Reference: Poor
American
Ps 12:5; 41:1-3, especially cared for in the Jewish dispensation, Ex 23:6; Pr 14:31, and even more so under the gospel, Mt 25:42-45; Jas 2:5. The slight offerings required of them by the law were as acceptable as the hecatombs of the rich, Le 5:7-13; Mr 12:41-44. The gleanings of the fields, the olive-trees, and the vines, were to be left for them, Le 19:9; De 24:19; Ru 2:2. Every seventh year, the spontaneous products of the ground were free to all, Le 25:7; and in the Jubilee their alienated inheritance returned to their possession. Compare also Le 25; De 24. Neglect and oppression of the poor were severely reproved by the prophets, Isa 10:2; Jer 5:28; Am 2:6; but charity to the poor was an eminent virtue among primitive Christians, Mt 6:2-4; Lu 10:33-35; 19:8; Ac 9:36-39; 10:2; 11:29-30.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Thou shalt not pervert the vindication of thy needy one in his quarrel.
And, if his hand cannot reach sufficient for a lamb, then shall he bring in to bear his guilt - for that he hath sinned - two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons unto Yahweh, - one for a sin-bearer, and one for an ascending-sacrifice. And he shall take them in unto the priest, who shall bring near that which is for a sin-bearer first, - and shall nip through the neck close to the head but shall not divide it asunder. read more. And he shall sprinkle of the blood of the sin-bearer upon the wall of the altar, and the remainder of the blood, shall he drain out at the base of the altar, - a, sin-bearer, it is. And of the second, shall he make an ascending-sacrifice according to the regulation, - so shall the priest put a propitiatory-covering over him, because of his sin which he hath committed and it shall be forgiven him. But if his hand cannot lay hold of two turtledove, or two young pigeons, then shall he bring in as his oblation - because he hath sinned - the tenth of an ephah of fine meal for bearing sin, - he shall not put thereon oil, neither shall he lay thereon frankincense, for a sin-bearer, it is. And he shall bring it in unto the priest, and the priest shall take therefrom a handful, as the memorial thereof, and shall make a perfume at the altar, upon the altar-flames of Yahweh, - a sin-bearer, it is. So shall the priest put a propitiatory-covering over him, on account of his sin which he hath committed, departing from some one of these things, and it shall be forgiven him, - then shall it be the priest's, like the meal-offering.
And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly clear the border of thy field, in reaping, - nor shalt thou gather up the gleaning of thy harvest.
and unto thy tame-beasts, and unto the wild-beasts that are in thy land, shall belong all the increase thereof for food.
When thou cuttest down thy harvest in thy field and forgettest a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not turn back to fetch it, to the sojourner, to the fatherless, and to the widow, shall it belong, - that Yahweh thy God, may bless thee, in all the Work of thy hands.
And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi - Let me go, I pray thee, to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose eyes I may find favour. And she said to her - Go, my daughter.
Because of violence done to the poor, because of the crying of the needy, Now, will I arise! O may Yahweh say, - I will place him in safety - let him puff at him!
How happy is he that is attentive to the poor, In the day of calamity, will Yahweh deliver him: Yahweh, will preserve him and keep him alive, And he shall be pronounced happy in the land, Do not then give him up at the desire of his enemies! read more. Yahweh, will sustain him upon the bed of sickness, All his couch, hast thou transformed in his disease.
The oppressor of the poor, hath reproached his Maker, but he that sheweth favour to the needy, is one who, holdeth Him in honour.
Turning aside from judgment, the poor, And robbing, of justice, the oppressed of my people, - So that, widows, become, their spoil, And of the fatherless, they make prey.
They have waxed fat, they shine Yea they have overpassed the records of wickedness. The right, have they not determined, the right of the fatherless that they might prosper, - Yea justice to the helpless, have they not decreed.
Thus, saith Yahweh, Because of three transgressions of Israel, and because of four, will I not turn it back, - Because they have sold - for silver - the righteous, and the needy - for a pair of shoes:
When, therefore, thou mayest be doing an alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, just as, the hypocrites, do in the synagogues and in the streets - that they may be glorified by men, - Verily, I say unto you, they are getting back their reward. But, thou, when doing an alms, let not, thy left hand, know what thy right hand is doing; read more. that thine alms may be in secret, - and, thy Father, who seeth in secret, will give it back to thee.
For I hungered, and ye gave me not to eat, and I was thirsty, and ye gave me not to drink, A stranger, was I, and ye took me not home, naked, and ye clothed me not, sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. read more. Then, will, they also, answer, saying: Lord! when saw we thee - hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and ministered not unto thee? Then, will he answer them, saying: Verily, I say unto you - Inasmuch as ye did it not, unto one of these least, neither unto me, did ye it.
And, taking his seat over against the treasury, he was observing how, the multitude, was casting in copper into the treasury, and, man rich, were casting in, much. And there came, one destitute, widow, and cast in two mites, which are, a farthing. read more. And, calling near his disciples, he said to them - Verily, I say unto you, this destitute widow, more than they all, hath cast in, of those casting into the treasury; For, they all, out of their surplus, cast in, but, she, out of her deficiency, all, as much as she had, cast in, - the whole of her living.
