Deu 23:19, Deu 23:20. (1.) They must not lend upon usury to an Israelite. They had and held their estates immediately from and under God, who, while he distinguished them from all other people, might have ordered, had he so pleased, that they should have all things in common among themselves; but instead of that, and in token of their joint interest in the good land he had given them, he only appointed them, as there was occasion, to lend to one another without interest, which among them would be little or no loss to the lender, because their land was so divided, their estates were so settled, and there was so little of merchandise among them, that it was seldom or never that they had occasion to borrow any great sums, only what was necessary for the subsistence of their families when the fruits of their ground had met with any disaster, or the like; and, in such a case, for a small matter to insist upon usury would have been very barbarous. Where the borrower gets, or hopes to get, it is just that the lender should share in the gain; but to him that borrows for his necessary food pity must be shown, and we must lend, hoping for nothing again, if we have wherewithal to do it, Luk 6:35. (2.) They might lend upon usury to a stranger, who was supposed to live by trade, and (as we say) by turning the penny, and therefore got by what he borrowed, and came among them in hopes to do so. By this it appears that usury is not in itself oppressive; for they must not oppress a stranger, and yet might exact usury from him.
IV. The performance of the vows wherewith we have bound our souls is here required; and it is a branch of the law of nature, Deu 23:21-23. (1.) We are here left at our liberty whether we will make vows or no: If thou shalt forbear to vow (some particular sacrifice and offering, more than was commanded by the law), it shall be no sin to thee. God had already signified his readiness to accept a free-will offering thus vowed, though it were but a little fine flour (Lev 2:4, etc.), which was encouragement enough to those who were so inclined. But lest the priests, who had the largest share of those vows and voluntary offerings, should sponge upon the people, by pressing it upon them as their duty to make such vows, beyond their ability and inclination, they are here expressly told that it should not be reckoned a sin in them if they did not make any such vows, as it would be if they omitted any of the sacrifices that God had particularly required. For (as bishop Patrick well expresses it) God would have men to be easy in his service, and all their offerings to be free and cheerful. (2.) We are here laid under the highest obligations, when we have made a vow, to perform it, and to perform it speedily: "Thou shalt not be slack to pay it, lest if it be delayed beyond the first opportunity the zeal abate, the vow be forgotten, or something happen to disable thee for the performance of it. That which has gone out of thy lips as a solemn and deliberate vow must not be recalled, but thou shalt keep and perform it, punctually and fully." The rule of the gospel goes somewhat further than this. Co2 9:7, Every one, according as he purposeth in his heart, though it have not gone out of his lips, so let him give. Here is a good reason why we should pay our vows, that if we do not God will require it of us, will surely and severely reckon with us, not only for lying, but for going about to mock him, who cannot be mocked. See Ecc 5:4.
V. Allowance is here given, when they passed through a cornfield or vineyard, to pluck and eat of the corn or grapes that grew by the road-side, whether it was done for necessity or delight, only they must carry none away with them, Deu 23:24, Deu 23:25. Therefore the disciples were not censured for plucking the ears of corn (it was well enough known that the law allowed it), but for doing it on the sabbath day, which the tradition of the elders had forbidden. Now, 1. This law intimated to them what great plenty of corn and wine they should have in Canaan, so much that a little would not be missed out of their fruits: they should have enough for themselves and all their friends. 2. It provided for the support of poor travellers, to relieve the fatigue of their journey, and teaches us to be kind to such. The Jews say, "This law was chiefly intended in favour of labourers, who were employed in gathering in their harvest and vintage; their mouths must not be muzzled any more than that of the ox when he treads out the corn." 3. It teaches us not to insist upon property in a small matter, of which it is easy to say, What is that between me and thee? It was true the grapes which the passenger ate were none of his own, nor did the proprietor give them to him; but the thing was of so small value that he had reason to think were he present, he would not deny them to him, anymore than he himself would grudge the like courtesy, and therefore it was no theft to take them. 4. It used them to hospitality, and teaches us to be ready to distribute, willing to communicate, and not to think every thing lost that is given away. Yet, 4. It forbids us to abuse the kindness of our friends, and to take the advantage of fair concessions to make unreasonable encroachments: we must not draw an ell from those that give but an inch. They may eat of their neighbour's grapes; but it does not therefore follow that they may carry away.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 15–25. Public domain.
