What is the meaning of Deuteronomy 23:7?

Do not despise an Edomite

• “Do not despise an Edomite, for he is your brother.” (Deuteronomy 23:7a)

• Edomites descend from Esau, Jacob’s twin (Genesis 25:24-26). Family history—no matter how strained—still matters to God.

• Earlier, when Israel skirted Edom, the LORD said, “Do not provoke them, for I will not give you any of their land” (Deuteronomy 2:4-5). The same respect commanded on the journey is now made permanent in daily life.

• Treating Edom kindly underscores the bigger principle: “You shall not hate your brother in your heart” (Leviticus 19:17-18), pointing forward to “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

• Even when Edom later opposed Judah (Obadiah 10-12), the original command stood. Justice belongs to God (Proverbs 20:22; Romans 12:19).

• Practical take-away:

– Family conflicts never erase God-ordained bonds.

– Mercy toward difficult relatives guards our own hearts (Hebrews 12:14-15).

– Obedience is measured not by how we treat friends but by how we treat former rivals.

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Do not despise an Egyptian

• “Do not despise an Egyptian, because you lived as a foreigner in his land.” (Deuteronomy 23:7b)

• Israel’s 430-year stay (Exodus 12:40-41) included slavery, yet God calls the people to remember Egypt’s hospitality at the start (Genesis 46:3-7). Gratitude is stronger than bitterness.

• Earlier laws echoed the same ethic:

– “You must not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt.” (Exodus 22:21)

– “The foreigner living among you must be treated as a native-born; love him as yourself.” (Leviticus 19:34)

• The command models God’s character: He “makes His sun rise on the evil and the good” (Matthew 5:44-45).

• Practical take-away:

– Past suffering does not license present hatred.

– Remembering God’s providence during hard seasons fosters humility (Deuteronomy 8:2-4).

– Showing kindness to former oppressors testifies that the LORD, not resentment, rules our hearts (Romans 12:20-21).

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summary

Deuteronomy 23:7 presses Israel—and us—to practice selective memory: recall kinship with Edom and God’s shelter in Egypt, not the offenses that followed. Family ties and past hospitality create lasting obligations of mercy. By honoring those links, God’s people mirror His steadfast love, leave vengeance to Him, and keep their own hearts free from contempt.