Deuteronomy 15:7
in Deuteronomy 15If 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
If there be with thee a poor man, one of thy brethren, within any of thy gates in thy land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thy heart, nor shut thy hand from thy poor brother;
KJV
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:
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This verse in Deuteronomy 15
Commentary
3 notes on this verseIf the hand be shut, it is a sign the heart is hardened; for, if the clouds were full of rain, they would empty themselves, Eccl. xi. Bowels of compassion would produce liberal distributions, Jam. ii.
This site's exposition
If there be among you a poor man
on Deuteronomy 15:7-8
The command reaches the heart and the hand in one clause, and Matthew Henry takes the shut hand as the visible sign of the hardened heart. Open thine hand wide is then measured by the man's case, sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth, which Adam Clarke reads as the only rule a giver is given. First John 3:17 puts the same two things together, a brother's need seen and the heart shut against it.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren,....
The words behind it
24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | if | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יִהְיֶה֩ | yihyeh | he will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| בְךָ֨ | vekha | among <the> you | ||
| אֶבְי֜וֹן | ʾevyon | a needy [person] | H34 → | 61 times |
| מֵאַחַ֤ד | meachad | any one of | H259 → | 971 times |
| אַחֶ֙יךָ֙ | ʾacheikha | countrymen your | H251 → | 630 times |
| בְּאַחַ֣ד | beachad | in one of | H259 → | 971 times |
| שְׁעָרֶ֔יךָ | sheareikha | gates your | H8179 → | 374 times |
| בְּאַ֨רְצְךָ֔ | beartzekha | in land your | H776 → | 2504 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יְהוָ֥ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ | ʾeloheikha | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| נֹתֵ֣ן | noten | [is] about to give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לָ֑ךְ | lakh | to <the> you | ||
| לֹ֧א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תְאַמֵּ֣ץ | teametz | you will harden | H553 → | 41 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לְבָבְךָ֗ | levavekha | heart your | H3824 → | 252 times |
| וְלֹ֤א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תִקְפֹּץ֙ | tikpotz | you will shut | H7092 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יָ֣דְךָ֔ | yadekha | hand your | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| מֵאָחִ֖יךָ | meachikha | from countryman your | H251 → | 630 times |
| הָאֶבְיֽוֹן׃ | haevyon | <the> needy | H34 → | 61 times |
כִּֽי־if
ki-H3588 →4482 times
יִהְיֶה֩he will be
yihyehH1961 →3559 times
בְךָ֨among <the> you
vekha
אֶבְי֜וֹןa needy [person]
ʾevyonH34 →61 times
מֵאַחַ֤דany one of
meachadH259 →971 times
אַחֶ֙יךָ֙countrymen your
ʾacheikhaH251 →630 times
בְּאַחַ֣דin one of
beachadH259 →971 times
שְׁעָרֶ֔יךָgates your
sheareikhaH8179 →374 times
בְּאַ֨רְצְךָ֔in land your
beartzekhaH776 →2504 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
יְהוָ֥הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָGod your
ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times
נֹתֵ֣ן[is] about to give
notenH5414 →2011 times
לָ֑ךְto <the> you
lakh
לֹ֧אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
תְאַמֵּ֣ץyou will harden
teametzH553 →41 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
לְבָבְךָ֗heart your
levavekhaH3824 →252 times
וְלֹ֤אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
תִקְפֹּץ֙you will shut
tikpotzH7092 →
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יָ֣דְךָ֔hand your
yadekhaH3027 →1618 times
מֵאָחִ֖יךָfrom countryman your
meachikhaH251 →630 times
הָאֶבְיֽוֹן׃<the> needy
haevyonH34 →61 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 21:13Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too shall cry out and receive no answer.
it leads to
- Proverbs 28:27
Whoever gives to the poor will not be in need, but he who hides his eyes will receive many curses.
- Proverbs 1:28
Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will earnestly seek me, but will not find me.
- Matthew 6:14
For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
- James 2:13–16
For judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
- Matthew 7:2
For with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
- Proverbs 28:27
Through
Deuteronomy 15:9Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought in your heart: “The seventh year, the year of release, is near,” so that you look upon your poor brother begrudgingly and give him nothing. He…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 24:15
You are to pay his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and depends on them. Otherwise he may cry out to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of…
- Matthew 20:15
Do I not have the right to do as I please with what is mine? Or are you envious because I am generous?’
- James 5:9
Do not complain about one another, brothers, so that you will not be judged. Look, the Judge is standing at the door!
- Deuteronomy 24:15
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.