Question 1

What two groups are named in v. 17, and how does the verse frame the prohibition?

Accepted Answer

Verse 17 names “daughters of Israel” and “sons of Israel,” making the issue explicitly about Israel’s own community rather than outsiders. It uses parallel lines: no prostitute among the daughters, and no “sodomite” among the sons. The wording is framed as something that must not be found within Israel (“there shall be no…”), not merely as a warning about isolated actions. This creates a community boundary: Israel’s identity and social life are to exclude these roles or statuses as recognized parts of the people.

Question 2

How does v. 18 shift the focus from people to worship practice?

Accepted Answer

Verse 18 moves from banning certain roles (v. 17) to banning certain money from being used at the sanctuary. It names “the hire of a prostitute” and forbids bringing it “into the house of Yahweh your God.” So the focus becomes what may be offered in worship, not only what may be done in society. The verse assumes people bring gifts to Yahweh’s house, and it draws a line: some earnings are treated as disqualifying for temple use, even if the offering itself looks religious.

Question 3

What does the phrase “for any vow” add to the meaning of v. 18?

Accepted Answer

“For any vow” narrows the scenario to a common religious situation: someone promised a gift and now intends to pay it. The text then states that even this kind of serious religious purpose does not change the rule. In other words, the passage anticipates an argument like “but this is for Yahweh” and rejects it. The money’s origin remains decisive. The line makes the ban stricter by removing a likely exception people might claim for themselves.

Question 4

What reasons does the passage itself give for rejecting these funds at Yahweh’s house?

Accepted Answer

The stated reason is evaluative: “for even both these are an abomination to Yahweh your God.” The passage does not provide a long explanation of how or why; it declares Yahweh’s judgment on presenting these payments in that setting. The emphasis is on incompatibility with worship, not on a detailed social policy. The text’s logic is source-based: the same payments are labeled unacceptable regardless of the donor’s intention, because Yahweh regards them as detestable in the context of offerings.

Question 5

How do vv. 17–18 connect the ideas of sexual commerce and sanctuary offerings?

Accepted Answer

The two verses work as a sequence. First, v. 17 says such roles should not exist among Israel’s sons and daughters. Second, v. 18 addresses what happens when sexual commerce produces income: that money must not be brought into Yahweh’s house. The connection implies that the community boundary is not only about conduct but also about worship economics. The sanctuary is not to be supported or honored with gifts that come from what the passage has already marked as forbidden within Israel.

Question 6

What is certain and uncertain about the phrase “wages of a dog” based on the passage alone?

Accepted Answer

Certain: it is a type of “wages” that the text treats as parallel to “hire of a prostitute,” and it is banned from being brought into Yahweh’s house for a vow. The passage places it under the same verdict (“both these are an abomination”). Uncertain: the phrase itself is not explained. It could be a contemptuous label for a sexual role, a coded phrase for another kind of sexual payment, or something else. The verse gives classification (unacceptable for offerings) without defining the idiom.

Question 7

What boundaries does the passage draw between ‘religious intention’ and ‘acceptable worship gift’?

Accepted Answer

The passage distinguishes a vow-driven gift (a clearly religious intention) from an acceptable offering. By explicitly mentioning “for any vow,” it shows that sincerity or religious purpose does not automatically validate the gift. The acceptability of what is brought into Yahweh’s house depends partly on where it came from. The passage therefore contributes a boundary: worship offerings are not only about what someone wants to do for God; they are also about whether the means and source align with what the text says Yahweh accepts.

Deuteronomy 23:17-18

Scripture