But, a certain Samaritan, going on his journey, came down to him, and, seeing him, was moved with compassion; and, coming near, bound up his bruises, pouring thereon oil and wine, - and, setting him on his own beast, brought him into an inn, and took care of him. read more. And, on the morrow, throwing out two denaries, he gave them to the inn-keeper, and said - Take care of him, and, whatsoever thou shall further spend, I, when on my way back, will duly pay thee.
But, taking his stand, Zacchaeus said unto the Lord - Lo! the half of my possessions, Lord, unto the destitute, I give; and, if, from anyone, I have taken aught by false accusation, I give back fourfold.
Now, in Joppa, there was a certain female disciple, by name Tabitha, which, being translated, means Dorcas a Gazelle . The same, was full of good works and alms which she was doing. And it came to pass in those days, that she, sickening, died; and, bathing her, they laid her in an upper room. read more. Now, Lydda being nigh unto Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was therein, sent off two men unto him, beseeching him - Do not delay to come through unto us! And Peter, arising, went with them, - whom, when he arrived, they brought up into the upper room; and there stood by him all the widows, weeping, and showing the tunics and mantles - whatsoever things Dorcas was making while she was with them.
Devout, and fearing God with all his house, doing many alms unto the people, and supplicating God continually,
And, according as any one of the disciples was being prospered, they each one of them set apart something for ministering, to send unto the brethren, who dwelt in Jerusalem; - Which thing they also did, sending it unto the Elders, through the hand of Barnabas and Saul.
Hearken! my brethren beloved: - Hath not, God, chosen the destitute in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?
Easton
The Mosaic legislation regarding the poor is specially important. (1.) They had the right of gleaning the fields (Le 19:9-10; De 24:19,21).
(2.) In the sabbatical year they were to have their share of the produce of the fields and the vineyards (Ex 23:11; Le 25:6).
(3.) In the year of jubilee they recovered their property (Le 25:25-30).
(4.) Usury was forbidden, and the pledged raiment was to be returned before the sun went down (Ex 22:25-27; De 24:10-13). The rich were to be generous to the poor (De 15:7-11).
(5.) In the sabbatical and jubilee years the bond-servant was to go free (De 15:12-15; Le 25:39-42,47-54).
(6.) Certain portions from the tithes were assigned to the poor (De 14:28-29; 26:12-13).
(7.) They shared in the feasts (De 16:11,14; Ne 8:10).
(8.) Wages were to be paid at the close of each day (Le 19:13).
In the New Testament (Lu 3:11; 14:13; Ac 6:1; Ga 2:10; Jas 2:15-16) we have similar injunctions given with reference to the poor. Begging was not common under the Old Testament, while it was so in the New Testament times (Lu 16:20-21, etc.). But begging in the case of those who are able to work is forbidden, and all such are enjoined to "work with their own hands" as a Christian duty (1Th 4:11; 2Th 3:7-13; Eph 4:28). This word is used figuratively in Mt 5:3; Lu 6:20; 2Co 8:9; Re 3:17.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
If, silver, thou wilt lend unto my people - unto the humbled one by thee, thou shalt not be to him like one that lendeth on interest, - thou shalt not lay upon him interest. If thou, do take in pledge, the mantle of thy neighbour, by the going in of the sun, shalt thou restore it to him; read more. for that is his only covering, that, is his mantle, for his skin, - wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass when he maketh outcry unto me, then will I hear because, gracious, I am.
but the seventh year, shalt thou let it rest and be still so shall the needy of thy people eat, and what they leave, shall the wild-beast of the field eat, - in like manner, shalt thou deal with thy vineyard with thine oliveyard.
And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly clear the border of thy field, in reaping, - nor shalt thou gather up the gleaning of thy harvest. And, thy vineyard, shalt thou not go over again, nor gather, every single grape: for the poor and for the sojourner, shalt thou leave them, I - Yahweh, am your God.
Thou shalt not oppress thy neighbour nor rob him , - The wages of him that is hired shall not tarry with thee, until the morning.
So shall the sabbath of the land be unto you for food: unto thee, and unto thy servant and unto thy handmaid, - and unto thy hireling, and unto thy settlers that are sojourning with thee;
When thy brother waxeth poor, and so selleth aught of his possession, then may his kinsman that is near unto him come in, and redeem that which was sold by his brother. And, when, any man, hath no kinsman, - but his own hand getteth enough, so that he findeth what is needed to redeem it, read more. then shall he reckon the years since he sold it, and restore the overplus to the man to whom he sold it, - and shall return to his possession. But, if his hand have not found enough to get it back unto him, then shall that which he sold remain in the hand of him that bought it, until the year of the jubilee, - and shall go out in the jubilee, and he shall return unto his possession. And, when, any man, selleth a dwelling-house in a walled city, then shall his right of redemption remain until the completion of a year after he sold it, - for, a year of days, shall his right of redemption remain. But, if it be not redeemed before the end of a full year, then shall the house that is in the city that hath walls be confirmed, beyond recovery, to him who bought it, unto his generations, - it shall not go out in the jubilee.
And when thy brother waxeth poor with thee, and so selleth himself unto thee, thou shalt not bind him with the bondage of a bondman: as a hired servant, as a settler, shall he remain with thee, - until the year of the jubilee, shall he serve with thee: read more. then shall he go forth from thee, he and his sons with him, - and shall return unto his family, and unto the possession of his fathers, shall he return. For, my bondmen, they are, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt, - they shall not sell themselves with the sale of a bondman.
