Deuteronomy 15:9

9 Be thou ware lest peradventure [a] wicked thought creep (in) privily to thee, and thou say in thine heart, The seventh year of remission, (or of forgiveness,) nigheth; and thou turn away thine eyes from thy poor brother, and thou wilt not give to him the loan that he asketh (for); lest he cry against thee to the Lord, and it be made to thee into sin (lest he cry to the Lord against thee, and thou be judged to be guilty of sin).

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 one of thy brethren that dwell within the gates of thy city, in the land which thy Lord God shall give to thee, cometh to poverty, thou shalt not make hard thine heart, neither thou shalt withdraw thine hand (from him),
8 but thou shalt open it to the poor man, and thou shalt lend him whatso(ever) thou seest him have need to. (but thou shalt open it to the poor, and thou shalt lend to them whatever thou seest that they have need of.)
9 Be thou ware lest peradventure [a] wicked thought creep (in) privily to thee, and thou say in thine heart, The seventh year of remission, (or of forgiveness,) nigheth; and thou turn away thine eyes from thy poor brother, and thou wilt not give to him the loan that he asketh (for); lest he cry against thee to the Lord, and it be made to thee into sin (lest he cry to the Lord against thee, and thou be judged to be guilty of sin).
10 But thou shalt give to him, and thou shalt not do anything falsely in relieving his needs, that thy Lord God bless thee in all time, and in all things to which thou shalt put to thine hand. (But thou shalt give to him, and thou shalt not do anything falsely when relieving his need, so that the Lord thy God shall bless thee for all time, and in all the things to which thou shalt put thy hand.)
11 Poor men shall not fail (to be) in the land of thy dwelling; therefore I command to thee, that thou open thy hand to thy brother needy (and) poor, that live with thee in the land. (There shall always be poor people in the land of thy dwelling; and so I command thee, that thou open thy hands to thy brothers and sisters who be needy and poor, who live with thee in the land.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.