Deuteronomy 15:9

9 {Take care} so that there will not be {a thought of wickedness} in your heart, {saying}, 'The seventh year, the year of the remission of debt is near,' {and you view your needy neighbor with hostility}, and [so] you [do] not give to him, and he might cry [out] against you to Yahweh, and {you would incur guilt against yourself}.

Deuteronomy 15:9 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 15:9

Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart
"Or, thy heart of Belial" F6; 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.


FOOTNOTES:

F6 (leylb Kbbl) "corde tuo Belial", Montanus.

Deuteronomy 15:9 In-Context

7 If [there] is a poor [person] among you from [among] one of your brothers in one of your {towns} that Yahweh your God [is] giving to you, you shall not harden your heart, and you shall not shut your hand toward {your brother who is poor}.
8 But you shall certainly open your hand for him, and {you shall willingly lend} [to] him enough to meet his need, {whatever it is}.
9 {Take care} so that there will not be {a thought of wickedness} in your heart, {saying}, 'The seventh year, the year of the remission of debt is near,' {and you view your needy neighbor with hostility}, and [so] you [do] not give to him, and he might cry [out] against you to Yahweh, and {you would incur guilt against yourself}.
10 By all means you must give to him, and {you must not be discontented} at your giving to him, because on account of this [very] thing, Yahweh your God will bless you in all your work and {in all that you undertake}.
11 For the poor will not cease to be {among you} [in] the land; therefore I [am] commanding you, {saying}, 'You shall willingly open your hand to your brother, to your needy and to your poor [that are] in your land.'

Footnotes 6

  • [a]. Literally "Watch for yourself"
  • [b]. Hebrew "it"
  • [c]. Literally "a thing in your heart wickedness"
  • [d]. Literally "to say"
  • [e]. Literally "is bad your eye against your brother who is needy"
  • [f]. Literally "it will be against you a sin"
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.