And, when the hand of the sojourner and settler with thee getteth possessions, and thy brother with him, waxeth poor, - and so he selleth himself to the sojourner who is a settler with thee, or to one who hath taken root, of the family of the sojourner, after that he hath sold himself, a right of redemption, pertaineth to him, - one of his brethren, may redeem him; read more. or, his uncle or his uncle's son, may redeem him, or, a near flesh-relation of his, of his family, may redeem him, or, his own hand may have gotten enough, and, so he may redeem himself. Then shall he reckon with him that bought him, from the year that he was sold to him, unto the year of the jubilee, - and the silver for which he was sold shall be by the number of years, according to the days of a hired servant, shall he be with him. If there is yet a multitude of years, according to them, shall he return, as his redemption price, of the silver of him that bought him. Or, if there is but a small remainder of years, until the year of the jubilee, then shall he reckon to himself, according to the years thereof, shall he return his price of redemption. As a servant hired year by year, shall he be with him, he shall not rule over him with rigour, before thine eyes. But if he be not redeemed in any of these ways, then shall he go out in the jubilee year, he, and his sons with him.
At the end of three years, shalt thou bring forth all the tithe of thine increase in that year, - and shalt lay it up within thy gates; and the Levite shall come in - because he hath neither portion nor inheritance with thee - and the sojourner and the fatherless and the widow who are within thy gates, and they shall eat and be satisfied, - that Yahweh thy God may bless thee, in all the work of thy hand which thou shalt do.
When there cometh to be among you a needy person any one of thy brethren within any one of thy gates, in thy land, which Yahweh thy God is giving unto thee, thou shalt not harden thy heart nor shut thy hand from thy needy brother; but thou shalt, open, thy hand unto him, - and, lend, him enough to meet the poverty which doth impoverish him. read more. Take thou heed to thyself lest there be something near thine abandoned heart, saying - Drawing nigh, is the seventh year the year of release, and so thine eye be evil, against thy needy brother, and thou give not unto him, - and he cry out against thee unto Yahweh, and it become in thee a sin! Thou shalt, give, unto him, and thy heart shall not be evil when thou givest unto him, - for on account of this very thing, will Yahweh thy God bless thee, in all that thou doest and in all whereunto thou puttest thy hand. For the needy will not cease out of the midst of the land - for this cause, am I commanding thee, saying, Thou shalt open, thy hand unto thy brother to thy poor and to thy needy, in thy land. When thy brother a Hebrew man (or a Hebrew woman) selleth himself unto thee, then shall he serve thee six years, - and in the seventh year, shalt thou let him go out free from thee; and when thou lettest him go out free, from thee, thou shalt not let him go out empty: thou shalt, richly load, him out of thy flock, and out of thy threshing-floor and out of thy wine-vat, - of that wherewith Yahweh thy God hath blessed thee, shalt thou give unto him; and thou shalt remember that a servant, thou wast in the land of Egypt, and that Yahweh thy God, redeemed thee, - for this cause, am I commanding thee this thing, to-day.
So shalt thou rejoice before Yahweh thy God - thou, and thy son and thy daughter and thy servant and thy handmaid, and the Levite who is within thy gates, and the sojourner, and the fatherless and the widow who are in thy midst, - in the place which Yahweh thy God shall choose, to make a habitation for his name there.
And thou shalt rejoice in thy festival, - thou, and thy son and thy daughter, and thy servant and thy handmaid, and the Levite and the sojourner, and the fatherless and the widow, who are within thy gates.
When thou lendest thy neighbour a loan of anything, thou shalt not enter into his house to secure his pledge: outside, shalt thou stand, and the man to whom thou art lending, shall bring forth unto thee his pledge outside, read more. And, if he be a poor man, thou shalt not sleep in his pledge: thou shalt, restore, to him the pledge at the going in of the sun, so shall he sleep in his own mantle, and bless thee, - and, unto thee, shall it be righteous-ness before Yahweh thy God.
When thou cuttest down thy harvest in thy field and forgettest a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not turn back to fetch it, to the sojourner, to the fatherless, and to the widow, shall it belong, - that Yahweh thy God, may bless thee, in all the Work of thy hands.
When thou cuttest off the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not go about picking after thee, - to the sojourner to the fatherless and to the widow, shall it belong:
When thou shalt make an end of tithing all the tithe of thine increase in the third year the year of tithing, - and shalt give unto the Levite unto the sojourner, unto the fatherless and unto the widow, and they shall eat within thy gates and be satisfied, then shalt thou say - before Yahweh thy God: - I have carefully removed that which was hallowed out of the house moreover also I have given it unto the Levite, and unto the sojourner unto the fatherless and unto the widow, according to all thy commandment which thou hast commanded me, - I have not transgressed any of thy commandments neither have I forgotten,
So he said unto them - Go your way, eat the fat and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared, for holy is the day, unto our Lord, - and be not grieved, for, the joy of Yahweh, is your strength.
Happy, the destitute, in spirit; for, theirs, is the kingdom of the heavens;
And, answering, he said unto them - He that hath two tunics, let him share with him that hath none, and, he that hath food, in like manner, let him be doing.
And, he, lifting up his eyes towards his disciples, was saying: - Happy, ye destitute, for, yours, is the kingdom of God.
But, whensoever, an entertainment, thou mayest be making, invite the destitute, the tried, the lame, the blind;
And, a certain beggar, by name Lazarus, used to be cast near his gate, full of sores, and to long to be fed from the crumbs that fell from the table of the rich man: nay! even, the dogs, used to come and lick his sores.
But, in these days, the disciples, multiplying, there arose a murmuring of the Grecian Jews against the Hebrews, in that, their widows, were being overlooked in the daily ministry.
Only that we should remember, the destitute, - as to which I had given diligence, this very thing, to do.
Let, the stealer, no more, steal, but rather let him be toiling, - working with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have wherewith to be giving away to him that hath need;
And to be ambitious to be quiet, and to be attending to your own affairs, and to be working with your hands, - even as, unto you, we gave charge -
If, a brother or sister, should be naked, and coming short of the daily food, And one from among you should say unto them - Withdraw in peace, be getting warmed and fed, but should not give them the things needful for the body, What the profit?
Because thou sayest, Rich, am I, and have become enriched, and, of nothing, have I need, and knowest not that, thou, art the wretched one, and pitiable, and destitute, and blind, and naked,
Fausets
The considerate provisions of the law for the poor (based on principles already recognized by the patriarchs: Job 20:19; 24:3-4,9-10; especially Job 29:11-16; 31:17) were:
(1) The right of gleaning; the corners of the field were not to be reaped, nor all the grapes to be gathered, nor the olive trees to be beaten a second time; the stranger, fatherless, and widow might gather the leavings; the forgotten sheaf was to be left for them (Le 19:9-10; De 24:19,21; Ru 2:2).
(2) They were to have their share of the produce in sabbatical years (Ex 23:11; Le 25:6).
(3) They recovered their land, but not town houses, in the Jubilee year (Le 25:25-30).
(4) Usury, i.e. interest on loans to an Israelite, was forbidden; the pledged raiment was to be returned before sundown (Ex 22:25-27; De 24:10-13); generous lending, even at the approach of Jubilee release, is enjoined: (De 15:7-11) "thou shalt open thy hand wide to THY poor"; God designs that we should appropriate them as our own, whereas men say "the poor."
(5) Lasting bondservice was forbidden, and manumission, with a liberal present, enjoined in the sabbatical and Jubilee years (De 15:12-15; Le 25:39-42,47-54); the children were not enslaved; an Israelite might redeem an Israelite who was in bondage to a rich foreign settler.
(6) Portions from the tithes belonged to the poor after the Levites (De 14:28-29; 26:12-13).
(7) The poor shared in the feasts at the festivals of weeks and tabernacles (De 16:11,14; Ne 8:10).
(8) Wages must be paid at the day's end (Le 19:13); yet partiality in judgment must not be shown to the poor (Ex 23:3; Le 19:15).
In the New Testament, Christ lays down the same love to the poor (Lu 3:11; 14:13; Ac 6:1; Ga 2:10; Jas 2:15; Ro 15:26), the motive being "Christ, who was rich, for our sake became poor that we through His poverty might be rich" (2Co 8:9). Begging was common in New Testament times, not under Old Testament (Lu 16:20-21; 18:35; Mr 10:46; Joh 9:8; Ac 3:2.) Mendicancy in the ease of the able bodied is discouraged, and honest labour for one's living is encouraged by precept and example (1Th 4:11; Eph 4:28; 2Th 3:7-12).
The prophets especially vindicate the claims of the poor: compare Eze 18:12,16-17; 22:29; Jer 22:13,16; 5:28; Isa 10:2; Am 2:7, "pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor," i.e., thirst after prostrating the poor by oppression, so as to lay their heads in the dust; or less simply (Pusey) "grudge to the poor debtor the dust which as a mourner he strewed on his head" (2Sa 1:2; Job 2:12). In De 15:4 the creditor must not exact a debt in the year of release, "save when there shall be no poor among you," but as De 15:11 says "the poor shalt never cease out of the land," translated "no poor with thee," i.e. release the debt for the year except when no poor person is concerned, which may happen, "for the Lord shall greatly bless thee": you may call in a loan on the year of release, when the borrower is not poor. Others regard the promise, De 15:11, conditional, Israel's disobedience frustrating its fulfillment. Less costly sacrifices might be substituted by the poor (Le 5:7,11).
See Verses Found in Dictionary
If, silver, thou wilt lend unto my people - unto the humbled one by thee, thou shalt not be to him like one that lendeth on interest, - thou shalt not lay upon him interest. If thou, do take in pledge, the mantle of thy neighbour, by the going in of the sun, shalt thou restore it to him; read more. for that is his only covering, that, is his mantle, for his skin, - wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass when he maketh outcry unto me, then will I hear because, gracious, I am.
Even a poor man, shalt thou not prefer in his quarrel.
but the seventh year, shalt thou let it rest and be still so shall the needy of thy people eat, and what they leave, shall the wild-beast of the field eat, - in like manner, shalt thou deal with thy vineyard with thine oliveyard.
And, if his hand cannot reach sufficient for a lamb, then shall he bring in to bear his guilt - for that he hath sinned - two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons unto Yahweh, - one for a sin-bearer, and one for an ascending-sacrifice.
