Deuteronomy 15:4

Deuteronomy 15:4 in other versions

• New International Version (NIV)However, there need be no poor people among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you,
• English Standard Version (ESV)But there will be no poor among you; for the Lord will bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess—
• New King James Version (NKJV)except when there may be no poor among you; for the Lord will greatly bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance—
• New Living Translation (NLT)“There should be no poor among you, for the Lord your God will greatly bless you in the land he is giving you as a special possession.

Context of Deuteronomy 15:4

2And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbour shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the Lord’s release. 3Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release; 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: 5Only 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. 6For 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.

Deuteronomy 15:4 word by word

אֶ֕פֶס כִּ֛י לֹ֥א יִֽהְיֶה־בְּךָ֖ אֶבְי֑וֹן כִּֽי־בָרֵ֤ךְ יְבָֽרֶכְךָ֙ יְהוָ֔ה בָּאָ֕רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ נֹֽתֵן־לְךָ֥ נַחֲלָ֖ה לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ׃Read the interlinear

• Saveאֶ֫פֶס'ephes · endH657
• when there shall be no poorאֶבְיוֹן'ebyôn · needyH34
• among you; for the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• shall greatlyבָּרַךְbârak · to blessH1288
• thee in the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• thy Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• givethנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• an inheritanceנַחֲלָהnachălâh · inheritanceH5159
• to possessיָרַשׁyârash yârêsh · to possess: possessH3423

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 15:4

• Deuteronomy 14:29And the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest.
• Deuteronomy 28:1And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
• Proverbs 11:24There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.
• Proverbs 14:21He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.
• Proverbs 28:27He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.
• Isaiah 58:10And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday:

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 15:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4There shall be no poor - That is, comparatively; see Deuteronomy 15:11.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-11Verses 1-11 The year of release is no doubt identical with the sabbatical year of the earlier legislation (Exodus 23:10 ff, and Leviticus 25:2 ff), the command of the older legislation being here amplified. The release was probably for the year, not total and final, and had reference only to loans lent because of poverty (compare Deuteronomy 15:4, Deuteronomy 15:7). Yet even so the law was found to be too stringent for the avarice of the people, because…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4If Israel had obeyed the covenant fully, there would have been no poor people in the nation. However, this ideal situation never became reality in ancient Israel. Poverty remained a serious problem among the people.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. 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. But the words may properly be rendered (as on the Margin) to the end, in order that there may be no poor among you--that is, that…Read the comment

Topics related to Deuteronomy 15:4

• Blessing
• Lending
• Poor
• Sabbatic Year

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Agriculture
• Bless
• Cease
• Debt
• Debtor
• Firstling
• Release
• Sabbatical year

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings