Proverbs 3:28
New International Version
Do not say to your neighbor, “Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you"— when you already have it with you.

New Living Translation
If you can help your neighbor now, don’t say, “Come back tomorrow, and then I’ll help you.”

English Standard Version
Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you.

Berean Standard Bible
Do not tell your neighbor, “Come back tomorrow and I will provide”—when you already have the means.

King James Bible
Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.

New King James Version
Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it,” When you have it with you.

New American Standard Bible
Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it to you,” When you have it with you.

NASB 1995
Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it,” When you have it with you.

NASB 1977
Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it,” When you have it with you.

Legacy Standard Bible
Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it,” When it is there with you.

Amplified Bible
Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it,” When you have it with you.

Christian Standard Bible
Don’t say to your neighbor, “Go away! Come back later. I’ll give it tomorrow”—when it is there with you.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Don’t say to your neighbor, “Go away! Come back later. I’ll give it tomorrow"—when it is there with you.

American Standard Version
Say not unto thy neighbor, Go, and come again, And to-morrow I will give; When thou hast it by thee.

Contemporary English Version
Don't tell your neighbor to come back tomorrow, if you can help today.

English Revised Version
Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and tomorrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When you have the good thing with you, do not tell your neighbor, "Go away! Come back tomorrow. I'll give you something then."

Good News Translation
Never tell your neighbors to wait until tomorrow if you can help them now.

International Standard Version
Do not say to your neighbor, "Go, and come back. I will pay you tomorrow," when you have cash with you.

Majority Standard Bible
Do not tell your neighbor, ?Come back tomorrow and I will provide??when you already have the means.

NET Bible
Do not say to your neighbor, "Go! Return tomorrow and I will give it," when you have it with you at the time.

New Heart English Bible
Do not say to your neighbor, "Go, and come again; tomorrow I will give it to you," when you have it by you.

Webster's Bible Translation
Say not to thy neighbor, Go, and come again, and to-morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.

World English Bible
Don’t say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again; tomorrow I will give it to you,” when you have it by you.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Do not say to your friend, "" “Go, and return, and tomorrow I give,” "" When substance [is] with you.

Young's Literal Translation
Say not thou to thy friend, 'Go, and return, and to-morrow I give,' And substance with thee.

Smith's Literal Translation
Thou shalt not say to thy neighbor, Go, and turn back, and to-morrow I will give; and there is with thee.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Say not to thy friend: Go, and come again: and to morrow I will give to thee: when thou canst give at present.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Do not say to your friend: “Go away, and then return. Tomorrow I will give to you.” When you are able to do so, give in the present.

New American Bible
Say not to your neighbor, “Go, come back tomorrow, and I will give it to you,” when all the while you have it.

New Revised Standard Version
Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
When you have something, do not say to your neighbor, Go, and come again tomorrow, and I will give it to you.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And when you have possessions, do not say to your neighbor, "Go, and come again tomorrow, and I shall give to you."
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Say not unto thy neighbour: 'Go, and come again, And to-morrow I will give'; when thou hast it by thee.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Say not, Come back another time, to-morrow I will give; while thou art able to do him good: for thou knowest not what the next day will bring forth.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Blessings of Wisdom
27Do not withhold good from the deserving when it is within your power to act. 28Do not tell your neighbor, “Come back tomorrow and I will provide”— when you already have the means. 29Do not devise evil against your neighbor, for he trustfully dwells beside you.…

Cross References
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 3:17-18
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? / Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.

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 6:30
Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what is yours, do not demand it back.

Galatians 6:10
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to the family of faith.

Romans 12:13
Share with the saints who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Hebrews 13:16
And do not neglect to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

2 Corinthians 9:7
Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not out of regret or compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver.

Acts 20:35
In everything, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus Himself: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

Ephesians 4:28
He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing good with his own hands, that he may have something to share with the one in need.

Deuteronomy 15:7-8
If there is a poor man among your brothers within any of the gates in the land that the LORD your God is giving you, then you are not to harden your heart or shut your hand from your poor brother. / Instead, you are to open your hand to him and freely loan him whatever he needs.

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

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.

Isaiah 58:7
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?

Job 31:16-20
If I have denied the desires of the poor or allowed the widow’s eyes to fail, / if I have eaten my morsel alone, not sharing it with the fatherless— / though from my youth I reared him as would a father, and from my mother’s womb I guided the widow— ...