But if his hand cannot lay hold of two turtledove, or two young pigeons, then shall he bring in as his oblation - because he hath sinned - the tenth of an ephah of fine meal for bearing sin, - he shall not put thereon oil, neither shall he lay thereon frankincense, for a sin-bearer, it is.
And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly clear the border of thy field, in reaping, - nor shalt thou gather up the gleaning of thy harvest. And, thy vineyard, shalt thou not go over again, nor gather, every single grape: for the poor and for the sojourner, shalt thou leave them, I - Yahweh, am your God.
Thou shalt not oppress thy neighbour nor rob him , - The wages of him that is hired shall not tarry with thee, until the morning.
Ye shall not act perversely in giving judgment, Thou shalt neither respect the person of the poor, Nor prefer the person of the great, - In righteousness, shalt thou judge thy neighbour.
So shall the sabbath of the land be unto you for food: unto thee, and unto thy servant and unto thy handmaid, - and unto thy hireling, and unto thy settlers that are sojourning with thee;
When thy brother waxeth poor, and so selleth aught of his possession, then may his kinsman that is near unto him come in, and redeem that which was sold by his brother. And, when, any man, hath no kinsman, - but his own hand getteth enough, so that he findeth what is needed to redeem it, read more. then shall he reckon the years since he sold it, and restore the overplus to the man to whom he sold it, - and shall return to his possession. But, if his hand have not found enough to get it back unto him, then shall that which he sold remain in the hand of him that bought it, until the year of the jubilee, - and shall go out in the jubilee, and he shall return unto his possession. And, when, any man, selleth a dwelling-house in a walled city, then shall his right of redemption remain until the completion of a year after he sold it, - for, a year of days, shall his right of redemption remain. But, if it be not redeemed before the end of a full year, then shall the house that is in the city that hath walls be confirmed, beyond recovery, to him who bought it, unto his generations, - it shall not go out in the jubilee.
And when thy brother waxeth poor with thee, and so selleth himself unto thee, thou shalt not bind him with the bondage of a bondman: as a hired servant, as a settler, shall he remain with thee, - until the year of the jubilee, shall he serve with thee: read more. then shall he go forth from thee, he and his sons with him, - and shall return unto his family, and unto the possession of his fathers, shall he return. For, my bondmen, they are, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt, - they shall not sell themselves with the sale of a bondman.
And, when the hand of the sojourner and settler with thee getteth possessions, and thy brother with him, waxeth poor, - and so he selleth himself to the sojourner who is a settler with thee, or to one who hath taken root, of the family of the sojourner, after that he hath sold himself, a right of redemption, pertaineth to him, - one of his brethren, may redeem him; read more. or, his uncle or his uncle's son, may redeem him, or, a near flesh-relation of his, of his family, may redeem him, or, his own hand may have gotten enough, and, so he may redeem himself. Then shall he reckon with him that bought him, from the year that he was sold to him, unto the year of the jubilee, - and the silver for which he was sold shall be by the number of years, according to the days of a hired servant, shall he be with him. If there is yet a multitude of years, according to them, shall he return, as his redemption price, of the silver of him that bought him. Or, if there is but a small remainder of years, until the year of the jubilee, then shall he reckon to himself, according to the years thereof, shall he return his price of redemption. As a servant hired year by year, shall he be with him, he shall not rule over him with rigour, before thine eyes. But if he be not redeemed in any of these ways, then shall he go out in the jubilee year, he, and his sons with him.
At the end of three years, shalt thou bring forth all the tithe of thine increase in that year, - and shalt lay it up within thy gates; and the Levite shall come in - because he hath neither portion nor inheritance with thee - and the sojourner and the fatherless and the widow who are within thy gates, and they shall eat and be satisfied, - that Yahweh thy God may bless thee, in all the work of thy hand which thou shalt do.
save, when there shall be among you no needy person, - for Yahweh will indeed bless, thee, in the land which Yahweh thy God is giving unto thee as an inheritance to possess it:
When there cometh to be among you a needy person any one of thy brethren within any one of thy gates, in thy land, which Yahweh thy God is giving unto thee, thou shalt not harden thy heart nor shut thy hand from thy needy brother; but thou shalt, open, thy hand unto him, - and, lend, him enough to meet the poverty which doth impoverish him. read more. Take thou heed to thyself lest there be something near thine abandoned heart, saying - Drawing nigh, is the seventh year the year of release, and so thine eye be evil, against thy needy brother, and thou give not unto him, - and he cry out against thee unto Yahweh, and it become in thee a sin! Thou shalt, give, unto him, and thy heart shall not be evil when thou givest unto him, - for on account of this very thing, will Yahweh thy God bless thee, in all that thou doest and in all whereunto thou puttest thy hand. For the needy will not cease out of the midst of the land - for this cause, am I commanding thee, saying, Thou shalt open, thy hand unto thy brother to thy poor and to thy needy, in thy land.
For the needy will not cease out of the midst of the land - for this cause, am I commanding thee, saying, Thou shalt open, thy hand unto thy brother to thy poor and to thy needy, in thy land.
For the needy will not cease out of the midst of the land - for this cause, am I commanding thee, saying, Thou shalt open, thy hand unto thy brother to thy poor and to thy needy, in thy land. When thy brother a Hebrew man (or a Hebrew woman) selleth himself unto thee, then shall he serve thee six years, - and in the seventh year, shalt thou let him go out free from thee; read more. and when thou lettest him go out free, from thee, thou shalt not let him go out empty: thou shalt, richly load, him out of thy flock, and out of thy threshing-floor and out of thy wine-vat, - of that wherewith Yahweh thy God hath blessed thee, shalt thou give unto him; and thou shalt remember that a servant, thou wast in the land of Egypt, and that Yahweh thy God, redeemed thee, - for this cause, am I commanding thee this thing, to-day.
So shalt thou rejoice before Yahweh thy God - thou, and thy son and thy daughter and thy servant and thy handmaid, and the Levite who is within thy gates, and the sojourner, and the fatherless and the widow who are in thy midst, - in the place which Yahweh thy God shall choose, to make a habitation for his name there.
And thou shalt rejoice in thy festival, - thou, and thy son and thy daughter, and thy servant and thy handmaid, and the Levite and the sojourner, and the fatherless and the widow, who are within thy gates.
When thou lendest thy neighbour a loan of anything, thou shalt not enter into his house to secure his pledge: outside, shalt thou stand, and the man to whom thou art lending, shall bring forth unto thee his pledge outside, read more. And, if he be a poor man, thou shalt not sleep in his pledge: thou shalt, restore, to him the pledge at the going in of the sun, so shall he sleep in his own mantle, and bless thee, - and, unto thee, shall it be righteous-ness before Yahweh thy God.
When thou cuttest down thy harvest in thy field and forgettest a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not turn back to fetch it, to the sojourner, to the fatherless, and to the widow, shall it belong, - that Yahweh thy God, may bless thee, in all the Work of thy hands.
When thou cuttest off the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not go about picking after thee, - to the sojourner to the fatherless and to the widow, shall it belong:
When thou shalt make an end of tithing all the tithe of thine increase in the third year the year of tithing, - and shalt give unto the Levite unto the sojourner, unto the fatherless and unto the widow, and they shall eat within thy gates and be satisfied, then shalt thou say - before Yahweh thy God: - I have carefully removed that which was hallowed out of the house moreover also I have given it unto the Levite, and unto the sojourner unto the fatherless and unto the widow, according to all thy commandment which thou hast commanded me, - I have not transgressed any of thy commandments neither have I forgotten,
And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi - Let me go, I pray thee, to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose eyes I may find favour. And she said to her - Go, my daughter.
yea so it was, on the third day, that lo! a man came out of the camp, from Saul, with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head, - and so it was, when he came in unto David, that he fell to the earth, and did homage.
So he said unto them - Go your way, eat the fat and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared, for holy is the day, unto our Lord, - and be not grieved, for, the joy of Yahweh, is your strength.
And, when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept - and rent, every one his robe, and sprinkled dust upon their heads, toward the heavens.
For he hath oppressed - hath forsaken the poor, A house, hath he seized, which he cannot rebuild.
The ass of the fatherless, they drive off, they take in pledge the ox of the widow; They turn aside the needy out of the way, at once, are the humbled of the land made to hide themselves.
Men tear, from the breast, the fatherless, and, over the poor, they take a pledge; Naked, they go about without clothing, and, famished, they carry the sheaves;
When, the ear, heard, then it pronounced me happy, When, the eye, saw, then it bare me witness; Because I used to deliver the oppressed who was crying out for aid, the fatherless also, and him that had no helper; read more. The blessing of him that was ready to perish, upon me was wont to descend, and, the heart of the widow, caused I to sing for joy; Righteousness, I put on, and it clothed me, Like a robe and turban, was my, justice; Eyes, became I to the, blind, and, feet to the lame, was, I! A father, was, I, to the needy, and, as for the cause which I knew not, I used to search it out;
Or, used to eat my morsel alone, so that the fatherless did not eat thereof;
Turning aside from judgment, the poor, And robbing, of justice, the oppressed of my people, - So that, widows, become, their spoil, And of the fatherless, they make prey.
They have waxed fat, they shine Yea they have overpassed the records of wickedness. The right, have they not determined, the right of the fatherless that they might prosper, - Yea justice to the helpless, have they not decreed.
Alas! for him who buildeth his house without righteousness, And his roof-chambers without justice, - Of his neighbour, taketh service for nought, And recompense for his work, giveth him not.
Did he not plead the cause of the oppressed and the needy, And, then, it was well? Was not, that, to know, me? Demandeth Yahweh.
The oppressed and the needy, hath treated with violence, Hath ruthlessly plundered, The pledge, hath not restored, But unto the manufactured gods, hath lifted up his eyes, Abomination, hath wrought;
And no man, hath he treated with violence, Hath he no means withholden the pledge, And plunder, hath not seized, - His bread - to the famished, hath given And the naked, hath covered with clothing; From dishonesty, hath turned back his hand Neither interest nor increase, hath accepted, my regulations, hath executed, In my statutes, hath walked, - He shall not die for the iniquity of his father He shall surely live.
The people of the land have exacted oppression, and seized plunder,- Even the afflicted and the needy, have they maltreated, And the sojourner have they oppressed without justice.
Who strive to bring the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and, the way of the oppressed, they pervert, - Yea, a man and his own father, go in unto the maid, to profane my holy Name!
And they come into Jericho. And, as he was journeying forth from Jericho, and his disciples, and a considerable multitude, the son of Timaeus, blind Bar-Timaeus, a beggar, was sitting beside the road.
And, answering, he said unto them - He that hath two tunics, let him share with him that hath none, and, he that hath food, in like manner, let him be doing.
But, whensoever, an entertainment, thou mayest be making, invite the destitute, the tried, the lame, the blind;
And, a certain beggar, by name Lazarus, used to be cast near his gate, full of sores, and to long to be fed from the crumbs that fell from the table of the rich man: nay! even, the dogs, used to come and lick his sores.
And it came to pass, as he was drawing near unto Jericho, a certain blind man, was sitting beside the road, begging.
The neighbours, therefore, and they who used to observe him aforetime - that he was, a beggar, were saying - Is not, this, he that used to sit and beg?
And, a certain man, who had been, lame from his mother's womb, was being carried, - whom they used to lay daily at the door of the temple - the door called Beautiful, that he might ask alms of them who were entering into the temple:
But, in these days, the disciples, multiplying, there arose a murmuring of the Grecian Jews against the Hebrews, in that, their widows, were being overlooked in the daily ministry.
For Macedonia and Achaia have been well-pleased to make a certain fellowship for the destitute of the saints who are in Jerusalem, -
For ye are taking knowledge of the favour of our Lord Jesus Christ, - how that, for your sakes, he became destitute - although he was, rich, in order that, ye, by his destitution, might be enriched.
Only that we should remember, the destitute, - as to which I had given diligence, this very thing, to do.
Let, the stealer, no more, steal, but rather let him be toiling, - working with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have wherewith to be giving away to him that hath need;
And to be ambitious to be quiet, and to be attending to your own affairs, and to be working with your hands, - even as, unto you, we gave charge -
If, a brother or sister, should be naked, and coming short of the daily food,
Hastings
Morish
It was said in the O.T. that "the poor should never cease out of the land," and in the enactments of the law they were cared for by Jehovah. The Lord said, "Ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good." Mr 14:7. "Blessed is he that considereth the poor." Ps 41:1. "The poor have the gospel preached unto them." Mt 11:5. "When thou makest a feast call the poor." Lu 14:13. "He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord." Pr 19:17. Other passages show that the working of the love of God in the soul issues in a special regard for the poor. Ga 2:10. Of the Lord Jesus it is said, that though He was rich, yet for our sakes He became poor. 2Co 8:9.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
How happy is he that is attentive to the poor, In the day of calamity, will Yahweh deliver him:
A lender to Yahweh, is one who sheweth favour to the poor, and, his good deed, He will pay him back.
The, blind, recover sight, and, the lame, walk, lepers, are cleansed, and, the deaf, hear, - and, the dead, are raised, and, the destitute, are told the joyful tidings;
For, always, have ye, the destitute, with you, and whensoever ye please, ye can, unto them, at any timedo well! But, me, not, always, have ye.
But, whensoever, an entertainment, thou mayest be making, invite the destitute, the tried, the lame, the blind;
For ye are taking knowledge of the favour of our Lord Jesus Christ, - how that, for your sakes, he became destitute - although he was, rich, in order that, ye, by his destitution, might be enriched.
Only that we should remember, the destitute, - as to which I had given diligence, this very thing, to do.
Smith
Poor.
The general kindly spirit of the law toward the poor is sufficiently shown by such passages as
De 15:7
for the reason that (ver. 11) "the poor shall never cease out of the land." Among the special enactments in their favor the following must be mentioned:
1. The right of gleaning.
Le 19:9-10; De 24:19,21
2. From the produce of the land in sabbatical years the poor and the stranger were to have their portion.
3. Re-entry upon land in the jubilee year, with the limitation as to town homes.
4. Prohibition of usury and of retention of pledges.
Ex 22:25-27; 5/3/type/emb'>Le 25:3,5,37
etc.
5. Permanent bondage forbidden, and manumission of Hebrew bondmen or bondwomen enjoined in the sabbatical and jubilee years.
Le 25:39-42,47-54; De 15:12-15
6. Portions from the tithes to be shared by the poor after the Levites.
De 14:28; 26:12-13
7. The poor to partake in entertainments at the feasts of Weeks and Tabernacles.
De 16:11,14
see Nehe 8:10
8. Daily payment of wages.
Principles similar to those laid down by Moses are inculcated in the New Testament, as
See Verses Found in Dictionary
If, silver, thou wilt lend unto my people - unto the humbled one by thee, thou shalt not be to him like one that lendeth on interest, - thou shalt not lay upon him interest. If thou, do take in pledge, the mantle of thy neighbour, by the going in of the sun, shalt thou restore it to him; read more. for that is his only covering, that, is his mantle, for his skin, - wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass when he maketh outcry unto me, then will I hear because, gracious, I am.
but the seventh year, shalt thou let it rest and be still so shall the needy of thy people eat, and what they leave, shall the wild-beast of the field eat, - in like manner, shalt thou deal with thy vineyard with thine oliveyard.
And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly clear the border of thy field, in reaping, - nor shalt thou gather up the gleaning of thy harvest. And, thy vineyard, shalt thou not go over again, nor gather, every single grape: for the poor and for the sojourner, shalt thou leave them, I - Yahweh, am your God.
Thou shalt not oppress thy neighbour nor rob him , - The wages of him that is hired shall not tarry with thee, until the morning.
