In verses 7-9 Moses commands the people to be generous toward their needy fellow-Israelites, and always be willing to help them. Wherever possible, exclusive language such as poor man or one of your brethren should be avoided. One way of doing this is to use plural forms, which generally include both males and females, or express this as “fellow Israelites” (Good News Translation), or “poor Israelites” (Contemporary English Version), or else “poor person.”

A poor man, one of your brethren: that is, “a poor fellow-Israelite,” “fellow-Israelites who are poor [or, in need].” For poor see verse 4.

In any of your towns within your land: this is a rather wordy way of saying “in any town in your country” or even “in the town where you live” (Contemporary English Version).

You shall not harden your heart or shut your hand: these are two vivid idioms for lack of compassion and for stinginess. In English “hardhearted and tightfisted” (New Revised Standard Version, New International Version) match the Hebrew idioms. Other languages will have their own vivid idioms to express this; for example, “black-hearted” (Thai).

Your poor brother: “your needy fellow-Israelite” or “another Israelite, who has few possessions.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Open your hand: a way of saying “be generous” (Good News Translation) or “be kind” (Contemporary English Version). In some languages this will be expressed as “having an open heart toward.”

Lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be: simply “lend him as much as he needs.” Again “money” is the unstated object of the verb lend.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

This verse warns the people not to be calculating in the help they give to needy fellow-Israelites. The closer the year for canceling all debts was, the less the borrower would have to repay the amount he or she had been lent. Consequently a person might be inclined not to lend money to anyone, since the debt would soon be canceled.

Some restructuring may be required in translating this verse. See Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version, and also the alternative model below.

Take heed lest there be a base thought in your heart: that is, “Be careful not to let a mean [or, selfish] thought enter your mind,” or “Do not let such an evil thought enter your mind,” or even “Don’t think about doing such an evil thing.”

And you say may also be expressed as “And you think.”

The seventh year, the year of release is near: see verses 1-2 for these terms. It will be helpful to supply the information that is understood in the text, as Contemporary English Version does: “then, I won’t be able to get my money back.”

Your eye be hostile toward your poor brother: here hostile means to show an unfriendly attitude. A possible translation is “you give him an unfriendly look”; New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh translates “you are mean”; New Jerusalem Bible “scowl at your poor brother.” Both Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version take hostile to mean a “refusal” or “unwillingness” to lend money to a poor person. This interpretation is also possible.

And he cry to the LORD against you: the Israelite who was refused help will complain to Yahweh about such a mean attitude, and Yahweh will condemn the hardhearted Israelite.

And it be sin in you: “God will judge you guilty of sin.”

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• Be careful that you don’t think “Soon it will be the seventh year when I must cancel debts, and I won’t be able to get my money back.” It would be evil to think that way and to be so selfish that you refuse to lend any money to your poor fellow Israelite. He may complain to Yahweh and Yahweh will decide that you have sinned.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

This verse is the reverse of the previous verse.

You shall give to him freely: literally “giving you shall give,” the emphatic construction. Good News Translation has “Give to them freely and unselfishly.”

Your heart shall not be grudging: this is a figure of speech for not being stingy, not showing an ungenerous spirit. See the expression “open your hand” with a similar meaning in verse 8.

The LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake: an emphatic statement, achieved by repetition (see 12.7). God will prosper the compassionate Israelites who are generous toward their needy fellow citizens.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

The closing command is based on the fact that there would always be Israelites in need of help.

The poor will never cease out of the land: that is, “There will always be some Israelites who are poor or in need” (Good News Translation; similarly Contemporary English Version). This is simply a statement of fact, not an expression of God’s will for his people. Jesus has this verse in mind as he rebukes his disciples (John 12.8).

You shall open wide your hand: another use of the compound form for emphasis (see verse 8 for the figure of an open hand).

To the needy and to the poor: these two phrases modify to your brother. They may mean exactly the same, or they may indicate temporary and permanent impoverishment. An alternative translation model may be “to those who have few possessions and need help.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

The beginning of verse 13 repeats the end of verse 12.

You shall not let him go empty-handed: to send them away without giving them something would only worsen their situation, since they had not earned any money during their time of servitude.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

The master was to give the freed slave, man or woman, many sheep (out of your flock), plenty of grain, wheat or barley or both (out of your threshing floor), and much wine (out of your wine press). It will rarely be of any value to translate the terms threshing floor and wine press literally, unless it happens that in a given language these two terms can be used to refer to the produce, grain and wine.

Furnish: the Hebrew verb means “put a necklace on” and is used only here and at Psa 73.6. It can be taken as a figure of speech here and be translated “give” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version) or “supply” (New International Version).

The Hebrew text is quite emphatic, with shall furnish him at the beginning of the verse, and shall give to him at the end. This emphasis should be carried over in translation.

Good News Translation has a good model for this verse, but we may also restructure the clauses in a way similar to Contemporary English Version and say:

• Give them sheep and a good supply of grain and wine. The more the LORD has given you, the more you should give them.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

This verse furnishes the basis or motivation for freeing slaves. The Israelites themselves had been slaves in Egypt, and they would know what it means to be set free.

Remember: Israelites were never to forget the great act of liberation that made them the people of Yahweh.

Redeemed: see 7.8; see also 4.34; 9.26; 16.12; 24.18.

I command you this today: again “today” is stressed (see verse 5).

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .