Beware that there not be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, “The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,” and your eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing; and he cry to Yahweh against you, and it be sin to you. You shall surely give, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because it is for this thing Yahweh your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you put your hand to. For the poor will never cease out of the land. Therefore I command you to surely open your hand to your brother, to your needy, and to your poor, in your land.
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Deuteronomy 15:9-11 sits inside this longer paragraph.
At the end of every seven years, you shall cancel debts. This is the way it shall be done: every creditor shall release that which he has lent to his neighbor. He shall not require payment from his neighbor and his brother, because Yahweh’s release has been proclaimed. Of a foreigner you may require it; but whatever of yours is with your brother, your hand shall release. However there will be no poor with you (for Yahweh will surely bless you in the land which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance to possess) if only you diligently listen to Yahweh your God’s voice, to observe to do all this commandment which I command you today. For Yahweh your God will bless you, as he promised you. You will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow. You will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you. If a poor man, one of your brothers, is with you within any of your gates in your land which Yahweh your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your poor brother; but you shall surely open your hand to him, and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need, which he lacks. Beware that there not be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, “The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,” and your eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing; and he cry to Yahweh against you, and it be sin to you. You shall surely give, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because it is for this thing Yahweh your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you put your hand to. For the poor will never cease out of the land. Therefore I command you to surely open your hand to your brother, to your needy, and to your poor, in your land. If your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you. When you let him go free from you, you shall not let him go empty. You shall furnish him liberally out of your flock, out of your threshing floor, and out of your wine press. As Yahweh your God has blessed you, you shall give to him. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and Yahweh your God redeemed you. Therefore I command you this thing today. It shall be, if he tells you, “I will not go out from you,” because he loves you and your house, because he is well with you, then you shall take an awl, and thrust it through his ear to the door, and he shall be your servant forever. Also to your female servant you shall do likewise. It shall not seem hard to you when you let him go free from you; for he has been double the value of a hired hand as he served you six years. Yahweh your God will bless you in all that you do. You shall dedicate all the firstborn males that are born of your herd and of your flock to Yahweh your God. You shall do no work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock. You shall eat it before Yahweh your God year by year in the place which Yahweh shall choose, you and your household. If it has any defect—is lame or blind, or has any defect whatever, you shall not sacrifice it to Yahweh your God. You shall eat it within your gates. The unclean and the clean shall eat it alike, as the gazelle and as the deer. Only you shall not eat its blood. You shall pour it out on the ground like water.
Parallel Translations
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Beware that there not be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, “The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,” and your eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing; and he cry to Yahweh against you, and it be sin to you.
You shall surely give, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because it is for this thing Yahweh your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you put your hand to.
For the poor will never cease out of the land. Therefore I command you to surely open your hand to your brother, to your needy, and to your poor, in your land.
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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 against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee.
Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto.
For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.
Show all 3 translations
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Beware that there be not a base thought in thy heart, saying: 'The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand'; and thine eye be evil against thy needy brother, and thou give him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin in thee.
Thou shalt surely give him, and thy heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him; because that for this thing the LORD thy God will bless thee in all thy work, and in all that thou puttest thy hand unto.
For the poor shall never cease out of the land; therefore I command thee, saying: 'Thou shalt surely open thy hand unto thy poor and needy brother, in thy land.'
Examined in Scripture Analysis
Commandments (1)
The laws of the Torah, each cited and shown as a primary source.
Cross-references (50)
- Matthew 26:11 (v11) For you always have the poor with you; but you don’t always have me.
- Mark 14:7 (v11) For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want to, you can do them good; but you will not always have me.
- Proverbs 22:9 (v10) He who has a generous eye will be blessed; for he shares his food with the poor.
- John 12:8 (v11) For you always have the poor with you, but you don’t always have me.”
- Deuteronomy 15:8 (v11) but you shall surely open your hand to him, and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need, which he lacks.
Show all 50 cross-references
- Deuteronomy 24:15 (v9) In his day you shall give him his wages, neither shall the sun go down on it; for he is poor and sets his heart on it; lest he cry against…
- Proverbs 22:2 (v11) The rich and the poor have this in common: Yahweh is the maker of them all.
- Hebrews 13:16 (v10) But don’t forget to be doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
- 1 John 3:16-18 (v11) By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But whoever has the…
- Deuteronomy 14:29 (v10) The Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, as well as the foreigner living among you, the fatherless, and the widow…
- Psalms 41:1-2 (v10) Blessed is he who considers the poor. Yahweh will deliver him in the day of evil. Yahweh will preserve him, and keep him alive. He shall be…
- Isaiah 58:10 (v10) and if you pour out your soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light will rise in darkness, and your obscurity will…
- Acts 4:32-35 (v11) The multitude of those who believed were of one heart and soul. Not one of them claimed that anything of the things which he possessed was…
- 1 Timothy 6:18-19 (v10) that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be ready to distribute, willing to share; laying up in store for themselves a…
- Deuteronomy 24:19 (v10) When you reap your harvest in your field, and have forgotten a sheaf in the field, you shall not go again to get it. It shall be for the…
- Matthew 20:15 (v9) Isn’t it lawful for me to do what I want to with what I own? Or is your eye evil, because I am good?’
- Luke 12:33 (v11) Sell that which you have, and give gifts to the needy. Make for yourselves purses which don’t grow old, a treasure in the heavens that…
- Exodus 22:23 (v9) If you take advantage of them at all, and they cry at all to me, I will surely hear their cry;
- Proverbs 11:24-25 (v10) There is one who scatters, and increases yet more. There is one who withholds more than is appropriate, but gains poverty. The liberal soul…
- Isaiah 32:8 (v10) But the noble devises noble things; and he will continue in noble things.
- Jeremiah 17:10 (v9) “I, Yahweh, search the mind. I try the heart, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.”
- Matthew 5:42 (v11) Give to him who asks you, and don’t turn away him who desires to borrow from you.
- Mark 7:21-22 (v9) For from within, out of the hearts of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, sexual sins, murders, thefts, covetings, wickedness, deceit,…
- Acts 2:45 (v11) They sold their possessions and goods, and distributed them to all, according as anyone had need.
- 2 Corinthians 8:2-9 (v11) how in much proof of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded to the riches of their generosity. For…
- Philippians 4:18-19 (v10) But I have all things and abound. I am filled, having received from Epaphroditus the things that came from you, a sweet-smelling fragrance,…
- James 5:9 (v9) Don’t grumble, brothers, against one another, so that you won’t be judged. Behold, the judge stands at the door.
- Exodus 3:7 (v9) Yahweh said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I…
- Deuteronomy 15:4 (v10) However there will be no poor with you (for Yahweh will surely bless you in the land which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance to…
- Job 34:28 (v9) so that they caused the cry of the poor to come to him. He heard the cry of the afflicted.
- Proverbs 23:6 (v9) Don’t eat the food of him who has a stingy eye, and don’t crave his delicacies:
- Proverbs 28:22 (v9) A stingy man hurries after riches, and doesn’t know that poverty waits for him.
- Matthew 15:19 (v9) For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimony, and blasphemies.
- Acts 11:28-30 (v11) One of them named Agabus stood up, and indicated by the Spirit that there should be a great famine all over the world, which also happened…
- Acts 20:35 (v10) In all things I gave you an example, that so laboring you ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he…
- James 5:4 (v9) Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you have kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of those who reaped have…
- Deuteronomy 15:1 (v9) At the end of every seven years, you shall cancel debts.
- Deuteronomy 28:54-56 (v9) The man who is tender among you, and very delicate, his eye will be evil toward his brother, toward the wife whom he loves, and toward the…
- Psalms 9:12 (v9) For he who avenges blood remembers them. He doesn’t forget the cry of the afflicted.
- Proverbs 4:23 (v9) Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.
- Proverbs 21:13 (v9) Whoever stops his ears at the cry of the poor, he will also cry out, but shall not be heard.
- Proverbs 24:9 (v9) The schemes of folly are sin. The mocker is detested by men.
