Devarim 15:3

3 Of a nokhri thou mayest require a debt to be repaid; but that which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release the claim;

Devarim 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.

Devarim 15:3 In-Context

1 5 At the end of every shevat shanim thou shalt make a shemittah (release).
2 And this is the manner of the shemittah: Every creditor that lendeth whatever unto his neighbor shall cancel the debt; he shall not exact it of his neighbor, or of his brother; because it is called Hashem’s Shemittah.
3 Of a nokhri thou mayest require a debt to be repaid; but that which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release the claim;
4 There shall be no evyon (needy, poor) among you; for Hashem shall greatly bless thee in ha’aretz which Hashem Eloheicha giveth thee for a nachalah to possess it;
5 If only thou carefully give heed unto the voice of Hashem Eloheicha to be shomer to do all these mitzvot which I command thee today.
The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.