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.
A person born to unmarried parents cannot be part of the LORD's assembly, and neither can their descendants for ten generations.
This verse establishes that children born outside of marriage were excluded from formal worship in Israel's religious community, along with their descendants for many generations.
📚 Historical Context
This was part of the ancient Israelite legal code that regulated who could participate in religious assemblies and temple worship. These laws were designed to maintain ceremonial purity and community standards in a society where legitimacy of birth was closely tied to inheritance rights and social standing. The ten-generation restriction was essentially permanent exclusion, as it was nearly impossible to trace lineage that far back.
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