Deuteronomy 15:7

The Spirit of Liberality

15:7 If a fellow Israelite from one of your villages in the land that the Lord your God is giving you should be poor, you must not harden your heart or be insensitive to his impoverished condition.

Deuteronomy 15:9

15:9 Be careful lest you entertain the wicked thought that the seventh year, the year of cancellation of debts, has almost arrived, and your attitude be wrong toward your impoverished fellow Israelite and you do not lend him anything; he will cry out to the Lord against you and you will be regarded as having sinned.

Deuteronomy 15:11

15:11 There will never cease to be some poor people in the land; therefore, I am commanding you to make sure you open your hand to your fellow Israelites 10  who are needy and poor in your land.


tn Heb “one of your brothers” (so NASB); NAB “one of your kinsmen”; NRSV “a member of your community.” See the note at v. 2.

tn Heb “gates.”

tn Heb “withdraw your hand.” Cf. NIV “hardhearted or tightfisted” (NRSV and NLT similar).

tn Heb “from your needy brother.”

tn Heb “your eye.”

tn Heb “your needy brother.”

tn Heb “give” (likewise in v. 10).

tn Heb “it will be a sin to you.”

tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates with “make sure.”

10 tn Heb “your brother.”