New English Translation
Deuteronomy 15:9
9Be careful lest you entertain the wicked thought that the seventh year, the year of cancellation of debts, has almost arrived, and your attitude be wrong toward your impoverished fellow Israelite and you do not lend him anything; he will cry out to the Lord against you and you will be regarded as having sinned.
Deuteronomy 15:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: “The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near,” so that you do not show ill will toward the needy among your fellow Israelites and give them nothing. They may then appeal to the Lord against you, and you will be found guilty of sin.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, 'The seventh year, the year of release is near,' and your eye look grudgingly on your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the Lord against you, and you be guilty of sin.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Beware lest there be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,’ and your eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing, and he cry out to the Lord against you, and it become sin among you.
Context of Deuteronomy 15:9
7If a fellow Israelite from one of your villages in the land that the Lord your God is giving you should be poor, you must not harden your heart or be insensitive to his impoverished condition. 8Instead, you must be sure to open your hand to him and generously lend him whatever he needs. Be careful lest you entertain the wicked thought that the seventh year, the year of cancellation of debts, has almost arrived, and your attitude be wrong toward your impoverished fellow Israelite and you do not lend him anything; he will cry out to the Lord against you and you will be regarded as having sinned. 10You must by all means lend to him and not be upset by doing it, for because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you attempt. 11There will never cease to be some poor people in the land; therefore, I am commanding you to make sure you open your hand to your fellow Israelites who are needy and poor in your land.
Read all of Deuteronomy 15Deuteronomy 15:9 word by word
הִשָּׁ֣מֶר לְךָ֡ פֶּן־יִהְיֶ֣ה דָבָר֩ עִם־לְבָבְךָ֨ בְלִיַּ֜עַל לֵאמֹ֗ר קָֽרְבָ֣ה שְׁנַֽת־הַשֶּׁבַע֮ שְׁנַ֣ת הַשְּׁמִטָּה֒ וְרָעָ֣ה עֵֽינְךָ֗ בְּאָחִ֙יךָ֙ הָֽאֶבְי֔וֹן וְלֹ֥א תִתֵּ֖ן ל֑וֹ וְקָרָ֤א עָלֶ֙יךָ֙ אֶל־יְהוָ֔ה וְהָיָ֥ה בְךָ֖ חֵֽטְא׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Bewareשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: carefulH8104
- that there be not a thoughtדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
- in thy wickedבְּלִיַּ֫עַלbelîya‛al · Belial: worthlessH1100
- heartלֵבָבlêbâb · heartH3824
- sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- The seventhשֶׁ֫בַעsheba‛ shib‛âh · sevenH7651
- yearשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
- of releaseשְׁמִטָּהshemiţţâh · remissionH8059
- is at handקָרַבqârab · to present: comeH7126
- and thine eyeעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
- be evilרָעַעrâ‛a‛ · be evilH7489
- against thy poorאֶבְיוֹן'ebyôn · needyH34
- brotherאָח'âch · brother: compatriotH251
- and thou givestנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- him nought; and he cryקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
- unto the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- against thee, and it be sinחֵטְאchêţ' · sinH2399
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 15:9
- Proverbs 4:23Guard your heart with all vigilance, for from it are the sources of life.
- Jeremiah 17:10I, the Lord, probe into people’s minds. I examine people’s hearts. I deal with each person according to how he has behaved. I give them what they deserve based on what they have done.
- Matthew 15:19For out of the heart come evil ideas, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.
- Matthew 7:21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of heaven – only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
- Romans 7:8But sin, seizing the opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of wrong desires. For apart from the law, sin is dead.
- James 4:5Or do you think the scripture means nothing when it says, “The spirit that God caused to live within us has an envious yearning”?
- Deuteronomy 28:54The man among you who is by nature tender and sensitive will turn against his brother, his beloved wife, and his remaining children.
- Proverbs 23:6Do not eat the food of a stingy person, do not crave his delicacies;
- Proverbs 24:9A foolish scheme is sin, and the scorner is an abomination to people.
- Proverbs 28:22The stingy person hastens after riches and does not know that poverty will overtake him.
- Matthew 20:15Am I not permitted to do what I want with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’
- James 5:9Do not grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be judged. See, the judge stands before the gates!
- 1 Peter 4:9Show hospitality to one another without complaining.
- Deuteronomy 24:15You must pay his wage that very day before the sun sets, for he is poor and his life depends on it. Otherwise he will cry out to the Lord against you, and you will be guilty of sin.
- Exodus 3:7The Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt. I have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.
- Exodus 22:23If you afflict them in any way and they cry to me, I will surely hear their cry,
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 15:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart - בליעל לבבך lebabecha beliyaal, thy belial heart, that is, thy good-for-nothing or unprofitable heart; See on Deuteronomy 13:13; (note). And thine eye be evil - An evil eye signifies a covetous disposition. See the same form of expression used by our Lord in the same sense, Matthew 6:23. If thine eye be evil - If thou be a covetous person. Evil eye is by our Lord opposed to single eye, i. e., a…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. 1-23The law of Moses included rules about borrowing and lending. Here, God commanded Israel to cancel debts in the seventh year and to lend generously to the poor. These laws helped poor people survive times of need. They also placed limits on the wealthy so they would not take advantage of those who were vulnerable.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 7-117-11. 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).Read the comment
Topics related to Deuteronomy 15:9
In the dictionaries
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
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