Deuteronomy 15:4
in Deuteronomy 15There will be no poor among you, however, because the LORD will surely bless you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Howbeit there shall be no poor with thee (for Jehovah will surely bless thee in the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it),
KJV
Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the Lord shall greatly bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it:
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This verse in Deuteronomy 15
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Save when there shall be no poor man among you--Apparently a qualifying clause added to limit the application of the foregoing statement [De 15:3]; so that "the brother" to be released pointed to a poor borrower, whereas it is implied that if he were rich, the restoration of the loan might be demanded even during that year.
This site's exposition
Save when there shall be no poor
on Deuteronomy 15:4-6
Verse 4 says there shall be no poor among you and verse 5 attaches the condition, only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God. The margin of the King James Bible turns verse 4 from an exception into a purpose, to the end that there be no poor among you, while Jamieson, Fausset and Brown read the clause as a qualification limiting verse 3, so that a wealthy borrower could still be pressed. Verse 6 raises the promise to national scale, lending to many nations and borrowing of none.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening5 voices
Save when there shall be no poor - The words may be rendered thus, as in the margin of our Bibles, To the end that there be no poor among you. And so they contain a reason of this law, namely, that none be impoverished and ruined by a rigid exaction of debts.
21 And if there be any blemish therein, as if it be lame, or blind, or have any ill blemish, thou shalt not sacrifice it unto the L ORD thy God. 22 Thou shalt eat it within thy gates: the unclean and the clean person shall eat it alike, as the roebuck, and as the hart. 23 Only thou shalt not eat the blood thereof; thou shalt pour it upon the ground as water.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:97%@v21-23
), To the end there shall be no poor among you, none miserably and scandalously poor, to the reproach of their nation and religion, the reputation of which they ought to preserve. God's security is here given by a divine promise that, whatever they lost by their poor debtors, it should be made up to them in the blessing of God upon all they had and did,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Save when there shall be no poor among you,....
The law is not that the creditor shall not receive the debt if the debtor, or his friends for him, can pay it; but he shall not exact it by a legal process. The reasons of this law are, 1. To put an honour upon the sabbatical year: Because it is called the Lord's release,
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
There shall be no poor - That is, comparatively; see Deu 15:11.
The words behind it
18 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אֶ֕פֶס | ʾefes | nevertheless | H657 → | 44 times |
| כִּ֛י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִֽהְיֶה־ | yihyeh- | he will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| בְּךָ֖ | bekha | among <the> you | ||
| אֶבְי֑וֹן | ʾevyon | a needy [person] | H34 → | 61 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| בָרֵ֤ךְ | varekh | surely <bless> | H1288 → | 330 times |
| יְבָֽרֶכְךָ֙ | yevarekha | he will bless you | H1288 → | 330 times |
| יְהוָ֔ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| בָּאָ֕רֶץ | baaretz | in the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| אֲשֶׁר֙ | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ | ʾeloheikha | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| נֹֽתֵן־ | noten- | [is] about to give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לְךָ֥ | lekha | to <the> you | ||
| נַחֲלָ֖ה | nachalah | an inheritance | H5159 → | 222 times |
| לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ׃ | lerishtah | to take possession of it | H3423 → | 231 times |
אֶ֕פֶסnevertheless
ʾefesH657 →44 times
כִּ֛יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יִֽהְיֶה־he will be
yihyeh-H1961 →3559 times
בְּךָ֖among <the> you
bekha
אֶבְי֑וֹןa needy [person]
ʾevyonH34 →61 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
בָרֵ֤ךְsurely <bless>
varekhH1288 →330 times
יְבָֽרֶכְךָ֙he will bless you
yevarekhaH1288 →330 times
יְהוָ֔הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
בָּאָ֕רֶץin the land
baaretzH776 →2504 times
אֲשֶׁר֙which
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יְהוָ֣הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָGod your
ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times
נֹֽתֵן־[is] about to give
noten-H5414 →2011 times
לְךָ֥to <the> you
lekha
נַחֲלָ֖הan inheritance
nachalahH5159 →222 times
לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ׃to take possession of it
lerishtahH3423 →231 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 28:27Whoever gives to the poor will not be in need, but he who hides his eyes will receive many curses.
it leads to
- Proverbs 19:17
Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and He will repay the lender.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 41:1–3
Blessed is the one who cares for the poor; the LORD will deliver him in the day of trouble.
- Deuteronomy 15:7
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…
- Proverbs 11:24
One gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds what is right, only to become poor.
- 2 Corinthians 9:6–11
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
- Proverbs 19:17
Through
Deuteronomy 14:29Then the Levite (because he has no portion or inheritance among you), the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow within your gates may come and eat and be satisfied. And the LORD your God…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 15:10
Give generously to him, and do not let your heart be grieved when you do so. And because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything…
- Deuteronomy 14:27
And do not neglect the Levite within your gates, since he has no portion or inheritance among you.
- Malachi 3:10–11
Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this,” says the LORD of Hosts. “See if I will not open the windows of…
- Deuteronomy 15:10
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.