Deuteronomy 24:12
New International Version
If the neighbor is poor, do not go to sleep with their pledge in your possession.

New Living Translation
If your neighbor is poor and gives you his cloak as security for a loan, do not keep the cloak overnight.

English Standard Version
And if he is a poor man, you shall not sleep in his pledge.

Berean Standard Bible
If he is a poor man, you must not go to sleep with the security in your possession;

King James Bible
And if the man be poor, thou shalt not sleep with his pledge:

New King James Version
And if the man is poor, you shall not keep his pledge overnight.

New American Standard Bible
And if he is a poor man, you shall not sleep with his pledge.

NASB 1995
“If he is a poor man, you shall not sleep with his pledge.

NASB 1977
“And if he is a poor man, you shall not sleep with his pledge.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now if he is an afflicted man, you shall not sleep with his deposit.

Amplified Bible
If the man is poor, you shall not keep his pledge overnight.

Christian Standard Bible
If he is a poor man, do not sleep with the garment he has given as security.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
If he is a poor man, you must not sleep in the garment he has given as security.

American Standard Version
And if he be a poor man, thou shalt not sleep with his pledge;

Contemporary English Version
Suppose someone is so poor that a coat is the only thing that can be offered as a guarantee on a loan. Don't keep the coat overnight.

English Revised Version
And if he be a poor man, thou shalt not sleep with his pledge:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
If the person is poor, don't keep the coat you took as a deposit overnight.

Good News Translation
If he is poor, do not keep it overnight;

International Standard Version
If he is a poor man, don't go to sleep with his collateral in your possession.

Majority Standard Bible
If he is a poor man, you must not go to sleep with the security in your possession;

NET Bible
If the person is poor you may not use what he gives you as security for a covering.

New Heart English Bible
If he be a poor man, you shall not sleep with his pledge;

Webster's Bible Translation
And if the man is poor, thou shalt not sleep with his pledge:

World English Bible
If he is a poor man, you shall not sleep with his pledge.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And if he is a poor man, you do not lie down with his pledge;

Young's Literal Translation
'And if he is a poor man, thou dost not lie down with his pledge;

Smith's Literal Translation
And if the man be poor, he shall not sleep with his pledge.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But if he be poor, the pledge shall not lodge with thee that night,

Catholic Public Domain Version
But if he is poor, then the collateral shall not remain with you through the night.

New American Bible
If the person is poor, you shall not sleep in the pledged garment,

New Revised Standard Version
If the person is poor, you shall not sleep in the garment given you as the pledge.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And if the man is poor, you shall not sleep with his mantle.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And if the man is poor you shall not sleep with his cloak:
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And if he be a poor man, thou shalt not sleep with his pledge;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And if the man be poor, thou shalt not sleep with his pledge.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Additional Laws
11You are to stand outside while the man to whom you are lending brings the security out to you. 12If he is a poor man, you must not go to sleep with the security in your possession; 13be sure to return it to him by sunset, so that he may sleep in his own cloak and bless you, and this will be credited to you as righteousness before the LORD your God.…

Cross References
Exodus 22:26-27
If you take your neighbor’s cloak as collateral, return it to him by sunset, / because his cloak is the only covering he has for his body. What else will he sleep in? And if he cries out to Me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.

Leviticus 19:13
You must not defraud your neighbor or rob him. You must not withhold until morning the wages due a hired hand.

Job 24:9-10
The fatherless infant is snatched from the breast; the nursing child of the poor is seized for a debt. / Without clothing, they wander about naked. They carry the sheaves, but still go hungry.

Amos 2:8
They lie down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge. And in the house of their God, they drink wine obtained through fines.

Proverbs 3:27-28
Do not withhold good from the deserving when it is within your power to act. / Do not tell your neighbor, “Come back tomorrow and I will provide”—when you already have the means.

Isaiah 58:6-7
Isn’t this the fast that I have chosen: to break the chains of wickedness, to untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and tear off every yoke? / Isn’t it to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your home, to clothe the naked when you see him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Ezekiel 18:7
He does not oppress another, but restores the pledge to the debtor. He does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing.

Nehemiah 5:11
Please restore to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses, along with the percentage of the money, grain, new wine, and oil that you have been assessing them.”

Jeremiah 34:14
Every seventh year, each of you must free his Hebrew brother who has sold himself to you. He may serve you six years, but then you must let him go free. But your fathers did not listen or incline their ear.

Malachi 3:5
“Then I will draw near to you for judgment. And I will be a swift witness against sorcerers and adulterers and perjurers, against oppressors of the widowed and fatherless, and against those who defraud laborers of their wages and deny justice to the foreigner but do not fear Me,” says the LORD of Hosts.

Matthew 5:42
Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

Luke 6:34-35
And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. / But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

James 2:15-16
Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. / If one of you tells him, “Go in peace; stay warm and well fed,” but does not provide for his physical needs, what good is that?

1 John 3:17
If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him?

Matthew 25:35-40
For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, / I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.’ / Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? ...


Treasury of Scripture

And if the man be poor, you shall not sleep with his pledge:

Deuteronomy 24:17
Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger, nor of the fatherless; nor take a widow's raiment to pledge:

Job 22:6
For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.

Job 24:3,9
They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow's ox for a pledge…

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Deuteronomy 24
1. Of divorce
5. A new married man goes not to war
6. Of pledges
7. Of kidnapping
8. Of leprosy
10. Of pledges
14. The hire is to be given
16. Of justice
19. Of charity














If he is a poor man
The Hebrew word for "poor" here is "עָנִי" (ani), which refers to someone who is afflicted, humble, or economically disadvantaged. In the ancient Israelite society, poverty was a significant concern, and the Law given through Moses often emphasized the protection and fair treatment of the poor. This phrase sets the stage for a compassionate approach to those who are less fortunate, highlighting God's heart for justice and mercy. The poor were often vulnerable to exploitation, and this commandment serves as a safeguard against such injustices.

you must not go to sleep
The phrase "go to sleep" in Hebrew is "תִּשְׁכַּב" (tishkav), which literally means to lie down or rest. This instruction implies an ongoing responsibility and awareness of the needs of others, even in one's personal time of rest. It underscores the importance of prioritizing the well-being of others over personal comfort. In a broader spiritual sense, it calls believers to remain vigilant and compassionate, reflecting God's character in their daily lives.

with the security in your possession
The term "security" refers to a pledge or collateral, often a garment, given by a borrower to a lender. In Hebrew, this is "עֲבֹט" (abot), which signifies a tangible item held as a guarantee for a debt. The cultural and historical context of this practice reveals a system where personal items, sometimes essential for daily living, were used to secure loans. The command not to keep such security overnight for a poor man is a profound expression of mercy and respect for human dignity. It acknowledges the basic needs of the borrower and ensures that their immediate well-being is not compromised. This principle reflects the broader biblical theme of loving one's neighbor and acting justly, as seen throughout the Scriptures.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
If
וְאִם־ (wə·’im-)
Conjunctive waw | Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

he
ה֑וּא (hū)
Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

is a poor
עָנִ֖י (‘ā·nî)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 6041: Poor, afflicted, humble

man,
אִ֥ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

you must not
לֹ֥א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

go to sleep
תִשְׁכַּ֖ב (ṯiš·kaḇ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 7901: To lie down

with the security {in your possession};
בַּעֲבֹטֽוֹ׃ (ba·‘ă·ḇō·ṭōw)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5667: A pledge, article pledged


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OT Law: Deuteronomy 24:12 If he be a poor man you (Deut. De Du)
Deuteronomy 24:11
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