Leviticus 19:9 · Bible study
Leviticus 19:9 Commentary: Fields for the Poor
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why God commanded landowners to leave harvest edges for the poor, a law reflecting His justice, mercy, and the community's call to care for the needy.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Landowners must not harvest the edges of their fields or gather fallen grain; these are left for the poor and foreigner.
- Key words: pe'ah (corner/side), leqet (gleaning), kalah (to finish/complete, used in the negative command).
- Main debate: The exact amount to be left (not fixed in the Torah; later tradition set a minimum of one-sixtieth).
- Theological theme: God's provision for the poor and the community's responsibility to incorporate compassion into economic life.
- Best use: As a model for intentional generosity, trusting God’s provision while preserving the dignity of those who receive.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
When you reap the harvest of your land, you are not to reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest.
WEB World English Bible 2000
“‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, neither shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest.
KJV King James Version 1769
And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleaning of thy harvest.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
`And in your reaping the harvest of your land ye do not completely reap the corner of thy field, and the gleaning of thy harvest thou dost not gather,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, and the gleaning of thy harvest thou shalt not gather.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
When thou reapest the corn of thy land, thou shalt not cut down all that is on the face of the earth to the very ground: nor shalt thou gather the ears that remain.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Cuando segareis la mies de vuestra tierra, no acabarás de segar el rincón de tu haza, ni espigarás tu tierra segada.
Quando ceifardes na colheita de vossa terra, não acabarás de ceifar o canto de tua plantação, nem espigarás tua terra ceifada.
Quand vous ferez la moisson dans votre pays, tu laisseras un coin de ton champ sans le moissonner, et tu ne ramasseras pas ce qui reste à glaner.
Wenn du dein Land einerntest, sollst du nicht alles bis an die Enden umher abschneiden, auch nicht alles genau aufsammeln.
Als gij ook den oogst uws lands inoogsten zult, gij zult den hoek uws velds niet ganselijk afoogsten, en dat van uw oogst op te zamelen is, niet opzamelen.
Quando mieterete la raccolta della vostra terra, non mieterai fino all’ultimo canto il tuo campo, e non raccoglierai ciò che resta da spigolare della tua raccolta;
Gdy będziecie żąć zboża ziemi waszej, nie będziesz do końca pola twego wyrzynał, ani pozostałych kłosów żniwa twego zbierać będziesz.
Когда будете жать жатву на земле вашей, не дожинай до края поля твоего, и оставшегося от жатвы твоей не подбирай,
「在你們的地 收割 莊稼，不可 割 盡 田 角，也不可 拾取 所遺落的。
And when you get in the grain from your land, do not let all the grain be cut from the edges of the field, or take up what has been dropped on the earth after the getting in of the grain.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Leviticus 19:9
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Leviticus 19:9 institutes a positive statute ensuring the poor have access to food directly from the land. Adam Clarke calls it a divine institution that 'breathed love to God and benevolence to man.' Jamieson, Fausset and Brown observe that it combined 'the obligation of a public duty with the exercise of private and voluntary benevolence,' noting that proprietors could choose the poor they deemed most needy (Ruth 2:2, 8). Keil and Delitzsch emphasize that the law prevented the landowner from harvesting to the extreme edge and from gathering fallen ears; this portion was left for 'the distressed and the foreigner.' Barnes adds that 'the stranger' is a foreigner who could not own land. The law is repeated in Leviticus 23:22 and expanded in Deuteronomy 24:19, 22. All agree that this provision shows God's heart for the vulnerable and calls the community to practical, systematic care rather than mere charity.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: God commands landowners to leave part of their harvest for the poor and the foreigner, demonstrating His care for the vulnerable and integrating compassion into the economic structure of the community.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose of the law | It provides for the poor and foreigner by giving them direct access to food from the land. | Some see it as a mandatory tax or fixed obligation (later rabbinic minimum of 1/60), while others emphasize the voluntary, trust-based element left to the owner's discretion. |
| Who qualifies as 'poor' and 'foreigner' | The poor include needy Israelites; the foreigner is a non-Israelite who cannot own land. | Whether 'foreigner' extends to all sojourners or only those residing permanently in the land is variously understood. |
| Applicability to Christians today | The principle of caring for the vulnerable remains binding. | Some apply the specific practice literally (e.g., tithing agricultural produce), while others treat it as a paradigm for intentional generosity and economic justice without prescribing the method. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Ancient Israelite agriculture depended on the annual harvests of grain, grapes and olives. Reaping was communal, often involving the landowner, family and hired workers. The command in Leviticus 19:9 intervenes directly in this economy: the owner must not cut the corners of the field (the pe'ah) nor gather the gleanings (leqet), the ears that fall during reaping. These were left accessible to the poor and to the foreigner (ger), who had no land inheritance.
