Deuteronomy 23:18

My Notes

What Does Deuteronomy 23:18 Mean?

God prohibits bringing two types of money into his temple: the earnings of a prostitute ("hire of a whore") and the "price of a dog" — a term widely understood to refer to the earnings of a male cult prostitute (the word "dog" being a derogatory term for such a person). Both are declared "abomination unto the LORD."

The context is temple worship in the surrounding cultures, where cult prostitution was common — sexual acts performed as religious ritual, with the proceeds funding the temple. God is making a categorical distinction between Israel's worship and pagan worship. Israel's God will not be served by sexual exploitation disguised as devotion.

The principle extends beyond the specific practice: God cares about the source of what's offered to him. It's not enough for the offering to be generous — it must be clean. Money obtained through exploitation, abuse, or dehumanization cannot be laundered into something holy by depositing it in the temple treasury.

Reflection Questions

• 1.How does this verse challenge the assumption that any money given to God's work is good money?
• 2.Where in modern life do you see 'exploitation laundered as worship' — even in subtle forms?
• 3.What does it reveal about God's character that he rejects offerings tainted by human suffering?
• 4.How should this principle shape how churches and ministries evaluate the sources of their funding?

Devotional

God doesn't just care about what you give him — he cares about where it came from. Money earned through the sexual exploitation of another human being cannot be made holy by being brought to church. The ends don't sanctify the means, and the temple treasury doesn't launder dirty money.

This principle should challenge comfortable giving in any era. When wealth is built on exploitation — whether ancient cult prostitution or modern labor abuse — bringing a portion to God doesn't clean the rest. God isn't interested in receiving a cut of someone else's suffering.

The verse also reveals something about ancient religion that Israel was meant to reject entirely. In surrounding cultures, prostitution was sacred — a religious act performed in temples, with proceeds funding the gods. It was normalized, institutionalized, and called worship. God says: not in my house. I will not be served by practices that dehumanize the servers.

This has implications far beyond sexual ethics. Any system that monetizes human dignity — that treats people as commodities to generate revenue for religious or otherwise "good" purposes — falls under this prohibition. God's house must be funded by clean hands, not by taking a percentage of someone else's exploitation.

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture