Deuteronomy 24:12

12 And if he is poor, his wed shall not abide by night with thee (his pledge shall not stay with thee all night),

Deuteronomy 24:12 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 24:12

And if the man [be] poor
Which may be thought to be the case of everyone that gives pledges for a debt he owes, or a sum of money he borrows; yet there might be a difference: some might be so very destitute of goods and raiment in their houses, that whatever they parted with was distressing to them, and they could not well do without it:

thou shalt not sleep with his pledge;
nor keep it a night; but deliver it to him, before he went to bed, and laid himself down to sleep.

Deuteronomy 24:12 In-Context

10 When thou shalt ask of thy neighbour anything that he oweth to thee, thou shalt not enter into his house, that thou take away from him a wed; (When thou shalt ask thy neighbour for what he oweth thee, thou shalt not enter into his house, to take away a pledge from him;)
11 but thou shalt stand withoutforth, and he shall bring forth to thee that that he hath.
12 And if he is poor, his wed shall not abide by night with thee (his pledge shall not stay with thee all night),
13 but anon thou shalt yield his wed to him before the going down of the sun, that he sleep in his cloth, and bless thee, and thou have rightwiseness before thy Lord God. (but at once thou shalt yield his pledge back to him, yea, before the going down of the sun, so that he can sleep in his own cloak, and bless thee, and then thou shalt have righteousness before the Lord thy God.)
14 Thou shalt not deny the hire of thy brother (who is) needy and poor, either of the comeling that dwelleth with thee in thy land, and is within thy gates; (Thou shalt not withhold the wages of thy servant who is needy and poor, whether he be a fellow Israelite, or a newcomer who dwelleth with thee in thy land, within thy gates;)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.