Leviticus 25:35
in Leviticus 25Now if your countryman becomes destitute and cannot support himself among you, then you are to help him as you would a foreigner or stranger, so that he can continue to live among you.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And if thy brother be waxed poor, and his hand fail with thee; then thou shalt uphold him: as a stranger and a sojourner shall he live with thee.
KJV
And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee.
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This verse in Leviticus 25
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Rather, And if thy brother (an Israelite) becomes poor and falls into decay with thee, thou shalt assist him and let him live with thee like a resident foreigner. He was not to be regarded as an outcast, but was to be treated with the same respect and consideration as a resident foreigner who, like him, could possess no land, but could accumulate property and live in comfort as a free man. See Lev 16:29 note.
This site's exposition
and fallen in decay with thee
on Leviticus 25:35-36
A brother sliding into poverty is to be relieved before he sells anything, and the standard set for his treatment is the way a resident stranger is treated. Interest on what is lent to him is forbidden outright, and the reason attached is the fear of God. Verse 36 states the purpose plainly, that thy brother may live with thee, which makes the loan an act of keeping a man alive in the community rather than a transaction.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
A redemption - A right of redemption in the time and manner following. If any of his kin come - Or, If the redeemer come, being near akin to him, who in this was an eminent type of Christ, who was made near akin to us by taking our flesh, that he might perform the work of redemption for us. The years of the sale - That is, from the time of the sale to the jubilee.
And if thy brother be waxen poor,....
All men are to be looked upon and treated as brethren, for we have all one Father, Mal. ii. Though he is poor, yet still he is thy brother, and is to be loved and owned as a brother.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
if thy brother be waxen poor, . . . relieve him--This was a most benevolent provision for the poor and unfortunate, designed to aid them or alleviate the evils of their condition. Whether a native Israelite or a mere sojourner, his richer neighbor was required to give him food, lodging, and a supply of money without usury. Usury was severely condemned (Ps 15:5;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens
The words behind it
12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְכִֽי־ | vekhi- | and if | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יָמ֣וּךְ | yamukh | he will become impoverished | H4134 → | 5 times |
| אָחִ֔יךָ | ʾachikha | brother your | H251 → | 630 times |
| וּמָ֥טָה | umatah | and it will slip | H4131 → | |
| יָד֖וֹ | yado | hand his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| עִמָּ֑ךְ | ʾimakh | with you | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| וְהֶֽחֱזַ֣קְתָּ | vehechezakta | and you will strengthen | H2388 → | |
| בּ֔וֹ | bo | <in> <the> him | ||
| גֵּ֧ר | ger | a sojourner | H1616 → | 92 times |
| וְתוֹשָׁ֛ב | vetoshav | and a resident alien | H8453 → | 14 times |
| וָחַ֖י | vachai | and he will live | H2421 → | 282 times |
| עִמָּֽךְ׃ | ʾimakh | with you | H5973 → | 1050 times |
וְכִֽי־and if
vekhi-H3588 →4482 times
יָמ֣וּךְhe will become impoverished
yamukhH4134 →5 times
אָחִ֔יךָbrother your
ʾachikhaH251 →630 times
וּמָ֥טָהand it will slip
umatahH4131 →
יָד֖וֹhand his
yadoH3027 →1618 times
עִמָּ֑ךְwith you
ʾimakhH5973 →1050 times
וְהֶֽחֱזַ֣קְתָּand you will strengthen
vehechezaktaH2388 →
בּ֔וֹ<in> <the> him
bo
גֵּ֧רa sojourner
gerH1616 →92 times
וְתוֹשָׁ֛בand a resident alien
vetoshavH8453 →14 times
וָחַ֖יand he will live
vachaiH2421 →282 times
עִמָּֽךְ׃with you
ʾimakhH5973 →1050 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
Luke 6:35But 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…
it leads to
- Matthew 5:44–45
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
- John 13:35
By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”
- Proverbs 19:17
Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and He will repay the lender.
- Romans 5:8–10
But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
- Psalms 145:9
The LORD is good to all; His compassion rests on all He has made.
- Matthew 5:44–45
Through
Acts 11:29So the disciples, each according to his ability, decided to send relief to the brothers living in Judea.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 8:12–14
For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.
- 2 Corinthians 8:2–4
In the terrible ordeal they suffered, their abundant joy and deep poverty overflowed into rich generosity.
- 2 Corinthians 8:12–14
Through
Leviticus 25:25If your brother becomes impoverished and sells some of his property, his nearest of kin may come and redeem what his brother has sold.
it leads to
- Ruth 2:20
Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by the LORD, who has not withdrawn His kindness from the living or the dead.” Naomi continued, “The man is a close relative. He…
- Ruth 2:20
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies5
On this verse
About Leviticus
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentary on the Four Last Books of Moses Arranged in the Form of a Harmony; 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.