Six years, shalt thou sow thy field, and, six years, shalt thou prune thy vineyard, - and gather the increase thereof;
that which groweth of itself of thy harvest, shalt thou not reap; and the grapes of thine unpruned vines, shalt thou not cut off: a year of sacred rest, shall there be to the land.
When thy brother waxeth poor, and so selleth aught of his possession, then may his kinsman that is near unto him come in, and redeem that which was sold by his brother. And, when, any man, hath no kinsman, - but his own hand getteth enough, so that he findeth what is needed to redeem it, read more. then shall he reckon the years since he sold it, and restore the overplus to the man to whom he sold it, - and shall return to his possession. But, if his hand have not found enough to get it back unto him, then shall that which he sold remain in the hand of him that bought it, until the year of the jubilee, - and shall go out in the jubilee, and he shall return unto his possession. And, when, any man, selleth a dwelling-house in a walled city, then shall his right of redemption remain until the completion of a year after he sold it, - for, a year of days, shall his right of redemption remain. But, if it be not redeemed before the end of a full year, then shall the house that is in the city that hath walls be confirmed, beyond recovery, to him who bought it, unto his generations, - it shall not go out in the jubilee.
Thy silver, shalt thou not give him on interest, - neither, for profit, shalt thou give him thy food.
And when thy brother waxeth poor with thee, and so selleth himself unto thee, thou shalt not bind him with the bondage of a bondman: as a hired servant, as a settler, shall he remain with thee, - until the year of the jubilee, shall he serve with thee: read more. then shall he go forth from thee, he and his sons with him, - and shall return unto his family, and unto the possession of his fathers, shall he return. For, my bondmen, they are, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt, - they shall not sell themselves with the sale of a bondman.
And, when the hand of the sojourner and settler with thee getteth possessions, and thy brother with him, waxeth poor, - and so he selleth himself to the sojourner who is a settler with thee, or to one who hath taken root, of the family of the sojourner, after that he hath sold himself, a right of redemption, pertaineth to him, - one of his brethren, may redeem him; read more. or, his uncle or his uncle's son, may redeem him, or, a near flesh-relation of his, of his family, may redeem him, or, his own hand may have gotten enough, and, so he may redeem himself. Then shall he reckon with him that bought him, from the year that he was sold to him, unto the year of the jubilee, - and the silver for which he was sold shall be by the number of years, according to the days of a hired servant, shall he be with him. If there is yet a multitude of years, according to them, shall he return, as his redemption price, of the silver of him that bought him. Or, if there is but a small remainder of years, until the year of the jubilee, then shall he reckon to himself, according to the years thereof, shall he return his price of redemption. As a servant hired year by year, shall he be with him, he shall not rule over him with rigour, before thine eyes. But if he be not redeemed in any of these ways, then shall he go out in the jubilee year, he, and his sons with him.
At the end of three years, shalt thou bring forth all the tithe of thine increase in that year, - and shalt lay it up within thy gates;
When there cometh to be among you a needy person any one of thy brethren within any one of thy gates, in thy land, which Yahweh thy God is giving unto thee, thou shalt not harden thy heart nor shut thy hand from thy needy brother;
When thy brother a Hebrew man (or a Hebrew woman) selleth himself unto thee, then shall he serve thee six years, - and in the seventh year, shalt thou let him go out free from thee; and when thou lettest him go out free, from thee, thou shalt not let him go out empty: read more. thou shalt, richly load, him out of thy flock, and out of thy threshing-floor and out of thy wine-vat, - of that wherewith Yahweh thy God hath blessed thee, shalt thou give unto him; and thou shalt remember that a servant, thou wast in the land of Egypt, and that Yahweh thy God, redeemed thee, - for this cause, am I commanding thee this thing, to-day.
So shalt thou rejoice before Yahweh thy God - thou, and thy son and thy daughter and thy servant and thy handmaid, and the Levite who is within thy gates, and the sojourner, and the fatherless and the widow who are in thy midst, - in the place which Yahweh thy God shall choose, to make a habitation for his name there.
And thou shalt rejoice in thy festival, - thou, and thy son and thy daughter, and thy servant and thy handmaid, and the Levite and the sojourner, and the fatherless and the widow, who are within thy gates.
When thou cuttest down thy harvest in thy field and forgettest a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not turn back to fetch it, to the sojourner, to the fatherless, and to the widow, shall it belong, - that Yahweh thy God, may bless thee, in all the Work of thy hands.
When thou cuttest off the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not go about picking after thee, - to the sojourner to the fatherless and to the widow, shall it belong:
When thou shalt make an end of tithing all the tithe of thine increase in the third year the year of tithing, - and shalt give unto the Levite unto the sojourner, unto the fatherless and unto the widow, and they shall eat within thy gates and be satisfied, then shalt thou say - before Yahweh thy God: - I have carefully removed that which was hallowed out of the house moreover also I have given it unto the Levite, and unto the sojourner unto the fatherless and unto the widow, according to all thy commandment which thou hast commanded me, - I have not transgressed any of thy commandments neither have I forgotten,
But, in these days, the disciples, multiplying, there arose a murmuring of the Grecian Jews against the Hebrews, in that, their widows, were being overlooked in the daily ministry.
Only that we should remember, the destitute, - as to which I had given diligence, this very thing, to do.
If, a brother or sister, should be naked, and coming short of the daily food,