Deuteronomy 15:7 · Bible study
Deuteronomy 15:7 Commentary: Open Hand to the Poor Brother
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Exegesis of Deuteronomy 15:7: the tension between the promise of no poor and the command to help the poor. Hebrew grammar, commentary, and pastoral relevance.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The verse is a binding command not to harden one's heart or shut one's hand against a needy fellow Israelite, grounded in covenant brotherhood and the gift of the land.
- Key words: אֶבְיוֹן (evyon, needy), אָמֵץ (amats, to harden, Piel), קָפַץ (qaphots, to shut), לֵבָב (levav, heart), יָד (yad, hand).
- Main debate: How to reconcile the promise of no poor (v. 4) with the command to help the poor (v. 7). Views: conditional promise, ideal vs. reality, or both are true in tension.
- Theological theme: Generosity flows from a heart transformed by God's grace; the land is a gift, not a possession to hoard.
- Best use: Preaching the heart of the law, compassion over calculation. Small-group study on money, brotherhood, and obedience.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
If there is a poor man among your brothers within any of the gates in the land that the LORD your God is giving you, then you are not to harden your heart or shut your hand from your poor brother.
WEB World English Bible 2000
If a poor man, one of your brothers, is with you within any of your gates in your land which Yahweh your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your poor brother;
KJV King James Version 1769
If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:
ASV American Standard Version 1901
If there be with thee a poor man, one of thy brethren, within any of thy gates in thy land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thy heart, nor shut thy hand from thy poor brother;
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
`When there is with thee any needy one of one of thy brethren, in one of thy cities, in thy land which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee, thou dost not harden thy heart, nor shut thy hand from thy needy brother;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
If there be amongst you a poor man, any one of thy brethren in one of thy gates, in thy land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thy heart, nor shut thy hand from thy brother in need;
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
If one of thy brethren that dwelleth within thy gates of thy city in the land which the Lord thy God will give thee, come to poverty: thou shalt not harden thy heart, nor close thy hand,
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Cuando hubiere en ti menesteroso de alguno de tus hermanos en alguna de tus ciudades, en tu tierra que Jehová tu Dios te da, no endurecerás tu corazón, ni cerrarás tu mano á tu hermano pobre:
Quando houver em ti necessitado de algum de teus irmãos em alguma de tuas cidades, em tua terra que o SENHOR teu Deus te dá, não endurecerás teu coração, nem fecharás tua mão a teu irmão pobre:
S’ il y a chez toi quelque indigent d’ entre tes frères, dans l’ une de tes portes, au pays que l’ Éternel, ton Dieu, te donne, tu n’endurciras point ton cœur et tu ne fermeras point ta main devant ton frère indigent.
Wenn deiner Brüder irgend einer arm ist in irgend einer Stadt in deinem Lande, das der HERR, dein Gott, dir geben wird, so sollst du dein Herz nicht verhärten noch deine Hand zuhalten gegen deinen armen Bruder,
Wanneer er onder u een arme zal zijn, een uit uw broederen, in een uwer poorten, in uw land, dat de HEERE, uw God, u geven zal, zo zult gij uw hart niet verstijven, noch uw hand toesluiten voor uw broeder, die arm is;
Quando vi sarà in mezzo a te qualcuno de’ tuoi fratelli che sia bisognoso in una delle tue città nel paese che l’Eterno, l’Iddio tuo, ti dà, non indurerai il cuor tuo, e non chiuderai la mano davanti al tuo fratello bisognoso;
Gdyby był u ciebie ubogi ktokolwiek z braci twojej w któremkolwiek mieście twojem, w ziemi twojej, którą Pan, Bóg twój, dawa tobie, nie zatwardzaj serca swego, ani zawieraj ręki twej przed bratem twoim ubogim;
Если же будет у тебя нищий кто—либо из братьев твоих, в одном из жилищ твоих, на земле твоей, которую Господь, Бог твой, дает тебе, то не ожесточи сердца твоего и не сожми руки твоей пред нищим братом твоим,
「在耶和華─你 神 所 賜 你 的地上，無論哪一 座城裡，你弟兄 中若 有 一個 窮人，你不可 忍著 心、 揝著 手 不幫補你窮乏 的弟兄。
If in any of your towns in the land which the Lord your God is giving you, there is a poor man, one of your countrymen, do not let your heart be hard or your hand shut to him;
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Deuteronomy 15:7
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse is a direct, binding prohibition against stinginess toward a needy fellow Israelite. The two verbs, te'ametz (you will harden) and tikpotz (you will shut), are Piel and Qal imperfects respectively. The Piel stem of אָמֵץ (amats, to be strong) intensifies the action: a willful, determined hardening of the heart. The Qal of קָפַץ (qaphots, to close) pictures a hand literally drawn shut. Barnes and Calvin both note that the command stands in deliberate tension with verse 4, where God promises there will be no poor if Israel obeys. This is not a contradiction, but a pastoral realism: the law presents an ideal, then addresses the broken world where poverty persists. Matthew Henry calls it a ‘gracious caution’, the promise is conditional; the command is absolute. The brotherhood language (אָח, ach) repeatedly grounds the obligation in shared covenant identity.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Conditional promise view: Reads v. 4 as a conditional statement: if Israel obeys, there will be no poor. Verse 7 then addresses the situation when disobedience brings poverty.
- Ideal vs. realistic view: The law presents an ideal world without poverty (v. 4) but legislates for the real world where people fall short (v. 7). Both are necessary.
- Purpose clause view: Renders v. 4 as 'to the end that there be no poor' (Poole), making the release law itself the means of preventing poverty, not a promise about the actual state of Israel.
What is clear: The command itself is unambiguous: do not harden your heart or shut your hand from a poor brother. The debate concerns only the relationship of this command to the preceding promise.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Promise of no poor (v. 4) vs. command to help the poor (v. 7) | The command to help the poor is absolute and not negated by the promise. Both verses belong together in the text. | Some traditions (e.g., Reformed) read v. 4 as a conditional promise contingent on obedience, so that poverty only occurs when Israel disobeys. Others see it as an ideal statement, what should be, while v. 7 deals with what is. A third view (e.g., Poole) reads 'to the end that there be no poor' as a purpose clause: the release law is designed to prevent poverty. |
| Meaning of 'brother' (ach) | Primarily fellow Israelite, as the context of the land and the nation makes clear. | Some limit the command to covenant community members, while others extend it to all people in need, citing Leviticus 19:34 and the New Testament's universal application. |
| Type of generosity required: gift or loan? | Verse 8 says 'lend him sufficient for his need,' indicating a loan, but verse 10 speaks of 'giving.' The law envisions both, depending on the recipient's ability to repay. | The Rabbis (noted in JFB and Ellicott) taught that if the poor person refuses a gift, make it a loan. Others hold that the Sabbatical release turns all loans into gifts. The modern application to debt forgiveness varies by tradition. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Deuteronomy 15:7 sits within the Sabbatical year legislation (Deut 15:1, 11). Every seventh year, debts among Israelites were to be released (she·mit·tah, from שָׁמַט, to let drop). This was an extension of the land-rest principle from Exodus 23:10, 11 and Leviticus 25:2, 7. The land itself was a loan from Yahweh; Israelites were tenants, not absolute owners. Lange and Keil note that because all Israelites are debtors to God, the debt relationship between persons becomes relative.
The phrase ‘within any of your gates’ (שְׁעָרֶיךָ, she·a·rei·kha) points to the city gate as the center of legal and economic life, where business was transacted and justice administered (see Ruth 4:1, 2). The phrase is shorthand for any settlement in Israel. The land (אֶרֶץ, erets) is repeatedly called a gift: ‘which Yahweh your God gives you.’ This reminder frames the command: you received grace, so give grace.
The word for poor here is אֶבְיוֹן (evyon), the same term used in verse 4 and in the Psalms to describe someone in desperate need, often oppressed and without human help. It denotes the lowest economic class, those dependent on others for survival. The law consistently shows special concern for this group.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Deuteronomy 15:7. The Hebrew text is stable across the Masoretic tradition. The minor variation in the KJV (spelling of 'brethren') reflects English translation style, not a manuscript difference.
Reception History
Jewish tradition mediated this verse through the Targums (cited by Gill) and rabbinic commentary. Rabbi Jarchi (Rashi) noted that the phrase 'within your gates' prioritizes the poor of one's own city. Among Christian interpreters, Calvin used the passage to argue that the command to relieve the poor does not contradict God's promise of blessing; rather, it explains how blessing is to be shared. Matthew Henry applied it pastorally, warning against a 'niggardly' spirit. The verse has been cited in moral theology and social ethics as a basis for Christian charity, most famously in John Chrysostom's homilies against avarice. Its call to open the hand resonates in hymns about generosity, though no specific hymn title is historically tied to this verse alone.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Reality of Poverty: Even under God's blessing, poor neighbors will appear (Deut 15:11). The law doesn't pretend otherwise.
- The Sin of a Hard Heart: The command prohibits two things: a hardened heart (inner attitude) and a shut hand (outward action). They belong together.
- The Motivation of Brotherhood: The poor person is 'your brother', repeatedly. Kinship in covenant community demands compassion, not charity to strangers.
Five-point outline
- The Setting: The Sabbath-year release is approaching (v. 9). The law knows your greed will rationalize delay.
