Deuteronomy 24:12

12 And if he is destitute, don't use his cloak as a bedroll;

Deuteronomy 24:12 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 24:12

And if the man [be] poor
Which may be thought to be the case of everyone that gives pledges for a debt he owes, or a sum of money he borrows; yet there might be a difference: some might be so very destitute of goods and raiment in their houses, that whatever they parted with was distressing to them, and they could not well do without it:

thou shalt not sleep with his pledge;
nor keep it a night; but deliver it to him, before he went to bed, and laid himself down to sleep.

Deuteronomy 24:12 In-Context

10 When you make a loan of any kind to your neighbor, don't enter his house to claim his pledge.
11 Wait outside. Let the man to whom you made the pledge bring the pledge to you outside.
12 And if he is destitute, don't use his cloak as a bedroll;
13 return it to him at nightfall so that he can sleep in his cloak and bless you. In the sight of God, your God, that will be viewed as a righteous act.
14 Don't abuse a laborer who is destitute and needy, whether he is a fellow Israelite living in your land and in your city.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.