Deuteronomy 24:10

10. When thou dost lend] See on Deu_15:1 ff.

any manner of loan] Lit. loan of anything, cp, Deu_23:19. Besides money or victuals, it might be a slave, a working animal or a plough or other instrument.

fetch his pledge] Lit. take in pledge his pledge (Deu_15:8, give a pledge). In this case the borrower would make his selection of what his pledge should be.

10–13. Of Taking and Restoring Pledges. The lender must not invade the borrower’s house to select a pledge for the loan, the borrower shall bring it out (Deu_24:10 f.); if he be poor, the pledge, usually his outer robe in which he sleeps, shall be restored by sunset (Deu_24:12 f.).—In the Sg. address throughout and in temper and phrase characteristic of D; but the two parts may be borrowed from earlier sources: Deu_24:10 f. because of neighbour, not brother as usual with Sg. (see on Deu_15:2); and Deu_24:12 f. adapted from E, Exo_22:26 f. (25 f.; E’s ḥabal, pledge, becomes ‘abat, so as to fit Deu_24:10 f.), with the religious motive differently expressed. See further on Deu_24:6. Cp. Eze_18:7; Eze_18:12; Eze_33:15; Code of Ḫammurabi, § 241.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Deu 24:10 When thou dost lend thy brother any thing, thou shalt not go into his house to fetch his pledge.

Ver. 10. To fetch his pledge.] To see, Quam sit eurta supellex, and to pick and choose what pledge thou pleasest.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Deu 24:10-13. Thou shalt not go in — To prevent both the poor man’s reproach, by having his wants exposed, and the creditor’s greediness, which might be occasioned by the sight of something which he desired, and the debtor could not spare. The pledge — He shall choose what pledge he pleases, provided it be sufficient for the purpose. Thou shalt not sleep — But restore it before night, which intimates that he should take no such thing for pledge without which a man could not sleep. Bless thee — Bring down the blessing of God upon thee by his prayers: for though his prayers, if he be not a good man, shall not avail for his own behalf, yet they shall avail for thy benefit. It shall be righteousness unto thee — Esteemed and accepted by God as a work of righteousness, or mercy.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Warning against oppressing the Poor. - Deu 24:10, Deu 24:11. If a loan of any kind was lent to a neighbour, the lender was not to go into his house to pledge (take) a pledge, but was to let the borrower bring the pledge out. The meaning is, that they were to leave it to the borrower to give a pledge, and not compel him to give up something as a pledge that might be indispensable to him.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

As though thou wouldest appoint what to have, but shalt receive what he may spare.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

When thou dost lend thy brother anything, thou shalt not go into his house to fetch his pledge--The course recommended was, in kind and considerate regard, to spare the borrower's feelings. In the case of a poor man who had pledged his cloak, it was to be restored before night, as the poor in Eastern countries have commonly no other covering for wrapping themselves in when they go to sleep than the garment they have worn during the day.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(10-13) When thou dost lend.—The law in these verses is evidently the production of primitive and simple times, when men had little more than the bare necessaries of life to offer as security—their own clothing, or the mill-stones used to prepare their daily food, being almost their only portable property. (See Exo_22:26-27.)

It shall be righteousness.—LXX., it shall be alms, or mercy. In other words, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.”

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

When thou dost lend thy brother anything,.... Any sum of money he stands in need of, or demanded a debt of him, as Jarchi; money he is indebted to thee, which is the sense of the Septuagint version; and he is not able to pay it, but offers something: in pawn till he can pay it:

thou shall not go into his house to fetch his pledge; which would be an exercise of too much power and authority, to go into a neighbour's house, and take what was liked; and besides, as no doubt he would take the best, so he might take that which the poor man could not spare: and indeed, according to the Jewish canons (k), he could not take any pledge at all, but with the knowledge, and by the leave, of the sanhedrim, or court of judicature.

(k) Misn. Bava Metzia, c. 9. sect. 13.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Compare Exo 22:25-27.

Deu 24:13

Righteousness unto thee - Compare Deu 6:25 note.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Pledge. This was left to the choice of the debtor, provided he gave sufficient. The Athenian and Roman laws allowed a person to search his neighbour’s house, for what he had lost: but he was to enter covered only with a short garment round his middle, (Calmet) to prevent his taking away any thing which did not belong to him.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

To prevent both the poor man’s reproach, by having his wants exposed to view, and the creditor’s insolence and greediness, which might be occasioned by the sight of something which he desired, and the debtor could not spare.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

10. When thou dost lend, etc. — The creditor was not to go into the house of the debtor to exact such a pledge as he deemed the best security, but he was to let the borrower bring out to him what he might be able to spare.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Vers. 10-13. If one had to take a pledge from another, he was not to go into the house of the latter and take what he thought fit; he must stand without, and allow the debtor to bring to him what he saw meet to offer. He might stand outside and summon the debtor to produce his pledge, but he was not insolently to enter the house and lay hands on any part of the owner"s property. To stand outside and call is still a common mode of seeking access to a person in his own house or apartment among the Arabs, and is regarded as the only respectful mode. There would be thus a mitigation of the severity of the exaction, the tendency of which would be to preserve good feeling between the parties. If the debtor was needy, and being such could give in pledge only some necessary article, such as his upper garment in which he slept at night, the pledge was to be returned ere nightfall, that the man might sleep in his own raiment, and have a grateful feeling towards his creditor. In many parts of the East, with the Arabs notably, it is customary for the poor to sleep in their outer garment. "During the day the poor while at work can and do dispense with this outside raiment, but at night it is greatly needed, even in summer. This furnishes a good reason why this sort of pledge should be restored before night" (Thomson, "Land and the Book," 1:192, 500). The earlier legislation (Exo_22:25, Exo_22:26) is evidently assumed here as well known by the people. It shall be righteousness unto thee. (see on Deu_6:25)

Vers. 10-22. Consideration for the poor and needy.

