Deuteronomio 15:4

4 »No deberá haber pobres en medio de ti, porque el Señor
tu Dios te bendecirá en abundancia en la tierra que te da como preciada posesión.

Deuteronomio 15:4 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 15:4

Save when there shall be no poor among you
Then such a law could not take place, there would be no debts to be released; for this was never designed to screen rich persons from the payment of their just debts, or whoever were in a capacity of so doing, only such as were really poor, and unable to pay; and it supposes that this might sometimes be the case, that there were none poor in Israel, or needed the benefit of such a law; and, according to the Targum of Jonathan, it is suggested there would be none, if they were observant of the commands of God: and some take it for a promise, rendering the words "nevertheless" ^F3, notwithstanding such a law,

there shall be no poor among you;
but then it must be understood conditionally: others interpret this as the end to be answered by this law, "to the end ^F4 there may be no poor among you"; by observing this law, all debts being released once in seven years, it would prevent persons falling into distress and poverty, to such a degree as to be in want, and become beggars; and Julian the emperor observes, that none of the Jews begged ^F5, which he attributes to the care that was taken of their poor:

for the Lord shall greatly bless thee in the land which the Lord thy
God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it;
which is either a reason why there would be no poor, should they observe the commandments of the Lord; or a reason why they should release the debts of the poor because they were so greatly blessed with a fruitful land, which brought them such an increase, as enabled them to free their poor debtors, when in circumstances unable to pay them.

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FOOTNOTES:

F3 (yk opa) "veruntamen", Munster.
F4 "To the end that there be not", Ainsworth; so the margin of the Bible.
F5 Opera, par. 2. Ep. 49. p. 204.

Deuteronomio 15:4 In-Context

2 Lo harás de la siguiente manera: cada uno anulará los préstamos que le haya hecho a otro hermano israelita; nadie exigirá ningún pago de sus vecinos ni de sus parientes, porque habrá llegado el tiempo del Señor
para la liberación de las deudas.

3 Sin embargo, esa liberación solo sirve para tus hermanos israelitas, pero no para los extranjeros que vivan en medio de ti.

4 »No deberá haber pobres en medio de ti, porque el Señor
tu Dios te bendecirá en abundancia en la tierra que te da como preciada posesión.

5 Recibirás esa bendición si te aseguras de obedecer los mandatos del Señor
tu Dios que te entrego hoy.

6 El Señor
tu Dios te bendecirá tal como lo prometió. Prestarás dinero a muchas naciones pero nunca tendrás necesidad de pedirles prestado. Tú gobernarás a muchas naciones, pero ellas no te gobernarán a ti.