Teks -- Deuteronomy 15:4 (NET)

15:4 However, there should not be any poor among you, for the Lord will surely bless you in the land that he is giving you as an inheritance,

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)

Wesley: Deu 15:4 - Save when there shall be no poor

The words may be rendered thus, as in the margin of our Bibles, To the end that there be no poor among you. And so they contain a reason of this law, namely, that none be impoverished and ruined by a rigid exaction of debts.

JFB: Deu 15:4 - Save when there shall be no poor man among you

Apparently a qualifying clause added to limit the application of the foregoing statement [Deu 15:3]; so that "the brother" to be released pointed to a poor borrower, whereas it is implied that if he were rich, the restoration of the loan might be demanded even during that year. But the words may properly be rendered (as on the Margin) to the end, in order that there may be no poor among you--that is, that none be reduced to inconvenient straits and poverty by unseasonable exaction of debts at a time when there was no labor and no produce, and that all may enjoy comfort and prosperity, which will be the case through the special blessing of God on the land, provided they are obedient.

Clarke: Deu 15:4 - There shall be no poor

There shall be no poor - That is, comparatively; see Deu 15:11.

TSK: Deu 15:4 - Save // greatly bless

Save : etc. or, To the end that there be no poor among you, Houbigant follows this marginal reading, to which he joins the end of the Deu 15:3, considering it as explanatory of the law; as if he had said, ""Thou shalt not exact the debt that is due from thy brother, but thy hand shall release him, for this reason, that there may be no poor among you through your severity.""He justly contends that the phrase ephes kee , can here only mean, ""to the end that,""being equivalent to the French afin que .

greatly bless : Deu 14:29, Deu 28:1-8, Deu 28:11; Pro 11:24, Pro 11:25, Pro 14:21, Pro 28:27; Isa 58:10, Isa 58:11

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per Ayat)

Poole: Deu 15:4 - When there shall be no poor // Object // Answ // The Lord shall greatly bless thee

When there shall be no poor: so the words are an exception to the foregoing clause, which they restrain to the poor, and imply that if his brother was rich, he might exact his debt of him in that year. And indeed this law seems to be chiefly, if not wholly, designed and given in favour to the poor and to the borrower, as is manifest from Deu 15:6-11 . But the words are and may be rendered thus, as in the margin of our Bibles, To the end that there be no poor among you . And so they contain a reason of this law, to wit, that none be impoverished and ruined by a rigid and unseasonable exaction of debts. They may also be translated thus, Nevertheless of a truth , or assuredly , (as the particle chi is oft used,) there shall be no poor along you ; and the sense may be this, Though I impose this law upon you, which may seem hard and grievous, yet the truth is, supposing your performance of the conditions of God’ s covenant, you shall not have any great occasion to exercise your charity and kindness in this matter, for God will greatly bless you, &c., so as you shall be in a capacity of lending, and few or none of you will have need to borrow, and thereby to expose his brethren to the inconvenience and burden of this law. Thus the connexion is plain and easy, both with the foregoing and following words.

Object. It is said, the poor should never cease , Deu 15:11 .

Answ That also is true, and affirmed by God, because he foresaw they would not perform their duty, and therefore would bereave themselves of the promised blessing.

The Lord shall greatly bless thee and therefore this will be no great inconvenience nor burden to thee.

Haydock: Deu 15:4 - There shall be no poor // Beggar

There shall be no poor, &c. It is not to be understood as a promise, that there should be no poor in Israel, as appears from ver. 11, where we learn that God's people would never be at a loss to find objects for their charity: but it is an ordinance that all should do their best endeavours to prevent any of their brethren from suffering the hardships of poverty and want. (Challoner) ---

Beggar, is not expressed, though it be implied in Hebrew or the Septuagint, which connect this with the preceding verse, (Haydock) "because (or save when) there shall be no poor among you;" as if the rich could not derive the benefit from the remission of debts. (Vatable) ---

God had made abundant provision for the poor. He might have prevented any from falling into distress. (Calmet) ---

But he suffered this sometimes to take place, to try the dispositions both of the rich and of the poor. (Haydock) ---

If they had faithfully complied with his laws, he would not have permitted them to fall into the last degree of misery. (Calmet) ---

He allows no public begging, which all well regulated nations discountenance. (Menochius) ---

The Jews carefully relieve their brethren. They gather alms, and one of the judges distributes what may be sufficient for the ensuing week. (Leo, p. i. c. 14.) ---

Those who refused to give according to their abilities, were formerly ordered by the Sanhedrim to be scourged, till they had complied with their duty; and sometimes, things were taken forcibly from their houses. (Maimonides) ---

They relieve the distressed in proportion to their former condition. (Selden, Jur. vi. 6.)

Gill: Deu 15:4 - Save when there shall be no poor among you // there shall be no poor among you // for the Lord shall greatly bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it

Save when there shall be no poor among you,.... Then such a law could not take place, there would be no debts to be released; for this was never designed to screen rich persons from the payment of their just debts, or whoever were in a capacity of so doing, only such as were really poor, and unable to pay; and it supposes that this might sometimes be the case, that there were none poor in Israel, or needed the benefit of such a law; and, according to the Targum of Jonathan, it is suggested there would be none, if they were observant of the commands of God: and some take it for a promise, rendering the words "nevertheless" ^c, notwithstanding such a law:

there shall be no poor among you; but then it must be understood conditionally: others interpret this as the end to be answered by this law, "to the end ^d there may be no poor among you"; by observing this law, all debts being released once in seven years, it would prevent persons falling into distress and poverty, to such a degree as to be in want, and become beggars; and Julian the emperor observes, that none of the Jews begged ^e, which he attributes to the care that was taken of their poor:

for the Lord shall greatly bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it; which is either a reason why there would be no poor, should they observe the commandments of the Lord; or a reason why they should release the debts of the poor because they were so greatly blessed with a fruitful land, which brought them such an increase, as enabled them to free their poor debtors, when in circumstances unable to pay them.