Deuteronomy 23:17

Purity in Cultic Personnel

23:17 There must never be a sacred prostitute ¹  among the young women ²  of Israel nor a sacred male prostitute ³  among the young men ⁴  of Israel.

Deuteronomy 28:14

28:14 But you must not turn away from all the commandments I am giving ⁵  you today, to either the right or left, nor pursue other gods and worship ⁶  them.

Deuteronomy 29:5

29:5 I have led you through the desert for forty years. Your clothing has not worn out ⁷  nor have your sandals ⁸  deteriorated.

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¹ tn The Hebrew term translated “sacred prostitute” here (קְדֵשָׁה [qÿdeshah], from קַדֵשׁ [qadesh, “holy”]; cf. NIV “shrine prostitute”; NASB “cult prostitute”; NRSV, TEV, NLT “temple prostitute”) refers to the pagan fertility cults that employed female and male prostitutes in various rituals designed to evoke agricultural and even human fecundity (cf. Gen 38:21-22; 1 Kgs 14:24; 15:12; 22:47; 2 Kgs 23:7; Hos 4:14). The Hebrew term for a regular, noncultic (i.e., “secular”) female prostitute is זוֹנָה (zonah).

² tn Heb “daughters.”

³ tn The male cultic prostitute was called קָדֵשׁ (qadesh; see note on the phrase “sacred prostitute” earlier in this verse). The colloquial Hebrew term for a “secular” male prostitute (i.e., a sodomite) is the disparaging epithet כֶּלֶב (kelev, “dog”) which occurs in the following verse (cf. KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB).

⁴ tn Heb “sons.”

⁵ tn Heb “from all the words which I am commanding.”

⁶ tn Heb “in order to serve.”

⁷ tn The Hebrew text includes “on you.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

⁸ tn The Hebrew text includes “from on your feet.”