- Matthew 25:41-45 (v9) Then he will say also to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his…
- Romans 7:8-9 (v9) But sin, finding occasion through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of coveting. For apart from the law, sin is dead. I was alive…
- James 4:5 (v9) Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously”?
- James 4:17 (v9) To him therefore who knows to do good, and doesn’t do it, to him it is sin.
- 1 Peter 4:9 (v9) Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.
- 1 Peter 4:11 (v10) If anyone speaks, let it be as it were the very words of God. If anyone serves, let it be as of the strength which God supplies, that in…
- 1 John 3:15-17 (v9) Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him. By this we know love, because he…
- 2 Corinthians 9:5-11 (v10) I thought it necessary therefore to entreat the brothers that they would go before to you and arrange ahead of time the generous gift that…
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (15 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
Private notes
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv9–11 Hebrew, thine eye is evil.
Hebrew, thine eye is evil.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv9–11 Deu 15:9 Beware that there be not a thought…
Deu 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 against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee.
Ver. 9. And he cried unto the Lord.] Who is the poor man’s king, as James V of Scotland was termed for his charity.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv9–11 Beware that there be not a thought in thy…
Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart; suppress the first risings and inward motions of such uncharitableness.
Thine eye be evil, i.e. envious, unmerciful, unkind, as this phrase is used, Pro 23:6; Mat 20:15; as a good eye notes the contrary disposition, Pro 22:9.
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It be sin, i.e. it be charged upon thee as a sin, and as a great sin, as the word sin sometimes signifies, as Pro 24:9; Joh 15:24; Jam 4:17.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv9–11 Beware that there be not a thought in thy…
Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart,.... "Or, thy heart of Belial" (f); thy worthless heart, and which is without a yoke not subjected to the law of God, as every carnal heart is; and in which Belial, Satan, the prince of this world, works effectually, and inclines to evil thoughts, afflictions, and desires, which are to be guarded against:
saying, the seventh year, the year of release, is at hand: perhaps next year, or within a few months:
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and thine eye be evil against thy brother, and thou give him nought; being of an uncompassionate and covetous disposition, shall refuse to give or lend him anything on this consideration, because the year of release will quickly come, when, if poor and unable to pay him, he would be obliged to release his debt:
and he cry unto the Lord against thee; go to the throne of grace, and in prayer bring a charge, and lodge a complaint of unkindness and uncharitableness: and it be a sin unto thee; the Lord shall reckon it as a sin, a very heinous one, and call to an account for it.
(f) "corde tuo Belial", Montanus.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv9–11 Beware - Suppress the first risings of such uncharitableness.…
Beware - Suppress the first risings of such uncharitableness. It be sin - That is, it be charged upon thee as a sin.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv9, 11 Verse 9. Beware that there be not a thought…
Verse 9. Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart] לבבך בליעל lebabecha beliyaal, thy belial heart, that is, thy good-for-nothing or unprofitable heart; See Clarke on De 13:13.
And thine eye be evil] An evil eye signifies a covetous disposition. See the same form of expression used by our Lord in the same sense. Mt 6:23. If thine eye be evil - If thou be a covetous person. Evil eye is by our Lord opposed to single eye, i. e., a person of a liberal, benevolent mind. Covetousness darkens the soul; liberality and benevolence enlighten it.
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And he cry unto the Lord against thee] What a consolation to the poor and the oppressed, that they have a sure friend in God, who will hear their cry and redress their grievances!
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv9, 11 Deu 15:9-10. Beware — Suppress the first risings of…
Deu 15:9-10. Beware — Suppress the first risings of such uncharitableness.
