Deuteronomy 15:3

3 You may make a foreigner pay what is owed to you, but you must not collect what another Israelite owes you.

Deuteronomy 15:3 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 15:3

Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again
Either on the seventh year, or after it:

but that which is thine with thy brother, thine hand shall release;
a debt that lies between them, where the one is the creditor, and the other debtor, the creditor shall freely and fully forgive the debtor. So those only are released or forgiven by the Lord who are his own, whom he has reserved for himself, or chosen to everlasting life; who are interested in the covenant of his grace, one article in which is the forgiveness of sins; and who are redeemed by the blood of Christ, a branch of which redemption is remission of sin; and who are called by grace, and believe in Christ, to whom pardon of sins is promised; but those who are foreigners and strangers, and are not the Lord's chosen, redeemed, and called people, have no share in this blessing of grace; nor such who are rich in their own esteem, and need nothing; but those who are poor and unable to pay their debts, and are sensible of their spiritual poverty, and apply to the Lord for the forgiveness of their sins.

Deuteronomy 15:3 In-Context

1 At the end of every seven years, you must tell those who owe you anything that they do not have to pay you back.
2 This is how you must do it: Everyone who has loaned money must cancel the loan and not make a neighbor or relative pay it back. This is the Lord's time for canceling what people owe.
3 You may make a foreigner pay what is owed to you, but you must not collect what another Israelite owes you.
4 But there should be no poor people among you, because the Lord your God will richly bless you in the land he is giving you as your own.
5 He will bless you if you obey the Lord your God completely, but you must be careful to obey all the commands I am giving you today.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.