Deuteronomy 15:3

3 [With respect to] the foreigner you may exact payment, but {you must remit} what shall be [owed] to you [with respect to] your brother.

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 seven years you shall grant [a] remission of debt.
2 And this [is] the manner of the remission of debt: every {creditor} shall remit his claim that he holds against his neighbor, and he shall not exact payment [from] his brother because there [a] remission of debt has been proclaimed unto Yahweh.
3 [With respect to] the foreigner you may exact payment, but {you must remit} what shall be [owed] to you [with respect to] your brother.
4 Nevertheless, there shall not be among you a poor [person], because Yahweh will certainly bless you in the land that Yahweh your God [is] giving to you [as] an inheritance, to take possession of it.
5 If only you listen well to the voice of Yahweh your God {by observing diligently} all of these commandments that I [am] commanding you {today}.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Literally "your hand shall remit"
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.