Deuteronomy 15:4

Literal Standard Version

except there is an end [when] no poor [are] with you; for YHWH greatly blesses you in the land which your God YHWH is giving to you [for] an inheritance to possess it,

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“There will be no poor among you, however, because the Lord is certain to bless you in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance—

Hebrew Names Version
However there shall be no poor with you; (for the LORD will surely bless you in the land which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance to possess it;)

King James Version
Save when 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:

Lexham English Bible
Nevertheless, there shall not be among you a poor person, because Yahweh will certainly bless you in the land that Yahweh your God is giving to you as an inheritance, to take possession of it.

English Standard Version
But there will be no poor among you; for the Lord will bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess—

New Century Version
But there should be no poor people among you, because the Lord your God will richly bless you in the land he is giving you as your own.

New English Translation
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,

Amplified Bible
"However, there will be no poor among you, since the LORD will most certainly bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess,

New American Standard Bible
"However, there will be no poor among you, since the LORD will certainly bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess,

Geneva Bible (1587)
Saue when there shall be no poore with thee: for the Lorde shall blesse thee in the land, which the Lord thy God giueth thee, for an inheritance to possesse it:

Legacy Standard Bible
However, there will be no needy one among you, since Yahweh will surely bless you in the land which Yahweh your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess,

Contemporary English Version
No one in Israel should ever be poor. The Lord your God is giving you this land, and he has promised to make you very successful, if you obey his laws and teachings that I'm giving you today. You will lend money to many nations, but you won't have to borrow. You will rule many nations, but they won't rule you.

Complete Jewish Bible
In spite of this, there will be no one needy among you; because Adonai will certainly bless you in the land which Adonai your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess —

Darby Translation
save when there shall be no one in need among you; for Jehovah will greatly bless thee in the land that Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it,

Easy-to-Read Version
There should not be any poor people in your country, because the Lord your God is giving you this land. And the Lord will greatly bless you.

George Lamsa Translation
So that there will be no poor among you; for the LORD your God shall greatly bless you in the land which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance to possess.

Good News Translation
"The Lord your God will bless you in the land that he is giving you. Not one of your people will be poor

Literal Translation
only that there shall be no one in need among you. For Jehovah will greatly bless you in the land that Jehovah your God is giving you for an inheritance, to possess it,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
There shall be no begger amoge you: for the LORDE shal blesse ye in the lode which the LORDE yi God shal geue ye to inheritaunce to take it in possession,

American Standard Version
Howbeit there shall be no poor with thee (for Jehovah will surely bless thee in the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it),

Bible in Basic English
But there will be no poor among you; for the Lord will certainly give you his blessing in the land which the Lord your God is giving you for your heritage;

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Neuerthelesse, there shalbe no begger among you: for the Lorde shall blesse thee in the lande which the Lorde thy God geueth thee for an inheritaunce:

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Howbeit there shall be no needy among you--for the LORD will surely bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it--

King James Version (1611)
Saue when there shall bee no poore among you: for the Lord shal greatly blesse thee in the land which the Lord thy God giueth thee for an inheritance to possesse it:

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For thus there shall not be a poor person in the midst of thee, for the Lord thy God will surely bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God gives thee by inheritance, that thou shouldest inherit it.

English Revised Version
Howbeit there shall be no poor with thee; (for the LORD will surely bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it;)

Berean Standard Bible
There will be no poor among you, however, because the LORD will surely bless you in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance,

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and outerli a nedi man and begger schal not be among you, that thi Lord God blesse thee, in the lond which he schal yyue to thee in to the possessioun.

Young's Literal Translation
only when there is no needy one with thee, for Jehovah doth greatly bless thee in the land which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee -- an inheritance to possess it.

Update Bible Version
Nevertheless there shall be no poor with you; (for Yahweh will surely bless you in the land which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance to possess it;)

Webster's Bible Translation
Save when 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:

World English Bible
However there shall be no poor with you; (for Yahweh will surely bless you in the land which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance to possess it;)

New King James Version
except when there may be no poor among you; for the LORD will greatly bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance--

New Living Translation
"There should be no poor among you, for the Lord your God will greatly bless you in the land he is giving you as a special possession.

New Life Bible
Yet there will be no poor among you for the Lord will be sure to bring good to you in the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own.

New Revised Standard
There will, however, be no one in need among you, because the Lord is sure to bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you as a possession to occupy,

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
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:

Douay-Rheims Bible
And there shall be no poor nor beggar among you: that the Lord thy God may bless thee in the land which he will give thee in possession.