After giving a cursory reference to leprosy as a Divine judgment to be divinely removed and ceremonially purged away (vers. 8, 9), Moses enters in these verses into the consideration which should be shown to the poor and needy. The debtor is not to be pressed for his pledge, and, if raiment, it must be restored in time for him to sleep with due clothing. The hired servant, engaged for the day, is to get his pay punctually at sundown. The widow, fatherless, and strangers are to have justice dealt to them, and in harvest generous gleanings are to be left for them. The Law inculcates consideration and mercy.

I THE GENEROSITY INCULCATED BY THE LAW MADE IT A MESSAGE OF MERCY TO ALL MEN. For even suppose no sacrificial system preached, typically, the Divine pardon and love, the mercy enjoined upon others argued mercy in the Lawgiver himself. He could not have commanded so much mercy, and manifested none.

II THE POOR WERE SAVED FROM UTTER MENDICANCY BY THE LIBERALITY OF THE LAW. They got their need supplied by working for it. It was better to glean than to have it laid without any cost or trouble to them at their feet. They were free, and had to bestir themselves; thus self-respect was fostered, and real, wholesome work prescribed. No wonder that mendicancy was unknown. But nowadays things are made too easy for the "ne"er-do-wells," and a laziness that sacrifices self-respect and liberty on its altar is the blessed result! R.M.E.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Thou shalt not go in - To prevent both the poor man's reproach by having his wants exposed, and the creditor's greediness which might be occasioned by the sight of something which he desired, and the debtor could not spare.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Kindness Toward the Poor and Needy

v. 10. When thou dost lend thy brother anything, thou shalt not go into his house to fetch his pledge. The choice of the pledge was to be left to the borrower, and the lender was to respect the sanctity of his fellow-man’s home.

v. 11. Thou shalt stand abroad, outside the house, and the man to whom thou dost lend shall bring out the pledge abroad unto thee, something which he could spare for the time being.

v. 12. And if the man, the borrower, be poor, thou shalt not sleep with his pledge, since this consisted, as a rule, of the upper garment or mantle, which was, at the same time, the poor man’s covering;

v. 13. in any case, by all means, thou shalt deliver him the pledge again when the sun goeth down, that he may sleep in his own raiment, which served for his bed, and bless thee; and it shall be righteousness unto thee before the Lord, thy God. Cf Exo 22:26-27.

v. 14. Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy, the laborer working for wages, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy gates, Lev 19:13;

v. 15. at his day, that is, day by day, thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it, Jer 22:13; Jas 5:4; for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it, he desires to have his wages regularly, because his life depends upon this money; lest he cry against thee unto the Lord and it be sin unto thee.

v. 16. The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers, neither the one nor the other should suffer the punishment of death for crimes in which they took no part, which they did not countenance; every man shall be put to death for his own sin. In other words, the children of Israel were not to confound the justice of God, Exo 20:5, with that of man; they n-ere not to presume upon God’s methods of punishment.

v. 17. Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger nor of the fatherless, Exo 22:20-21; Exo 23:9; nor take a widow’s raiment to pledge. Cf Lev 19:33-34.

v. 18. But thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt, oppressed on every hand with great severity, and the Lord, thy God, redeemed thee thence; therefore I command thee to do this thing.

v. 19. When thou cuttest down thine harvest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it; it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow; that the Lord, thy God, may bless thee in all the work of thine hands, as a reward of humanity and brotherly love. Cf Lev 19:9-10; Lev 23:22.

v. 20. When thou beatest thine olive-tree, as was done before they were fully ripe, in order to insure a finer grade of oil, thou shalt not go over the boughs again, in the effort to obtain every last bit of fruit; it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.

v. 21. When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean it afterward, go over the vines a second time; it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.

v. 22. And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt; therefore I command thee to do this thing, Deu 15:15. All believers will remember the obligations laid upon them in the matter of brotherly love and charity and take care to discharge these obligations whenever they have an opportunity to do so.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

General Information:

Moses speaks to the Israelites as if they were one man, so the words "you" and "your" here are singular. (See: Forms of You)

When you make your neighbor any kind of loan

"When you loan something to your neighbor"

to fetch his pledge

"to take his pledge"

his pledge

This refers to what he has promised that he would give you if he did not pay back the loan.

You will stand outside

"You should wait outside his house"

translationWords

neighbor

pledge

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

כי תשה ברעך means, WHEN THOU EXACTEST A DEBT FROM THY FELLOW MAN;

משאת מאומה means, A DEBT OF ANYTHING (whatever it may be).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.