Verse-by-Verse Bible CommentaryDeuteronomy 15:3
"From a foreigner you may exact it, but your hand shall release whatever of yours is with your brother. Jump to: Gill's Exposition • Commentary Critical and Explanatory • Keil & Delitzsch • Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary • Calvin's Commentary • Trapp's Commentary • Coke's Commentary • Poole's Annotations • Whedon's Commentary • Haydock's Catholic Commentary • Commentary Critical and Explanatory - Unabridged • Treasury of Knowledge Other Authors
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole BibleOf a foreigner thou mayest exact it again,.... Either on the seventh year, or after it: but that which is thine with thy brother, thine hand shall release; a debt that lies between them, where the one is the creditor, and the other debtor, the creditor shall freely and fully forgive the debtor. So those only are released or forgiven by the Lord who are his own, whom he has reserved for himself, or chosen to everlasting life; who are interested in the covenant of his grace, one article in which is the forgiveness of sins; and who are redeemed by the blood of Christ, a branch of which redemption is remission of sin; and who are called by grace, and believe in Christ, to whom pardon of sins is promised; but those who are foreigners and strangers, and are not the Lord's chosen, redeemed, and called people, have no share in this blessing of grace; nor such who are rich in their own esteem, and need nothing; but those who are poor and unable to pay their debts, and are sensible of their spiritual poverty, and apply to the Lord for the forgiveness of their sins. Copyright Statement Bibliography Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole BibleOf a foreigner thou mayest exact it again — Admission to all the religious privileges of the Israelites was freely granted to heathen proselytes, though this spiritual incorporation did not always imply an equal participation of civil rights and privileges (Leviticus 25:44; Jeremiah 34:14; compare 1 Chronicles 22:2; 2 Chronicles 2:17). Copyright Statement Bibliography Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old TestamentThe foreigner thou mayest press, but what thou hast with thy brother shall thy hand let go. נכרי is a stranger of another nation, standing in no inward relation to Israel at all, and is to be distinguished from גּר , the foreigner who lived among the Israelites, who had a claim upon their protection and pity. This rule breathes no hatred of foreigners, but simply allows the Israelites the right of every creditor to demand his debts, and enforce the demand upon foreigners, even in the sabbatical year. There was no severity in this, because foreigners could get their ordinary income in the seventh year as well as in any other. Copyright Statement Bibliography Hawker's Poor Man's CommentaryWhat is a foreigner? Paul hath told us, Ephesians 2:12. Reader! do you not see from hence, that covenant blessings, and covenant mercies, are peculiar blessings and mercies. LORD! give me grace to be very earnest in searching for the tokens of being interested in the covenant; and then, grace to prize them in proportion to their infinite importance, . Reader! examine yourself by that mark, Romans 8:14. Read also with it, Romans 9:4-8. Copyright Statement Bibliography Calvin's Commentary on the Bible3.Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it. An exception follows, that it should be lawful to sue foreigners, and to compel them to pay; and this for a very good reason, because it was by no means just that despisers of the Law should enjoy the Sabbatical benefit, especially when God had conferred the privilege on His elect people alone. What follows in the next verse, “Unless because there shall be no beggar,” interpreters twist into various senses. Some translate it, Nevertheless ( veruntamen,) let there be no beggar among thee; as if it were a prohibition, that they should not suffer their poor brethren to be overwhelmed with poverty, without assisting them; and, lest they should object that, if they should be so liberal in giving, they would soon exhaust themselves, God anticipates them, and bids them rely upon his blessing. Others, however, understand it as a promise, and connect it thus, That there should be no beggar among them, if only they keep the Law, since then God would bless them. Nor would this meaning be very unsuitable. What they mean who expound it, Insomuch that there should be no beggar with thee, I know not. Let my readers, however, consider whether (146) אפס כי, ephes ci, is not better rendered “unless because,” ( nisi quod:) and then this clause would be read parenthetically, as if it were said, Whenever there shall be any poor among your brethren, an opportunity of doing them good is presented to you. Therefore the poverty of your brethren is to be relieved by you, in order that God may bless you. But, that the sentence may be clearer, I take the two words, אפס כי, ephes ci, exclusively, as if it were, On no account let there be a beggar: or, howsoever it. may be, suffer not that by your fault there should be any beggar amongst you; for He would put an end to all vain excuses, and, as necessity arose, would have them disposed to give assistance, lest the poor should sink under the pressure of want and distress, tie does not, therefore, mean generally all poor persons, but only those in extreme indigence; such as the Prophet Amos complains are “sold for a pair of shoes.” ( Amos 2:6.) In order, then, that they may more cheerfully assist their distresses, He promises that His blessing shall be productive of greater abundance. And from hence Paul seems to have derived his exhortation to the Corinthians: “He which soweth bountifully, shall reap also bountifully. God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.: Now he that ministereth seed to the sower, shall both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness, that, being enriched in every thing, you may abound unto all bountifulness.” (2 Corinthians 9:6.) In short, God would have them without carefulness, since He will abundantly recompense them with His blessing, if they have diminished their own stores by liberality to the poor. Copyright Statement Bibliography John Trapp Complete CommentaryDeuteronomy 15:3 Of a foreigner thou mayest exact [it again]: but [that] which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release; Ver. 3. Of a foreigner.] To show that none that are alienated from the life of God, or a godly life, have remission of sin by Christ: "he sanctifies all whom he justifies." Compare Romans 11:26, Isaiah 59:20. Copyright Statement Bibliography Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy BibleVer. 3. Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again— Of an alien, that is, one who was neither a native Israelite, nor proselyted to the Jewish religion, but a mere Gentile: for this was one of the privileges of the Jewish community, and not one of the common rights of mankind; and therefore it is restricted wholly to Jews or Gentile proselytes: besides, there was not the same reason for releasing the principal or interest to a foreigner as to a Hebrew; for the Hebrews observed the sabbatical year, whereas the other sowed and reaped and traded in that year, as well as in others. See Grotius and Le Clerc. Copyright Statement Bibliography Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy BibleA foreigner, or stranger, yea, though a proselyte. For, 1. They are oft called by this name, as Genesis 17:12 Ruth 2:10. 2. Though proselytes were admitted to the church privileges of the Israelites, yet they were not admitted to all their civil immunities or privileges. See 1 Chronicles 22:2 2 Chronicles 2:17. 3. Such were not then freed from their personal debt, to wit, of their service, Leviticus 25:44 Deuteronomy 15:12 Jeremiah 34:14, therefore not from their real debt. That which is thine, to wit, by right, though lent to him. Copyright Statement Bibliography Whedon's Commentary on the Bible3. Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it — There would be a reason for dealing in a different way with the foreigner. He did not observe the sabbatical year. He would have his ordinary income from his land, while the Hebrew would not. Copyright Statement Bibliography George Haydock's Catholic Bible CommentaryStranger, who has not received circumcision. Such were entitled only to the common privileges of people in distress. They could not claim a share in the feasts, made out of the tithes of the Jews, &c. (Grotius) Copyright Statement Bibliography Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - UnabridgedOf a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release; Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it. Admission to all the religious privileges of the Israelites was freely granted to pagan proselytes, though this spiritual incorporation did not always imply an equal participation of civil rights and privileges (Leviticus 25:44; Jeremiah 34:14 : cf. 1 Chronicles 22:2; 2 Chronicles 2:17). Copyright Statement Bibliography Treasury of Scripture KnowledgeOf a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release;
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