Treasury of Scripture

Say not to your neighbor, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when you have it by you.

Proverbs 27:1
Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

Leviticus 19:13
Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.

Deuteronomy 24:12-15
And if the man be poor, thou shalt not sleep with his pledge: …

Jump to Previous
Friend I'll Later Morrow Neighbor Neighbour Substance Time Tomorrow To-Morrow
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Friend I'll Later Morrow Neighbor Neighbour Substance Time Tomorrow To-Morrow
Proverbs 3
1. various exhortations
13. The gain of wisdom
27. Exhortation to goodness
33. the different state of the wicked and upright














Do not tell your neighbor
The phrase "do not tell" is a direct command, emphasizing the importance of immediate action in the context of neighborly relations. In Hebrew, the word for "neighbor" (רֵעֶךָ, re'eka) implies more than just someone living nearby; it encompasses anyone with whom one has a relationship or interaction. This highlights the biblical principle of community and the responsibility to act with integrity and kindness towards others.

Come back tomorrow
This phrase suggests procrastination or delay in fulfilling a promise or obligation. In the ancient Near Eastern context, hospitality and timely assistance were highly valued. The cultural expectation was to provide help when it was needed, not to delay it. This reflects a broader biblical theme of urgency in doing good and not withholding kindness when it is within one's power to act.

I will provide
The act of providing is central to the biblical understanding of stewardship and generosity. The Hebrew root for "provide" (נָתַן, natan) means to give or bestow. This implies a sense of responsibility and willingness to share one's resources. The verse challenges believers to reflect God's generosity and provision in their own lives by being ready to give to those in need.

when you already have the means
This phrase underscores the moral obligation to act when one is capable. The Hebrew concept here is about possessing the resources or ability to help. It is a call to recognize and utilize one's blessings for the benefit of others. The verse serves as a reminder that God entrusts individuals with resources not just for personal use, but to serve and uplift the community, reflecting the biblical principle of loving one's neighbor as oneself.

Verse 28. - The precept of this and that of the preceding verse are very closely related. The former precept enjoined the general principle of benevolence when we have the means; this carries on the idea, and is directed against the postponement of giving when we are in a position to give. In effect it says, "Do not defer till tomorrow what you can do today." This "putting off" may arise from avarice, from indolence, or from insolence and contempt. These underlying faults, which are incompatible with neighbourly good wilt, are condenmed by implication. Unto thy neighbour; l'reayka, "to thy friends," the word being evidently used distributively. Reeh is "a companion" or "friend" (cf. Vulgate, amico tuo; Syriac, sodali tuo), and generally any other person, equivalent to the Greek ὁ πλησίον, "neighbour." The Authorized Version correctly renders "come again," as shav is not merely "to return," but to return again to something (so Delitzsch); cf. Vulgate, revertere; and as the words, "tomorrow I will give thee," show. The LXX. adds, "For thou knowest not what the morrow may bring forth," probably from Proverbs 17:1. If viewed in respect of the specific claims which servants have for work done, the precept is a re-echo of Leviticus 29:13 and Deuteronomy 24:15. In illustration of the general scope of the passage, Grotius quotes, "A slow-footed favour is a favour without favour." Seneca says in the same spirit, "Ingratum est beneficium quod diu inter manus dantis haesit," "The benefit is thankless which sticks long between the hands of the giver" (Seneca, 'Benef.,' 1:2); cf. also Bis dat qui cito dat.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Do not
אַל־ (’al-)
Adverb
Strong's 408: Not

tell
תֹּ֘אמַ֤ר (tō·mar)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

your neighbor,
לְרֵֽעֲךָ֨ ׀ (lə·rê·‘ă·ḵā)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 7453: Friend, companion, fellow

“Come
לֵ֣ךְ (lêḵ)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

back
וָ֭שׁוּב (wā·šūḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

tomorrow—
וּמָחָ֥ר (ū·mā·ḥār)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 4279: Deferred, the morrow, tomorrow, hereafter

I will provide
אֶתֵּ֗ן (’et·tên)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

when you have the means.”
וְיֵ֣שׁ (wə·yêš)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 3426: Being, substance, existence, is


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 3:28 Don't say to your neighbor Go (Prov. Pro Pr)
Proverbs 3:27
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