The Mishnah later developed an entire tractate called Peah, specifying that at least one-sixtieth of the field should be left, though the Torah itself sets no minimum. Gill draws on this tradition, noting that the amount could vary with the size of the field, the number of the poor, or the abundance of the crop. The poor could gather at three set times each day (morning, midday, evening) so that families with children, nursing mothers, and the elderly all had fair access.
The law sits within Leviticus 19, the 'holiness code,' framed by the call 'Be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy' (v. 2). Immediately following the gleaning law come prohibitions against stealing, lying, and oppressing a neighbour (vv. 11, 13). The command is thus not an isolated charity rule but part of a comprehensive vision of justice and love for neighbour. Deuteronomy 24:19, 22 reinforces this by grounding the command in Israel's own memory of slavery: 'You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt. Therefore I command you to do this thing' (v. 22). The land itself belongs to God; leaving its edges for the poor was a tangible acknowledgment of God's ownership and of the community's shared dependence on His provision.
Textual Notes
The Masoretic text of Leviticus 19:9 is stable across surviving manuscripts. The differences between modern translations (e.g., 'corners' vs. 'edges,' 'gleanings' vs. 'remnant') reflect translation choices, not textual variants. The consulted sources note no significant variants.
Reception History
In Jewish tradition, this verse became the foundation for the Mishnaic tractate Peah, which legislates in detail how much to leave and when the poor may gather. The law was woven into the fabric of agricultural life through the Second Temple period and beyond. Early Christian fathers such as Chrysostom and Augustine cited the verse to exhort the wealthy to generosity, seeing it as a model for giving to the poor without degrading them. During the Reformation, Calvin and others treated it as a positive law specific to Israel's theocracy but extracted from it a principle of cheerful, regulated giving. In modern times, the verse is frequently employed in discussions of food security, land rights and economic justice, often as a biblical precedent for systemic provision for the needy. The story of Ruth (Ruth 2:2, 23) remains the most vivid narrative illustration of the law in action, showing how gleanings sustained one vulnerable family and led to a place in the lineage of David.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God claims ownership of the land and its produce. The law of the corners reminds Israel that the land is a gift; the owner is a steward, not an absolute possessor.
- God commands intentional limitation for the sake of the poor. The edges and gleanings are not left by accident but by deliberate obedience, creating a system of dignified provision.
- This law fosters a community of trust and mutual care. The poor work for their share, the owner trusts God to provide, and the whole society reflects God's generous character.
Five-point outline
- The command: Do not reap the corners, do not gather the gleanings.
- The beneficiaries: The poor and the foreigner, those without land or secure income.
- The motivation: 'I am Yahweh your God', the command is rooted in the covenant relationship.
- The context: Part of the holiness code (Lev 19:2), tied to loving your neighbour as yourself (v. 18).
- The outworking: Seen in the story of Ruth, who gleaned in Boaz's fields, and in later Jewish legislation ensuring the poor could gather at accessible times.
Illustration hooks
- The community garden: A church plants a garden and marks a portion for the local food bank, letting neighbours pick what they need.
- The business margin: A small business owner sets aside a percentage of each month's profit to sponsor a family in need, not as a tax write-off but as an intentional act.
- The harvest party: A farmer invites the town's needy families to glean the edges after the main harvest, echoing the ancient practice and building relationships across economic lines.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does this law apply to Christians today, or was it only for Israel in the land of Canaan?
- How can I practice 'leaving the corners' in my own work and finances when I don't own a field?
