Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Deuteronomy 23:6

Thou shalt not seek their peace nor their prosperity all thy days forever.

i. e. thou shalt not invite them robe on terms of amity with thee (compare Deu 20:10 ff), nor make their welfare thy care: compare Ezr 9:12. There is no injunction to hatred or retaliation (compare Deu 2:9, Deu 2:19); but later history contains frequent record of hostility between Israel and these nations.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

i.e. Make no contracts, either by marriages, or leagues, or commerce with them, but rather shalt constantly keep a jealous eye over them, as enemies who will watch every opportunity to insnare or disturb thee. This counsel was now the more necessary, because a great part of the Israelites lived beyond Jordan in the borders of those people, and therefore God sets up this wall of partition betwixt them, as well knowing the mischief of bad neighbours, and Israels proneness to receive infection from them. Each particular Israelite is not hereby forbidden to perform any office of humanity to them, but the body of the nation are forbidden all friendly and familiar conversation with them.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

Thou shalt not seek their peace nor their prosperity all thy days for ever. Not that they were to retain malice towards them, or indulge a spirit of revenge, or not do them any good offices in a private way, which is contrary to the law of love; nor does this contradict any offices of kindness and friendship that might be performed in a personal way: so we find that David had a kindness for Hanun the Ammonite, and showed it, though ill rewarded for it, yet is not blamed for doing it; 2Sa 10:2 for these words respect not persons in a private capacity, but the people of Israel as a body politic, who, as such, were not to carry on trade and commerce with those people, nor intermarry with them, nor make leagues and enter into alliances with them; the reason of which was, because being very near neighbours to them, had there not been such a law, as a wall of partition between them, they might have become very familiar, and so have learnt their evil ways and customs, which this was designed to prevent: the Jews restrain o this to overtures and proclamations of peace, which they were not to make with these nations, as they were directed to do when they went out to war with others, De 20:10.

o Hilchot Melachim, c. 6. sect. 6.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Ver. 6. Thou shalt not seek their peace All that is here forbidden is, the entering into public confederacies and alliances with them; notwithstanding which prohibition, they were bound to treat those people according to the rule of common justice and humanity. The words may be considered as a declaration of the inflexible resolution of these two nations to maintain idolatry, and to keep up the same hostile spirit towards the Hebrews, which their ancestors had begun; otherwise, if they had publicly renounced their idolatry, and courted the favour of the Israelites, this law would have been abrogated of course, the reasons for which it was made then ceasing.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Deu 23:6 Thou shalt not seek their peace nor their prosperity all thy days for ever.

Ver. 6. Thou shalt not seek their peace. ] Or, Enter into confederacy with them; which when David did, 2Sa 10:1-2 he was basely abused in his ambassadors. Hannibal’s hatred to the Romans is well known. Tyrone, 1567, so boiled in hatred against the English, that he named a castle that he built, Feoghnegal, that is, “the hatred of the English.” a Among those wild Irish, the fathers are said to inflict a heavy curse on all their posterity, if ever they should sow corn, build houses, or learn the English tongue.

a Camden’s Elisab.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)