Deuteronomy 15:4

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

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses addresses the Israelites on the plains of Moab, immediately after detailing the sabbatical debt-release law and just before they enter Canaan.

The words — The Hebrew אֶפֶס ('E.fes) means "not at all" or "nevertheless," and אֶבְי֑וֹן ('ev.Yon) literally denotes "a needy person" or "the poor."

The thread — The verse anchors the debt-release instruction in Deuteronomy 15:3 and 15:5, mirrors the generosity-to-needing dynamic in Proverbs 28:27, aligns with the blessing promise in Isaiah 58:10, and parallels the land-based provision for the vulnerable in Deuteronomy 14:29.

Why it lands — The text conditions the removal of poverty on strict covenant obedience, framing territorial blessing as the direct result of keeping the commandments.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

אֶ֕פֶס'E.fesnevertheless כִּ֛יkifor לֹ֥אlo'not יִֽהְיֶה־yih.yeh-he will beבְּךָ֖be./Khaamong <the>/ youאֶבְי֑וֹן'ev.Yona needy [person]כִּֽי־ki-for בָרֵ֤ךְva.Rekhsurely <bless>יְבָֽרֶכְךָ֙ye.va.rekh./Khahe will bless/ you יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahweh בָּאָ֕רֶץba./'A.retzin the/ land אֲשֶׁר֙'a.Sherwhich יְהוָ֣הYah.wehYahweh אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ'e.lo.Hei./khaGod/ your נֹֽתֵן־no.ten-[is] about to giveלְךָ֥le./Khato <the>/ youנַחֲלָ֖הna.cha.Lahan inheritance לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ׃le./rish.Ta/hto/ take possession of/ 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:

Cross-references

Proverbs 28:27 Whoever gives to the poor will not be in need, but he who hides his eyes will receive many curses.
Isaiah 58:10 and if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light will go forth in the darkness, and your night will be like noonday.
Deuteronomy 14:29 Then the Levite (because he has no portion or inheritance among you), the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow within your gates may come and eat and be satisfied. And the LORD your God will bless you in all the work of your hands.
Proverbs 11:24 One gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds what is right, only to become poor.
Deuteronomy 28:1 “Now if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God and are careful to follow all His commandments I am giving you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.
Deuteronomy 28:11 The LORD will make you prosper abundantly—in the fruit of your womb, the offspring of your livestock, and the produce of your land—in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to give you.
Proverbs 14:21 He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who shows kindness to the poor.