And thine eye be evil — Envious, unmerciful, unkind, as this phrase means, Pro 23:6; that is, thou grudge to relieve him. The opposite to this is a bountiful eye, Pro 22:9. And it be sin unto thee — Charged upon thee as a sin. Thy heart shall not be grieved — That is, thou shalt give, not only with an open hand, but with a willing and cheerful mind, without which thy very charity is uncharitable, and not accepted by God.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv9–11 Eyes. Hebrew, "and thy eye be evil against," &c.…
Eyes. Hebrew, "and thy eye be evil against," &c. This expression denotes one who is a prey to the base passions of avarice, jealousy, envy, &c., chap. xxviii. 54., and Matthew xx. 15. (Calmet) --- A sin, or draw on punishment. (Menochius) --- "If thou hast not fed, thou hast killed" thy neighbour in extreme want. (St. Ambrose, Off. ii. 7.) (Worthington)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On v11 For the poor shall never cease out of the…
For the poor shall never cease out of the land--Although every Israelite on the conquest of Canaan became the owner of property, yet in the providence of God who foresaw the event, it was permitted, partly as a punishment of disobedience and partly for the exercise of benevolent and charitable feelings, that "the poor should never cease out of the land."
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv9, 11 9. Beware that there be not a thought in…
9. Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart — The original is very forcible. Lest there be a wicked thing in thy heart.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv9–11 9. Beware] be on guard with respect to thyself;…
9. Beware] be on guard with respect to thyself; see on Deu_4:9.
a base thought in thine heart] Lit. a word or thing in thine heart, baseness, or worthlessness: beliya‘al; see on Deu_13:13 (14).
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thine eye be evil] cruel or grudging, Deu_28:54; Deu_28:56; the opposite of tender or compassionate.
and it be sin unto thee] ‘that which we think our Prudence oft proves sin to us’ (M. Henry).
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv10–11 (10) Thou shalt surely give.—“Even a hundred times.”
(10) Thou shalt surely give.—“Even a hundred times.”
Him.—“Between thee and him alone.” (Comp. “Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth” in Mat_6:3). I have thought it worth while to borrow the comments of Rashi on these verses (Deu_15:7-10) almost entire, to show how well the Jews have understood the true principles of Christian charity from the law of Moses. That people has always been remarkable for kindness to its own poor.
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For this thing.—Literally, this word, or this promise. And Rashi observes, “Even when thou hast promised to give, thou wilt receive the reward of the promise as well as the reward of the deed;” and we may compare St. Paul. “If there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.” (2Co_8:12.)
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv9–11 A thought in thy wicked heart; literally, a thing…
A thought in thy wicked heart; literally, a thing in thy heart worthlessness, i.e. a thing which is worthless and unworthy. The word used is belial (lYliB), which does not denote that which is wicked so much as that which is worthless. Thus, "a man of Belial" is a worthless fellow not necessarily a wicked man. (of Deu_13:13) And it be sin unto thee; i.e. entail guilt upon thee, and so expose thee to the Divine displeasure.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv9, 11 not to have a wicked thought in your heart,…
not to have a wicked thought in your heart, saying
Here "heart" represents a person's mind. AT: "not to think a wicked thought" (See: Metonymy)
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The seventh year, the year of release, is near
It is implied that because the year of release will happen soon, the person thinking this will be reluctant to help a poor person since it is likely that the poor person will not have to pay him back. The full meaning of this statement can be made clear. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
The seventh year
The word "seventh" is the ordinal number for seven. (See: Ordinal Numbers)
the year of release
"the year to cancel debts"
is near
Something that will happen soon is spoken of as if it were physically near. AT: "will happen soon" (See: Metaphor)
so that you will not be stingy in regard to your poor brother and give him nothing
"so that you are not stubborn and refuse to give anything to your fellow Israelite"
cry out to Yahweh
"shout to Yahweh for help"
it would be sin for you
"Yahweh will consider what you have done to be sinful"
your heart must not be sorry
Here "heart" represents the whole person. AT: "you should not regret it" or "you should be happy" (See: Synecdoche and Litotes)
in all that you put your hand to
Here "put your hand to" represents the whole person and work that he has done. AT: "in all that you do" (See: Synecdoche)
translationWords
evil
heart
cry
sin
bless
works
hand
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v11 15:11 The reality that there will always be some…
15:11 The reality that there will always be some . . . who are poor in a fallen world is no excuse for indifference to their plight. Instead, it should emphasize the need for the rich to contribute to the well-being of the poor (Matt 26:6-13).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.