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18 There shall be no temple prostitute[a] among the Israelite women, nor a temple prostitute among the Israelite men.(A) 19 You shall not offer a prostitute’s fee or a dog’s pay[b] as any kind of votive offering in the house of the Lord, your God; both these things are an abomination to the Lord, your God.(B)

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Footnotes

  1. 23:18–19 Temple prostitute: Heb. qedesha, lit., “holy one,” a title of the goddess of fertility. The role or function of the qedesha is debated; some see this as simply a term for a prostitute (Heb. zona). Others see it as designating a cultic role but not necessarily one involving sexual activity. The evidence is insufficient to give a final answer.
  2. 23:19 Dog’s pay: “dog” is a derogatory term for a male temple prostitute.

18 You must not bring the earnings of a female prostitute or of a male prostitute[a] into the house of the Lord your God to pay any vow, because the Lord your God detests them both.(A)

19 Do not charge a fellow Israelite interest, whether on money or food or anything else that may earn interest.(B)

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 23:18 Hebrew of a dog