Deuteronomy 15:8
in Deuteronomy 15Instead, you are to open your hand to him and freely loan him whatever he needs.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
but thou shalt surely open thy hand unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need in that which he wanteth.
KJV
But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 15
Commentary
5 notes on this verseBut thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him,.... And give him bountifully and liberally; in order to which the heart must be first opened, the affections moved, and a willing mind disposed to give generously: and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need in that which he wanteth: enough to answer his present exigencies, but not to cause him to abound, or to supply him with things needless and superfluous.
This site's exposition
If there is a poor man among your brothers
on Deuteronomy 15:7-8
The command reaches the heart and the hand in one clause. Matthew Henry takes the shut hand as the visible sign of the hardened heart.
This site's exposition
open your hand to him
John Gill says the heart must open before the hand, and he measures the loan by the need, enough to meet it and no more. Jesus gives the same command at Matthew 5:42. At Luke 6:35 he adds lending with nothing expected in return.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Sometimes there is as much charity in prudent lending as in giving, as it obliges the borrower to industry and honesty and may put him into a way of helping himself. We are sometimes tempted to think, when an object of charity presents itself, we may choose whether we will give any thing or nothing, little or much; whereas it is here an express precept (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Thou shalt open thine hand wide - Thy benevolence shall be in proportion to his distress and poverty, and thy ability. Thou shalt have no other rule to regulate thy charity by.
The words behind it
13 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- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| פָתֹ֧חַ | fatoach | certainly <to open> | H6605 → | 144 times |
| תִּפְתַּ֛ח | tiftach | you will open | H6605 → | 144 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יָדְךָ֖ | yadekha | hand your | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| ל֑וֹ | lo | to <the> him | ||
| וְהַעֲבֵט֙ | vehaavet | and certainly <to lend> | H5670 → | 6 times |
| תַּעֲבִיטֶ֔נּוּ | taavitenu | you will lend to him | H5670 → | 6 times |
| דֵּ֚י | dei | sufficiency of | H1767 → | |
| מַחְסֹר֔וֹ | machsoro | lack his | H4270 → | |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יֶחְסַ֖ר | yechsar | it will be lacking | H2637 → | 23 times |
| לֽוֹ׃ | lo | to <the> him |
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
פָתֹ֧חַcertainly <to open>
fatoachH6605 →144 times
תִּפְתַּ֛חyou will open
tiftachH6605 →144 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יָדְךָ֖hand your
yadekhaH3027 →1618 times
ל֑וֹto <the> him
lo
וְהַעֲבֵט֙and certainly <to lend>
vehaavetH5670 →6 times
תַּעֲבִיטֶ֔נּוּyou will lend to him
taavitenuH5670 →6 times
דֵּ֚יsufficiency of
deiH1767 →
מַחְסֹר֔וֹlack his
machsoroH4270 →
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יֶחְסַ֖רit will be lacking
yechsarH2637 →23 times
לֽוֹ׃to <the> him
lo
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
Matthew 5:42Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
it leads to
- Proverbs 19:17
Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and He will repay the lender.
- Hebrews 13:16
And do not neglect to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
- Luke 6:30–36
Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what is yours, do not demand it back.
- Psalms 112:5–9
It is well with the man who is generous and lends freely, whose affairs are guided by justice.
- 1 Timothy 6:17–19
Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us…
- Proverbs 19:17
Through
Luke 6:34And 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.
it leads to
- 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 14:12–14
Then Jesus said to the man who had invited Him, “When you host a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or brothers or relatives or rich neighbors. Otherwise, they may invite…
- Luke 6:35
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…
- Matthew 5:42
Where this verse is studied
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.