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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadPaul Kretzmann Commentary - Deuteronomy 23:9 - 23:14
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Personal Cleanliness During Campaigns of War
v. 9. When the host, the army of Israel as represented by its camp of soldiers, goeth forth against thine enemies, then keep thee from every wicked thing, namely, from defilement and uncleanness of the body.
v. 10. If there be among you any man that is not clean by reason of uncleanness that chanceth him by night, Lev_15:16, then shall he go abroad out of the camp, he shall not come within the camp, go out and stay out;
v. 11. but it shall be when evening cometh on, when the day turns toward evening, he shall wash himself with water; and when the sun is down, he shall come into the camp again.
v. 12. Thou shalt have a place also without the camp whither thou shalt go forth abroad;
v. 13. and thou shalt have a paddle, a small spade, upon thy weapon, among the accoutrements or instruments of war which belonged to the outfit of every soldier; and it shall be when thou wilt ease thyself abroad, at the designated place, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which cometh from thee, as a measure of sanitary precaution;
v. 14. for the Lord, thy God, walketh in the midst of thy camp to deliver thee and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy; that he see no unclean thing in thee and turn away from thee, not as though the easement in itself and the excrement were shameful, but its open presence could not be tolerated without destroying or injuring the reverence for Jehovah. Propriety and decency also in the matters here broached should be observed as a requirement of nature.