When thou comest into thy neighbour's vineyard, then thou mayest eat grapes thy fill at thine own pleasure; but thou shalt not put any in thy vessel.

DEUTERONOMY 23:24KJV
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Deuteronomy 23:24 (KJV)

What does Deuteronomy 23:24 mean?

Deuteronomy 23:24 says that if you enter your neighbor’s vineyard, you are allowed to eat as many grapes as you want while you are there, but you are not allowed to take any away with you. This law sets a boundary between enjoying what is available in the moment and taking more for yourself later.

In this verse, Moses is giving instructions to the Israelites about respecting each other’s property as they live together in the land. The situation described is one where someone is passing through another person’s vineyard. The verse allows for generosity and meeting immediate needs, but it also protects the owner’s rights by forbidding the visitor from carrying grapes away.

The Hebrew behind Deuteronomy 23:24

  • "Eat" (אָכַל, ’akal): This word means to eat or consume. Here, it emphasizes that the person may eat freely while present in the vineyard, not just take a token amount.
  • "Fill" (שָׂבֵעַ, sava‘): This word means to be satisfied or full. The verse is not limiting the eater to a small amount but allows them to eat until they are satisfied.
  • "Put" (נָתַן, natan): This word means to put or place, and in this context, it refers to putting grapes into a container, which is not allowed.
  • "Vessel" (כְּלִי, keli): This word refers to any kind of container or utensil. The rule is about not taking grapes away in any kind of carrying device, not just a basket or bag.

Why Deuteronomy 23:24 matters

  • Deuteronomy 23:24 clarifies that Israelite law allowed for generosity and meeting immediate hunger, but it also respected ownership and set limits to prevent abuse.
  • This verse helps explain the balance between hospitality and property rights in ancient Israel, showing that both were valued.
  • The law fits into a larger section of Deuteronomy that gives practical rules for living together in a fair and orderly society, highlighting everyday situations where fairness and respect are needed.

Where else these words appear

“fill” Hebrew H7648 · used in 8 verses

  • Exodus 16:3 And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.
  • Leviticus 26:5 And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.
  • Psalms 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

“grapes” Hebrew H6025 · used in 17 verses

  • Genesis 40:10 And in the vine were three branches: and it was as though it budded, and her blossoms shot forth; and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes:
  • Numbers 13:20 And what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the firstripe grapes.
  • Isaiah 5:2 And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.

“vineyard” Hebrew H3754 · used in 82 verses

  • Genesis 9:20 And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:
  • 1 Kings 21:2 And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money.
  • Isaiah 1:8 And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.