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:

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(7) A poor man.-”That needeth anything.”

Within any of thy gates.—“The poor of thine own city come before the poor of another city.”

Thou Shalt not harden.—“There are some men who ‘grieve’ (grudge) whether they give or not;” therefore it is said, “Thou shalt not harden thy heart; there are some who stretch out the hand (to give), and yet close it; therefore it is said, Thou shalt not shut thine hand.”

Benson Commentary

Deuteronomy 15:7-8. Thou shalt not shut thy hand from thy poor brother — Because this law might tend to make some people cautious and stubborn in lending to the poor, as being assured they should lose the debt at the seventh year, if it were not paid before; or, upon this account, might make them sparing of their charities in other matters; Moses here cautions them against being influenced by so mean a principle, and charges every Israelite to look upon his poor neighbour as a brother, equally related to God as himself, who therefore would be sure to punish all uncharitableness to such as were his own people, as he would be to bless and reward those who, with a generous and bountiful heart, gratefully depended on his providence, and obeyed his commands. Open thy hand — That is, deal bountifully and liberally with him.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

15:1-11 This year of release typified the grace of the gospel, in which is proclaimed the acceptable year of the Lord; and by which we obtain the release of our debts, that is, the pardon of our sins. The law is spiritual, and lays restraints upon the thoughts of the heart. We mistake, if we think thoughts are free from God's knowledge and check. That is a wicked heart indeed, which raises evil thoughts from the good law of God, as theirs did, who, because God had obliged them to the charity of forgiving, denied the charity of giving. Those who would keep from the act of sin, must keep out of their minds the very thought of sin. It is a dreadful thing to have the cry of the poor justly against us. Grudge not a kindness to thy brother; distrust not the providence of God. What thou doest, do freely, for God loves a cheerful giver, 2Co 9:7.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

There is no inconsistency between this and Deuteronomy 15:11. The meaning seems simply to be, "Thou must release the debt for the year, except when there be no poor person concerned, a contingency which may happen, for the Lord shall greatly bless thee." The general object of these precepts, as also of the year of Jubilee and the laws respecting inheritance, is to prevent the total ruin of a needy person, and his disappearance from the families of Israel by the sale of his patrimony.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

7-11. 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 (Ro 12:8; 2Co 9:7).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

No text from Poole on this verse.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

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 of compassion for him, and feel for his want, and so as not to distribute to his necessities, and relieve him.

Geneva Study Bible

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:

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

7. with thee a poor man, one of thy brethren] Heb. in thee as in Deuteronomy 15:4; poor, better needy.

in any of thy gates] or townships; see on Deuteronomy 12:12.

harden thine heart] See on Deuteronomy 2:30; cp. 1 John 3:17.

7–11. One of the most beautiful as it is one of the most characteristic passages in the laws of D: illustrating not only the humane spirit, and the practical thoughtfulness of this code, but its extension of the Law to the thoughts and interests of the heart: cp. Deuteronomy 5:21.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 7-11. - The reference to the release leads to a prescription regarding readiness to lend to the poor. They were not to harden their hearts against their poorer brethren, nor were they, in the prospect of the year of release, to refuse to lend them what was necessary for their uses, but, on the contrary, were to open their heart and their hand to them according to their need, lest the poor should appeal against them to God, and sin should lie upon them. Verse 7. - Harden thine heart; literally, maize strong, so as to suppress natural compassion and sympathy. Deuteronomy 15:7

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

And in general Israel was to be ready to lend to the poor among its brethren, not to harden its heart, to be hard-hearted, but to lend to the poor brother מחסרו דּי, "the sufficiency of his need," whatever he might need to relieve his wants.