Bible Strands
Deuteronomy 23:2
No one of illegitimate birth may enter the assembly of the LORD, nor may any of his descendants, even to the tenth generation.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Moses addresses the Israelites on the plains of Moab, establishing legal boundaries for the covenant assembly just before the conquest of Canaan.
The words — מַמְזֵר (mamzer) literally denotes a person of illegitimate birth, and עֲשִׂירִי ('asiri) means tenth, which together specify the excluded status and the generational limit of the prohibition.
The thread — The tenth-generation restriction mirrors the rule for Ammonite and Moabite descendants in Deuteronomy 23:3, while the broader biblical concern with lineage and assembly membership appears in Zechariah 9:6 and Hebrews 12:8.
Why it lands — The verse plainly states that birth status historically determined access to the assembly, requiring the reader to recognize the specific, non-negotiable boundaries the law sets for community inclusion.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- Zechariah 9:6 A mixed race will occupy Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.
- Isaiah 57:3 “But come here, you sons of a sorceress, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes!
- Hebrews 12:8 If you do not experience discipline like everyone else, then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.
- John 8:41 You are doing the works of your father.” “We are not illegitimate children,” they declared. “Our only Father is God Himself.”