Further Regulations

(Deuteronomy 23:15 - 23:25)
“If an escaped slave has taken refuge with you, do not return him to his master, but let him live with you without persecution in whatever town he may choose.

“Israelite women or men are forbidden to become temple prostitutes and the fees that such persons may earn may not be used as payment for any vow in the house of Jehovah your god, for both are abominations to him.

“You may not charge interest to fellow Israelites, whether on money, food, or anything that might be loaned on interest.  You may charge interest to a foreigner, but not to a fellow Israelite, so that Jehovah your god may bless all your undertakings in the land you are entering to take possession of.

“If you make a vow to Jehovah your god, do not delay in fulfilling it, for he will require it of you and, failing to do so, you will be guilty a sin.  However, if you make no vow, no sin is committed. But be careful to do what you say, if you have made a voluntary vow to Jehovah your god.

“When you pass through your neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat your fill of grapes, but you must not take any away in a basket.  And when you pass through your neighbor’s field of standing grain, you may pick some kernels with your hand, but you must not reap the crop with a sickle.”

Notes
1. The provision to shelter runaway slaves is an interesting one, hardly conducive to the perpetuation of the institution of slavery, of which Jehovah has never expressed any disapproval.  If there is no legal obligation for fugitive slaves to be returned, then the incentive for slaves to escape is great.  Therefore, one would think this provision would result in considerable social disruption, however humane it may seem to us.  It would be surprising if this passage was not cited when 19th century Americans were dealing with the problem of fugitive slaves.

2. One way in which Jehovah separates himself from his rival gods is his rejection of practices such as prostitution and “sacred” intercourse within the temple.  Such practices may have been widespread in the ancient world, in Greece and Rome as well as Babylonia and other Middle Eastern countries, but there is no consensus among historians as to its extent.  Prostitution was rarely condemned by ancient cultures or regarded as immoral per se.  The biblical references are obviously to the religious practices of the neighboring Canaanites, but there is no real evidence for the existence of temple prostitution in early Palestine.  The authors of the Bible had an interest in portraying their enemies in the worst possible light and using their immorality as a justification for Israel’s aggression against them.

3. The Old Testament prohibition on charging interest is curious, since the descendants of the Israelites would become notorious as moneylenders (one of the few professions the medieval Christians, conforming to this regulation, would allow the Jews to engage in).  It highlights the hallmark of tribal mentality, two different set of rules, one governing relationships within the tribe and another governing relationships with those outside it.  While foreigners dwelling among the Israelites are, in many ways, treated with equality, here we see an example of disparate treatment and of how foreigners might be exploited by Israelites.

4. It is made clear that not to fulfill a vow made to Jehovah is a sin, but that to renege on some promise not made explicit, a mere statement of intention, or some vow made perhaps to someone other than Jehovah, would not qualify as a sin.

5. Taking a few samples from a neighbor’s vineyard or field is held as permissible, not stealing, while collecting grapes in a basket or actually harvesting the grain is not.  This is quite in line with tradition and indeed, English common law.