Deuteronomy 15:7, commentary and pictures

It forbids hardening the heart or shutting the hand against a poor brother living among God's people, and requires instead an open heart and open hand that supplies enough to meet his need and want. The help is to be given freely, generously, willingly and gladly, with compassion, mercy, tenderness, pity and courtesy, as a gift rather than a loan to be repaid, yet not indiscriminately to everyone who asks. The nearness of the seventh-year release of debts must never become a reason to refuse a needed loan, and to withhold help for that reason is sin, calling for mercy in debt by forgiving rather than harshly pressing claims. The instruction was given by Christ through Moses and reaffirmed in His later teaching, so it remains binding, and because the poor will always remain, openhanded generosity is an ongoing duty that God blesses with prosperity in the giver's work. It trains God's people to overcome selfishness, to recognize God's ownership of what they have, and to become channels of blessing, for the needs of the poor test character, develop moral worth, and prepare for heaven.

Command and Promise

The command forbids hardening the heart or shutting the hand against a poor brother or fellow believer living among God's people in the community and land God gives. The poor fellow Israelite among them is to be met with an open heart and open hand, not refused help.

What is required is an open heart and open hand that gives and lends enough to meet the poor person's need and want. The hand is to be opened wide to lend what is sufficient for his need.

The help is to be given freely and generously, willingly and gladly, without resentment or grudging. It is to be given with compassion, mercy, tenderness, pity and courtesy, like a gift rather than a loan expected to be repaid. Yet the verse does not require giving indiscriminately to everyone who asks.

The nearness of the seventh-year release of debts must not become a reason to refuse a needed loan. Withholding help for that reason, from anticipated loss or inconvenience, is sin, including toward one who once could help but has fallen into hardship through loss. The verse calls for mercy in debt, including forgiving rather than harshly pressing claims and not insisting on rights in a way that wrongs a brother who cannot pay what he owes.

The instruction was given by Christ, Israel's invisible Leader in the pillar of cloud, through Moses among his final words to the Hebrew nation. Christ's later teaching reaffirmed this old commandment, so it remains a duty in the present time with practical care for needy people in the community.

Because poor and needy people will always remain among them in the land, the duty of openhanded generosity is ongoing. God promises to bless the giver's work when help is given willingly, while obedience to His commands brings prosperity, and the poor are to be helped rather than oppressed.

Purpose and Practice

The command trains those who receive it to overcome selfishness, to recognize that what they hold belongs to God, and to become channels through which His blessing flows to others by using His gifts for the less fortunate. The continued presence of poor and needy people among them is purposeful, giving opportunity to practice generosity and resist a hardened, closed spirit. Their needs test character, and God uses that test to develop moral worth and to prepare His people for heaven.

The requirement stands together with laws demanding fair treatment of people in need, so that oppressing the poor or withholding what is due them is robbery which God condemns. To neglect them is disobedience of God's law that will be recorded against the neglectful. Compassion is owed to all, and especially to fellow believers.

In practice this means regular, practical financial help to a needy relative, such as a sister unable to work for her own support. It means providing for faithful ministers who have become sick or infirm and can no longer support themselves and their families. It means earnestly helping a faithful worker and his family in hardship instead of accepting his service and then neglecting him. It means the church giving generously to support a sick family whose crops have failed and who lack money for food, rather than closing heart and hand to a poor brother.

The duty presses with special force toward fellow believers reduced to want and suffering because they keep God's commandments, and help intended for them is not to be diverted to sustain those who persist in violating His law. It extends even to helping those made unable to give by sickness or misfortune, so that they too can bring a humble offering to the Lord and a shared interest in worship is preserved rather than lost. God's resources are to furnish houses, food, and clothing for the suffering among His people, not to be spent on royal ambition that leaves them needy and burdened with heavy taxes.