- The Prohibition: Do not harden (Piel, willful obstinacy). Do not shut (Qal, concrete refusal).
- The Positive Command: Open your hand. Lend or give, whatever meets the need (v. 8).
- The Warning: A 'Belial thought' leads to evil eye, then sin, then the poor man's cry to God (v. 9).
- The Promise: Generosity invites God's blessing on all your work (v. 10).
Illustration hooks
- A neighbor loses their job and asks for help with groceries. Your mind says 'they should have saved more', that's the hardening heart.
- You see a fundraising appeal for a family in your church. You scroll past quickly, promising to give later. Verse 9 calls that a 'wicked thought.'
- The 'gates' of your community are the places where need becomes visible: school noticeboards, church prayer lists, social media posts. The command meets you there.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Doesn't helping the poor just enable them? How do I know when to give and when to say no?
- What if I'm in need myself? Does this command still apply?
- How does the Sabbath year release work in a modern economy? Are we supposed to forgive debts literally?
Leading a Discussion
Deuteronomy 15:7 confronts us with a tension: God promises no poor among Israel if they obey, then immediately commands them to help the poor. Is the promise conditional? Is it idealistic? Or does the law deliberately hold both truths together? This passage invites us to examine our hearts and hands when faced with need.
Discussion questions
- Read Deuteronomy 15:4 and 15:7 together. How do you understand the apparent contradiction? What explanations do the commentaries offer (e.g., conditional promise, realistic correction)?
- The Hebrew verb for 'harden' (amats) in the Piel stem means to make strong or obstinate. What kinds of thoughts or rationalizations 'strengthen' a heart against giving?
- Why does the law repeat 'your brother' so often in this passage? How does the relationship change the nature of the obligation?
- Verse 9 warns against a 'wicked thought' related to the year of release. What subtle forms does this thought take in your own life or community?
- How does the gift of the land (v. 7) motivate generosity? If everything we have is a loan from God, what claims do we have on our possessions?
- Compare this passage with 1 John 3:16, 17. How does the New Testament apply the same principle to Christians?
- What is one practical step your group could take this week to 'open the hand' to a poor brother or sister in your midst?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Deuteronomy 15:9 | Beware that there not be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, “The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,” and your eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing; and he cry to Yahweh against you, and it be sin to you. |
| Proverbs 21:13 | Whoever stops his ears at the cry of the poor, he will also cry out, but shall not be heard. |
| Matthew 18:30 | He would not, but went and cast him into prison until he should pay back that which was due. |
| James 2:15 | And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food, |
| James 2:16 | and one of you tells them, “Go in peace. Be warmed and filled;” yet you didn’t give them the things the body needs, what good is it? |
| I John 3:16 | By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. |
| I John 3:17 | But whoever has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, then closes his heart of compassion against him, how does God’s love remain in him? |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes clarifies that the release of debts in the sabbatical year was only a temporary suspension for that year, not a permanent cancellation, and applied exclusively to loans made because of poverty. He resolves the apparent contradiction between verses about no poor and always poor by explaining that the release is only required when a poor person is involved.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin clarifies that the command to prevent beggars is not a license to ignore them but requires prompt generosity, especially at the start of the year of release. He warns that greed hardens the heart and urges immediate relief rather than waiting until the year’s end.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator highlights this command as a key example of Deuteronomy's concern with inner attitude, not just outward action. The law forbids giving with a grieved heart, anticipating the New Testament principle that God loves a cheerful giver.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
If one of thy brethren with thee be poore within any of thy gates in thy land, which the Lord thy God giueth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poore brother:
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights a clear priority in helping the poor: a fellow Israelite, especially a relative or coreligionist, comes first, then the poor of one's own city, before outsiders. He stresses that the heart must remain soft and the hand open toward such a brother, actively showing compassion rather than withholding aid.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that the law of debt remission could tempt people to refuse loans to the poor, so Moses warns against that selfish reluctance. Instead, they urge giving with openhearted generosity and kindness, which secures Gods blessing, a principle also taught in the New Testament.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch focuses on the precise phrase "the sufficiency of his need." Israel was required to lend the poor brother exactly what he needed to relieve his wants, not merely something. This goes beyond a general command to give; it demands careful attention to the specific, actual lack.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads these laws as a progressive unfolding of the Sabbath-idea: release for debts, freedom for slaves, and consecration of the firstborn all move toward the same rest God intended. The feasts then complete this pattern, turning Sabbath rest into joyful celebration of redemption. For him the whole section is about time itself being sanctified to the Lord.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry stresses that the release of debts every seventh year is called "the Lord's release," meaning God claims it as His own institution. He sees the law as a test of faith: a generous heart must not hold back from lending even when the release year is near, trusting God's blessing over human calculation. For Henry, the command checks both stinginess and unbelief.