DAWN
Daily Arts Web Nucleus
Discover the Arts! Each day a different image from the Literary, Performing, or Visual Arts representing a portion of Scripture plus an explanation with links and a discussion forum 2014 April 5
They Did Not Expect Him (1884)
Ilya Yefimovich Repin (1844-1930)
Realism Style
State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia
Image Source: Web Gallery of Art
Explanation: The painting above depicts an unwelcome presence, which is an underlying idea for a substantial portion of chapter 23.
Deuteronomy 23 contains various rules for life and worship. More than half of the chapter is dedicated to rules of exclusion, especially rules for who may or may not enter the congregation of the LORD -- i.e., become a citizen of Israel. The rest of the chapter deals with various community rules.
Exclusion on Sexual Grounds. Anyone who has his sexual parts wounded or cut off may not enter the congregation (1). An illegitimate child may not be a citizen, even to his tenth generation (2).
Exclusion of Foreigners. Ammonites and Moabites are excluded even to the tenth generation because they did not meet Israel with bread and water while they journeyed through the desert, and because they hired Balaam to try to curse them (3-6). Edomites and Egyptians may be admitted in the third generation -- the Edomites because they are brothers to the Israelites, and the Egyptians because they hosted them in their land (7-8).
Exclusion of Israelites. Israelite warriors must keep themselves from every wicked thing (9). Specifically, if a warrior has a nocturnal emission he is to be excluded from the military camp until the evening; and he may come back in after he washes himself (10-11). Also, the warriors are to bury their dung outside the camp, lest the LORD visit the camp, see the uncleanness, and exclude himself from the camp, thereby leaving them vulnerable to their enemies (12-14).
Various Rules of Community Life. Israelites are to give shelter to escaped slaves (15-16). Israelites are not allowed to be whores or sodomites. And the hire of a whore or a dog (which some interpret as a sodomite) is not to be given as an offering to the LORD (17-18). One Israelite may not charge interest to a fellow Israelite; but he may charge interest to a stranger (19-20). Vows to the LORD must be fulfilled (21-23). Gleaning in a neighbor's vineyard or in his grain must be done by hand. Nothing can be put into a vessel or cut with a sickle (24-25).
Deuteronomy 23
1 He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD.
2 A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD.
3 An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the LORD for ever:
4 Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee.
5 Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee.
6 Thou shalt not seek their peace nor their prosperity all thy days for ever.
7 Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite; for he is thy brother: thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian; because thou wast a stranger in his land.
8 The children that are begotten of them shall enter into the congregation of the LORD in their third generation.
9 When the host goeth forth against thine enemies, then keep thee from every wicked thing.
10 If there be among you any man, that is not clean by reason of uncleanness that chanceth him by night, then shall he go abroad out of the camp, he shall not come within the camp:
11 But it shall be, when evening cometh on, he shall wash himself with water: and when the sun is down, he shall come into the camp again.
12 Thou shalt have a place also without the camp, whither thou shalt go forth abroad:
13 And thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon; and it shall be, when thou wilt ease thyself abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which cometh from thee:
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.
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.
PARTICIPATION: We have 7 areas available (via email) for your participation. We are accepting contributions for Prose, Poetry, Writers, Visual Artists, Music, DAWN, and ILLUMINATION. DAWN, the page you are presently visiting, features a new image daily and invites discussion of the artist, style, or Biblical subjects depicted. ILLUMINATION features a compact, Illuminated Bible for which we are accepting visual, auditory, musical, and written contributions on any Biblical passage or theme. Our goal is to have a community-made, online, Illuminated Bible.
Please Email Comments, Questions, and Contributions for All Areas To
AD LIB ARTS EMAIL
copyright 2014, Scott Souza
|
