Deuteronomy 24:12
A plain-spoken deep dive on this verse. Read the chapter →
If he is a poor man, you must not go to sleep with the security in your possession;
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
And if the man was in distress (עני), the lender was not to lie (sleep) upon his pledge, since the poor man had very often nothing but his upper garment, in which he slept, to give as a pledge. This was to be returned to him in the evening. (A repetition of Exo 22:25-26.) On the expression, "It shall be righteousness unto thee," see Deu 6:25.
Open source ↗In this chapter we have, I. The toleration of divorce (Deu 24:1-4). II. A discharge of new-married men from the war (Deu 24:5). III. Laws concerning pledges (Deu 24:6, Deu 24:10-13, Deu 24:17). IV. Against man-stealing (Deu 24:7). V. Concerning the leprosy (Deu 24:8, Deu 24:9). VI. Against the injustice of masters towards their servants (Deu 24:14, Deu 24:15). Judges in capital causes (Deu 24:16), and civil concerns (Deu 24:17, Deu 24:18). VII. Of charity to the poor (Deu 24:19, etc.).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.
Do not deny justice to the foreigner or the fatherless, and do not take a widow’s cloak as security.
They drive away the donkey of the fatherless and take the widow’s ox in pledge.
For you needlessly demanded security from your brothers and deprived the naked of their clothing.
The fatherless infant is snatched from the breast; the nursing child of the poor is seized for a debt.