Revised Standard Version
But there will be no poor among you (for the LORD will bless you in the land which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance to possess),

THE MESSAGE
There must be no poor people among you because God is going to bless you lavishly in this land that God , your God, is giving you as an inheritance, your very own land. But only if you listen obediently to the Voice of God , your God, diligently observing every commandment that I command you today. Oh yes— God , your God, will bless you just as he promised. You will lend to many nations but won't borrow from any; you'll rule over many nations but none will rule over you.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"However, there will be no poor among you, since the LORD will surely bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess,

Contextual Overview

¹"At the end of seven years you make a release, ²and this [is] the matter of the release: every owner of a loan [is] to release his hand which he lifts up against his neighbor, he does not exact of his neighbor and of his brother, but has proclaimed a release to YHWH; ³of the stranger you may exact, but that which is yours with your brother your hand releases, ⁴except there is an end [when] no poor [are] with you; for YHWH greatly blesses you in the land which your God YHWH is giving to you [for] an inheritance to possess it,⁵only if you listen diligently to the voice of your God YHWH, to observe to do all this command which I am commanding you today. ⁶For your God YHWH has blessed you as He has spoken to you; and you have lent [to] many nations, but you have not borrowed; and you have ruled over many nations, but they do not rule over you. ⁷When there is with you any poor of one of your brothers, in one of your cities, in your land which your God YHWH is giving to you, you do not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your needy brother; ⁸for you certainly open your hand to him, and certainly lend him sufficiency for his lack which he lacks. ⁹Take heed to yourself lest there be a worthless word in your heart, saying, The seventh year [is] near, the year of release; and your eye is evil against your needy brother, and you do not give to him, and he has called to YHWH concerning you, and it has been sin in you; ¹⁰you certainly give to him, and your heart is not sad in your giving to him, for because of this thing your God YHWH blesses you in all your works and in every putting forth of your hand;

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

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 Deuteronomy 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: Deuteronomy 14:29, Deuteronomy 28:1-8, Deuteronomy 28:11, Proverbs 11:24, Proverbs 11:25, Proverbs 14:21, Proverbs 28:27, Isaiah 58:10, Isaiah 58:11

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 15:10 - because 2 Corinthians 8:2 - the riches

Cross-References

Genesis 17:16
and I have blessed her, and have also given to you a son from her; and I have blessed her, and she has become nations—kings of peoples are from her."

Genesis 21:12
and God says to Abraham, "Let it not be wrong in your eyes because of the youth, and because of your handmaid: all that Sarah says to you—listen to her voice, for in Isaac is a seed called to you.

2 Samuel 7:12
When your days are full, and you have lain with your fathers, then I have raised up your seed after you which goes out from your bowels, and have established his kingdom;

2 Samuel 16:11
And David says to Abishai, and to all his servants, "Behold, my son who came out of my bowels is seeking my life, and also surely now the Benjamite; leave him alone, and let him revile, for YHWH has commanded [so] to him;

2 Chronicles 32:21
and YHWH sends a messenger and cuts off every mighty man of valor—both leader and head—in the camp of the king of Asshur, and he turns back with shame of face to his land and enters the house of his god, and those coming out of his bowels have caused him to fall there by the sword.

Galatians 4:28
And we, brothers, as Isaac, are children of promise,

Philemon 1:12
whom I sent again to you—he who is my own heart,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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.

c אפס כי "veruntamen", Munster. d "To the end that there be not", Ainsworth; so the margin of the Bible. e Opera, par. 2. Ep. 49. p. 204.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The year of release is no doubt identical with the sabbatical year of the earlier legislation (Exodus 23:10 ff, and Leviticus 25:2 ff), the command of the older legislation being here amplified. The release was probably for the year, not total and final, and had reference only to loans lent because of poverty (compare Deuteronomy 15:4, Deuteronomy 15:7). Yet even so the law was found to be too stringent for the avarice of the people, because it was one of those which the rabbis “made of none effect by their traditions.”

Deuteronomy 15:2

Because it is called the Lord’s release - Render, because proclamation has been made of the Lord’s release. The verb is impersonal, and implies (compare Deuteronomy 31:10) that “the solemnity of the year of release” has been publicly announced.

Deuteronomy 15:3

The foreigner would not be bound by the restriction of the sabbatical year, and therefore would have no claim to its special remissions and privileges. He could earn his usual income in the seventh as in other years, and therefore is not exonerated from liability to discharge a debt anymore in the one than the others.

Deuteronomy 15:4

There is no inconsistency between this and Deuteronomy 15:11. The meaning seems simply to be, “Thou must release the debt for the year, except when there be no poor person concerned, a contingency which may happen, for the Lord shall greatly bless thee.” The general object of these precepts, as also of the year of Jubilee and the laws respecting inheritance, is to prevent the total ruin of a needy person, and his disappearance from the families of Israel by the sale of his patrimony.

Deuteronomy 15:9

literally: “Beware that there be not in thy heart a word which is worthlessness” (compare Deuteronomy 13:13 note).

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Deuteronomy 15:4. There shall be no poor — That is, comparatively; see Deuteronomy 15:11.