Deuteronomy 15:7

If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
man	אֶבְי֜וֹן 'ev.Yon	H34	destitute · adjective, masculine singular absolute
one	מֵאַחַ֤ד me.'a.Chad	H259	properly · preposition + noun, common feminine singular construct
brethren	אַחֶ֙יךָ֙ 'a.Chei.kha	H251	a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relation… · noun, common masculine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 2nd person masculine singular
any	בְּאַחַ֣ד be.'a.Chad	H259	properly · preposition + noun, common feminine singular construct
gates	שְׁעָרֶ֔יךָ she.'a.Rei.kha	H8179	an opening · noun, common masculine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 2nd person masculine singular
land	בְּאַ֨רְצְךָ֔ be.'Ar.tze.kha	H776	the earth (at large · preposition + noun, common feminine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 2nd person masculine singular
LORD	יְהוָ֥ה Yah.weh	H3068	Jehovah · proper noun, a title
God	אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ 'e.lo.Hei.kha	H430	gods in the ordinary sense · noun, common masculine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 2nd person masculine singular
giveth	נֹתֵ֣ן no.Ten	H5414	to give · verb, qal active participle, masculine singular absolute
harden	תְאַמֵּ֣ץ te.'a.Metz	H553	to be alert · verb, piel imperfect, 2nd person masculine singular
heart	לְבָבְךָ֗ le.va.ve.Kha	H3824	the heart (as the most interior organ) · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 2nd person masculine singular
shut	תִקְפֹּץ֙ tik.Potz	H7092	to draw together · verb, qal imperfect, 2nd person masculine singular
hand	יָ֣דְךָ֔ ya.de.kha	H3027	a hand (the open one (indicating power · noun, common both genders singular construct + pronominal suffix, 2nd person masculine singular
poor	הָאֶבְיֽוֹן ha.'ev.Yon	H34	destitute · definite article + adjective, masculine singular absolute
brother	מֵאָחִ֖יךָ me.'a.Chi.kha	H251	a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relation… · preposition + noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 2nd person masculine singular

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Deuteronomy 15:9 Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil aga…
Proverbs 21:13 Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.
1 John 3:16-17 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
James 2:15-16 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
Matthew 18:30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Deuteronomy 15:1-11

Here is, I. A law for the relief of poor debtors, such (we may suppose) as were insolvent. Every seventh year was a year of release, in which the ground rested from being tilled and servants were discharged from their services; and, among other acts of grace, this was one, that those who had borrowed money, and had not been able to pay it before, should this year be released from it; and though, if they were able, they were afterwards bound in conscience to repay it, yet thenceforth the creditor should never recover it by law. Many good expositors think it only forbids the exacting of the debt in the year of release, because, no harvest being gathered in that year, it could not be expected t…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Deuteronomy 15:7

If there be among you a poor man . . . thou shalt not harden thine heart--Lest the foregoing law should prevent the Israelites lending to the poor, Moses here admonishes them against so mean and selfish a spirit and exhorts them to give in a liberal spirit of charity and kindness, which will secure the divine blessing (Rom 12:8; Co2 9:7).

John Gill on Deuteronomy 15:7

If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren,.... As there would be, according to the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem, if they did not keep the commandments of the law, and continue therein: within any of thy gates, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee; a native of the land was to be preferred to a foreigner, and a brother, whether in relation or religion, to a proselyte of the gate; and the poor of a city to which a man belonged, to the poor of another city, as Jarchi observes; which he gathers from this phrase: within any of thy gates: thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy brother; so as not to pity his distressed case, and have no bowels…

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John Calvin on Deuteronomy 15:1-11

Deuteronomy 15:1-11 1. At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release. 1. Septimo quoque anno facies remissionem. 2. And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbor shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbor, or of his brother; because it is called the Lord's release. 2. Haec autem est ratio remissionis, ut remittat omnis qui mutuum dederit manu sua, id quod mutuum dederit amico suo: non reposcet ab amico suo, aut a fratre suo, quia proclamata est remissio Jehovae. 3. Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release; 3. Ab alienigena reposces, aut quod fuerit…

Dictionary and topics

Agriculture — Tilling the ground (Gen. 2:15; 4:2, 3, 12) and rearing cattle were the chief employments in ancient times. The Egyptians excelled in agriculture. And after the Israelites entered into the possession…
Alms — Not found in the Old Testament, but repeatedly in the New. The Mosaic legislation (Lev. 25:35; Deut. 15:7) tended to promote a spirit of charity, and to prevent the occurrence of destitution among…
Debt — The Mosaic law encouraged the practice of lending (Deut. 15:7; Ps. 37:26; Matt. 5:42); but it forbade the exaction of interest except from foreigners. Usury was strongly condemned (Prov. 28:8; Ezek.…
Debtor — Various regulations as to the relation between debtor and creditor are laid down in the Scriptures. (1.) The debtor was to deliver up as a pledge to the creditor what he could most easily dispense…
Hospitality — Hospitality was regarded by most nations of the ancient world as one of the chief virtues. The Jewish laws respecting strangers (Leviticus 19:33,34) and the poor, (Leviticus 23:14) seq. Deuteronomy…
Poor — The Mosaic legislation regarding the poor is specially important. (1.) They had the right of gleaning the fields (Lev. 19:9, 10; Deut. 24:19, 21). (2.) In the sabbatical year they were to have their…
Sabbatical year — Every seventh year, during which the land, according to the law of Moses, had to remain uncultivated (Lev. 25:2-7; comp. Ex. 23:10, 11, 12; Lev. 26:34, 35). Whatever grew of itself during that year…
Beneficence · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Fraternity · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Hands, The · Illustrative: (Shut,) of illiberality — Illustrative: (Shut,) of illiberality

Deuteronomy 15:7

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Deuteronomy 15:1-11

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Deuteronomy 15:7

John Gill on Deuteronomy 15:7

John Calvin on Deuteronomy 15:1-11

Dictionary and topics

Deuteronomy 15:7

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Deuteronomy 15:1-11

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Deuteronomy 15:7

John Gill on Deuteronomy 15:7

John Calvin on Deuteronomy 15:1-11

Dictionary and topics

Keil & Delitzsch on Deuteronomy 15:7-8

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Deuteronomy 15:6

Rashi on Deuteronomy 15:7