Deuteronomy 23:17
Hebrew Bible
15 You must not return an escaped slave to his master when he has run away to you. 16 Indeed, he may live among you in any place he chooses, in whichever of your villages he prefers; you must not oppress him. 17 There must never be a sacred prostitute among the young women of Israel nor a sacred male prostitute among the young men of Israel. 18 You must never bring the pay of a female prostitute or the wage of a dog30, a male prostitute, into the temple of the Lord your God in fulfillment of any vow, for both of these are abhorrent to the Lord your God. 19 You must not charge interest on a loan to your fellow Israelite, whether on money, food, or anything else that has been loaned with interest.
Date: 6th Century B.C.E. (Final composition) (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
LXX Deuteronomy 23:17
Septuagint
15 “You shall not give over a servant to the master who has been added to you because of his master. 16 He shall dwell with you, in you he shall dwell, wherever pleases him; you shall not oppress him. 17 “There shall be no prostitute from the daughters of Israel, and there shall be none who prostitutes from the sons of Israel. There shall not be a sorceress from the daughters of Israel, and there shall not be one initiated from the sons of Israel. 18 “You shall not bring the profit of a prostitute nor the price of a dog into the house of the Lord your God to any votive offering, for it is an abomination to the Lord your God, even both of them. 19 “You shall not exact interest from your brother, interest for silver and interest for food and interest for anything that you may lend out with interest.
Date: 3rd Century B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Texts in Conversation
In Deuteronomy 23:18, both the Hebrew and Greek versions ban ritual prostitution, but the Greek Septuagint expands the text’s scope with language not found in the Hebrew. While the Hebrew refers to “the wage of a dog,” a euphemism for a male prostitute, the Greek includes allusions to initiation into Greek mystery cults. This shift reflects an attempt by the translator to align older Hebrew ideas with newer concerns, showing how the text could be adapted for evolving cultural and religious settings.
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Notes and References
"... The translator here is more aware of context, bringing different passages into line with each other. He is concerned with halakic matters (that is, with the correct observance of the law). Sometimes he appears to 'update' his translation. In 23:18, for instance, he apparently adds initiation into the Greek mysteries to the list of forbidden practices. He, too, translates rather literally and his Greek is less polished and innovative than that, say, of the Genesis or Exodus translators. Other interesting passages include 6.4, where the Shema is preceded by an echo of 4:45 (perhaps associating 6:4 with the Decalogue), and 32:43 (the end of the Song of Moses). This has expansions similar to 4Q31 ..."
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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