De 23:
Why did God care about crushed testicles?
This law was part of the Old Testament’s holiness code, which included various regulations about who could participate in the religious and communal life of Israel. It did sound a bit harsh. In the ancient Near Eastern world, physical wholeness was often associated with spiritual wholeness. The Israelites were called to be a holy people, set apart for God, and this holiness was symbolized in various ways, including physical integrity.
In some surrounding cultures,
castration was associated with pagan rituals. The prohibition might have been intended to distance Israel from such practices.
Were these individuals unclean?
The passage did not say that.
Isaiah gave a more balanced view in 56:
This showed a shift toward a more inclusive understanding of holiness, based on faithfulness rather than physical condition.
In Acts 8:38, Philip baptized an Ethiopian eunuch, showing that the gospel was for all, regardless of physical condition.
De 23:1 was part of a broader system of ceremonial laws designed to set Israel apart as a holy people at its cultural time. However, the New Testament revealed a more inclusive understanding of holiness, based on faith in Christ rather than external conditions. That's the transformative nature of God’s grace and the fulfillment of the Law in Jesus.