- What does this command teach about God's attitude toward poverty and the dignity of the poor?
Leading a Discussion
This short command sits at the heart of God's instructions for a just society. Notice that the law does not create a welfare state administered by the temple; it places the responsibility directly on the landowner. The poor work for what they receive, they glean, and the owner exercises trust that God will provide for his own needs despite the voluntary loss. As you discuss, consider how this pattern challenges both individualism and impersonal systems of charity.
Discussion questions
- What exactly does this verse forbid, and what does it require? Why use the words 'wholly reap' and 'gleanings'?
- Read Deuteronomy 24:19, 22. What additional motivation does this passage give for caring for the foreigner, orphan and widow?
- Why do you think God left the amount of the corner unspecified in the Torah? What does that silence communicate about trust and generosity?
- How does this law connect to the command in Leviticus 19:18 to 'love your neighbour as yourself'?
- The poor are allowed to work for their food by gleaning. In what ways does this preserve their dignity compared to outright handouts?
- What might 'leaving the corners' look like in our modern economy, in how we use our time, money, or influence?
- How does this command shape your view of God's character? What does it reveal about His priorities for community life?
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)
| Leviticus 23:10 | “Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you have come into the land which I give to you, and shall reap its harvest, then you shall bring the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. |
| Leviticus 23:22 | “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you must not wholly reap into the corners of your field. You must not gather the gleanings of your harvest. You must leave them for the poor and for the foreigner. I am Yahweh your God.’” |
| Leviticus 23:29 | For whoever it is who shall not deny himself in that same day shall be cut off from his people. |
| Deuteronomy 24:19 | When you reap your harvest in your field, and have forgotten a sheaf in the field, you shall not go again to get it. It shall be for the foreigner, for the fatherless, and for the widow, that Yahweh your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. |
| Deuteronomy 24:22 | You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt. Therefore I command you to do this thing. |
| Ruth 2:2 | Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Let me now go to the field, and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I find favor.” She said to her, “Go, my daughter.” |
| Ruth 2:15 | When she had risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and don’t reproach her. |
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.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke highlights that the command to let the poor glean the fields was a divine law in Israel, rooted in love and compassion. He then praises the charitable spirit in England for following this principle as faithfully as if it were part of the Gospel itself.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that the word "grape" in this context means fallen fruit of any kind, and "vineyard" means any fruit garden. He also distinguishes the "poor" as the poor Israelite, while "the stranger" refers to a foreigner who could not own land in Israel.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge commentary draws attention to the rare Hebrew word for "fallen fruit" used only here in the Old Testament, noting that Mishnaic Hebrew later uses it for a specific subclass. It explains the traditional view: while grapes were gathered in bunches, single grapes and those that fell were to be left for the poor. The law is addressed in the second person singular, unlike the Decalogue's plural address in the following verses.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes present this as a direct, practical command for landowners. Farmers must not harvest every last stalk or gather what falls, but deliberately leave portions for the poor. The rule turns a duty into
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill draws heavily on Jewish rabbinic tradition, specifically the Mishnah tractate Peah, to explain that the law did not fix a specific amount for the corner of the field. He notes the rabbis set a minimum of a sixtieth part and designated three daily gathering times for the poor, morning, midday, and evening.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB highlights that this law for the poor is the earliest known in any legal code, and it ingeniously blends a binding duty with the opportunity for private generosity. Landowners were free to choose which needy individuals to assist, making the requirement work alongside natural goodwill at harvest time.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch see these laws as concrete expressions of unselfish love, not abstract rules. The commands to leave gleanings for the poor, pay wages daily, and protect the vulnerable all flow from a single root: love your neighbor as yourself. The underlying motive is reverence for God, who sees every act of injustice.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads Leviticus 19 as a deliberate contrast to the heathen inhumanity of the preceding chapter. He sees the repeated refrain "I am Jehovah" as forming a liturgy for holy living, and notes that the command to honor parents places the mother first, grounding all social holiness in reverence for the family.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights that God commanded Moses to announce these laws publicly to every Israelite, not only to the priests. He argues that even under the old covenant, true religion did not hide in ignorance but required all people to hear and remember their duty.