Deuteronomy 23:14 (ESV Strong's)
Because the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and to give up your enemies before you, therefore your camp must be holy, so that he may not see anything indecent among you and turn away from you.
Cleanliness is Next to Godliness
No, that phrase is NOT in the Bible. No where in God’s Word does it say, “Cleanliness is next to Godliness.” However, that is exactly the context of the above verse. In the verse that proceed the above verse we read about what the nation of Israel are supposed to do for restroom facilities and for “nocturnal emissions.” The male is supposed to go “outside” the camp to clean up and to bury their excrements.. Why must they do this? Because the Lord your God walks in the midst and the camp must be holy. If someone was paraphrasing this passage they would be hermeneutically correct to say, “Cleanliness is Next to Godliness.” But, it would be a paraphrase and would not be a quote in the Bible. The point of God’s Word here is that spiritual holiness will overflow into practically cleanliness. Believers of a holy God ought to reflect that holiness in clean living and clean practices. God is a God of order and purity. We ought to reflect that in the way we run our lives. We are a reflection of Him.
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