Deuteronomy 15:9

's release. 3 Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release; 4 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: 5 Only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day. 6 For the LORD thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee. 7 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: 8 But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth. 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. 10 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. 11 For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefor

15:1-11 This year of release typified the grace of the gospel, in which is proclaimed the acceptable year of the Lord; and by which we obtain the release of our debts, that is, the pardon of our sins. The law is spiritual, and lays restraints upon the thoughts of the heart. We mistake, if we think thoughts are free from God's knowledge and check. That is a wicked heart indeed, which raises evil thoughts from the good law of God, as theirs did, who, because God had obliged them to the charity of forgiving, denied the charity of giving. Those who would keep from the act of sin, must keep out of their minds the very thought of sin. It is a dreadful thing to have the cry of the poor justly against us. Grudge not a kindness to thy brother; distrust not the providence of God. What thou doest, do freely, for God loves a cheerful giver, 2Co 9:7.

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: 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.

Deuteronomy 15:9-10 . Beware — Suppress the first risings of such uncharitableness. And thine eye be evil — Envious, unmerciful, unkind, as this phrase means, Proverbs 23:6 ; that is, thou grudge to relieve him. The opposite to this is a bountiful eye, Proverbs 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.

Verse 9. - 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 ( בְּלִיַּעַל ), 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 (cf. Deuteronomy 13:13 ). And it be sin unto thee ; i . e . entail guilt upon thee, and so expose thee to the Divine displeasure. Deuteronomy 15:9

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, Proverbs 23:6 Matthew 20:15 ; as a good eye notes the contrary disposition, Proverbs 22:9 . 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 Proverbs 24:9 John 15:24 Jam 4:17 .

7-11. If there be among you a poor man … thou shalt not harden thine heart—Lest the foregoing law should prevent the Israelites lending to the poor, Moses here admonishes them against so mean and selfish a spirit and exhorts them to give in a liberal spirit of charity and kindness, which will secure the divine blessing (Ro 12:8; 2Co 9:7).

9 . Beware ] be on guard with respect to thyself ; see on Deuteronomy 4:9 . a base thought in thine heart ] Lit. a word or thing in thine heart, baseness, or worthlessness: beliya‘al ; see on Deuteronomy 13:13 (14). thine eye be evil ] cruel or grudging , Deuteronomy 28:54 ; Deuteronomy 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).

Thus they were also to beware "that there was not a word in the heart, worthlessness," i.e., that a worthless thought did not arise in their hearts (בּליּעל is the predicate of the sentence, as the more precise definition of the word that was in the heart); so that one should say, "The seventh year is at hand, the year of release," sc., when I shall not be able to demand what I have lent, and "that thine eye be evil towards thy poor brother," i.e., that thou cherishest ill-will towards him (cf. Deuteronomy 28:54 , Deuteronomy 28:56 ), "and givest him not, and he appeals to Jehovah against thee, and it becomes sin to thee," sc., which brings down upon thee the wrath of God.

[Bible] 15:3. Of the foreigner or stranger thou mayst exact it: of thy countryman and neighbour thou shalt not have power to demand it again. 15:4. And there shall be no poor nor beggar among you: that the Lord thy God may bless thee in the land which he will give thee in possession. There shall be no poor, etc... It is not to be understood as a promise, that there should be no poor in Israel, as appears from ver. 11, where we learn that God's people would never be at a loss to find objects for their charity: but it is an ordinance that all should do their best endeavours to prevent any of their brethren from suffering the hardships of poverty and want. 15:5. Yet so if thou hear the voice of the Lord thy God, and keep all things that he hath ordained, and which I command thee this day, he will bless thee, as he hath promised. 15:6. Thou shalt lend to many nations, and thou shalt borrow of no man. Thou shalt have dominion over very many nations, and no one shall have dominion over thee. 15:7. If one of thy brethren that dwelleth within thy gates of thy city in the land which the Lord thy God will give thee, come to poverty: thou shalt not harden thy heart, nor close thy hand, 15:8. But shalt open it to the poor man, thou shalt lend him, that which thou perceivest he hath need of. 15:9. Beware lest perhaps a wicked thought steal in upon thee, and thou say in thy heart: The seventh year of remission draweth nigh; and thou turn away thy eyes from thy poor brother, denying to lend him that which he asketh: lest he cry against thee to the Lord, and it become a sin unto thee. 15:10. But thou shalt give to him: neither shalt thou do any thing craftily in relieving his necessities: that the Lord thy God may bless thee at all times, and in all things to which thou shalt put thy hand. 15:11. There will not be wanting poor in the land of thy habitation: therefore I command thee to open thy hand to thy needy and poor brother, that liveth in the land.