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Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Deuteronomy 23:16 establishes a remarkably compassionate and counter-cultural law within the Mosaic covenant, mandating sanctuary and freedom for any servant or slave who has escaped from their master and sought refuge within Israel. This unique statute not only prohibits the return of such an individual to their former owner but also grants them the unprecedented right to choose their place of dwelling anywhere within the Israelite community, ensuring they are protected from any form of oppression. It stands as a profound testament to God's character as a protector of the vulnerable and a champion of human dignity, setting Israel apart from surrounding ancient Near Eastern legal codes.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Deuteronomy 23:16 employs several powerful literary devices. The most prominent is Legal Precedent, as this law sets a unique standard for the treatment of escaped individuals, diverging sharply from the harsh norms of surrounding cultures. This contrast highlights Israel's distinct ethical identity under Yahweh's covenant. The verse also uses Emphasis through repetition and clear, declarative statements ("He shall dwell," "thou shalt not oppress"), underscoring the non-negotiable nature of the command. There is an implicit Contrast between the former state of servitude and the new state of freedom and choice, elevating the dignity of the individual. Furthermore, the inclusion of "where it liketh him best" introduces a strong element of Human Agency and Personal Autonomy, a rare and significant feature in ancient legal texts concerning those considered property.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Deuteronomy 23:16 is a profound expression of God's character and His ethical demands upon His people. It reveals a God who is not merely concerned with ritual purity but with social justice, human dignity, and compassion for the marginalized. This law fundamentally challenges the economic and social structures of the ancient world by prioritizing human life and liberty over property rights, especially when those rights are built on oppression. It calls Israel to embody the very nature of their Deliverer, who freed them from the bondage of Egypt, thereby becoming a refuge for those fleeing similar circumstances. The theological implications extend to the concept of a just society, where the vulnerable are protected, and the oppressed find sanctuary, reflecting the divine mandate to "do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8).
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Deuteronomy 23:16, while rooted in a specific ancient context, offers timeless principles for contemporary believers and societies. It challenges us to cultivate a radical compassion for those who are vulnerable, displaced, or seeking refuge, urging us to be havens of safety and dignity in a world often marked by exploitation and indifference. This ancient law calls us to actively oppose all forms of oppression, whether it be human trafficking, forced labor, economic exploitation, or the systemic marginalization of immigrants and refugees. It reminds us that true freedom includes the right to self-determination and the absence of coercion. As followers of Christ, we are called to see the face of God in the "least of these" (Matthew 25:40), extending welcome, protection, and opportunities for flourishing, just as God commanded Israel to do.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does this law apply to all types of servants, including Hebrew indentured servants?
Answer: No, this law primarily applies to foreign slaves who have escaped from masters outside of Israel. Hebrew indentured servants, who entered service due to debt or poverty, were governed by different laws. These laws stipulated that Hebrew servants were to be released after six years of service, often with provisions to help them start anew, as detailed in Exodus 21:2 and Deuteronomy 15:12-18. The unique aspect of Deuteronomy 23:16 is its provision for perpetual freedom and integration for those who escaped from external, likely oppressive, bondage.
How does this law compare to other ancient Near Eastern legal codes regarding runaway slaves?
Answer: Deuteronomy 23:16 stands in stark contrast to most ancient Near Eastern legal codes, such as the Code of Hammurabi (c. 1754 BC). These codes typically mandated the return of runaway slaves to their masters, often imposing severe penalties, including death, on those who harbored them. For example, Hammurabi's Code prescribed death for anyone who harbored a runaway slave and did not bring them to the palace. Israel's law, therefore, was revolutionary, prioritizing human dignity and freedom over property rights, reflecting a unique divine ethic.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Deuteronomy 23:16, with its radical command to offer refuge, freedom, and protection from oppression to the escaped, finds its ultimate fulfillment and deepest meaning in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Just as Israel was called to be a sanctuary for the oppressed, Christ Himself is the ultimate refuge for those enslaved by sin, despair, and the broken systems of the world. He came to "proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed" (Luke 4:18). Through His atoning work, He liberates us from the bondage of sin, granting us true spiritual freedom (John 8:36) and welcoming us into His household, no longer strangers or sojourners but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God (Ephesians 2:19). Furthermore, Christ identifies with the marginalized and the refugee, declaring that when we offer shelter, food, and welcome to "the least of these," we are doing it to Him (Matthew 25:35-40). The compassionate spirit of Deuteronomy 23:16 is thus perfectly embodied and eternally realized in the expansive, liberating love of our Savior, who calls His followers to extend that same radical welcome and freedom to all.