Deuteronomy 24:13

be sure to return it to him by sunset, so that he may sleep in his own cloak and bless you, and this will be credited to you as righteousness before the LORD your God.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses addresses the Israelites in the plains of Moab, laying out civil regulations for debt collateral. The instruction specifically targets a creditor who has taken a poor borrower’s garment as security.

The words — הָשֵׁב (haShev) and תָּשִׁיב (taShiv) both derive from H7725, meaning "to return" or "to restore." עֲבוֹט (aVot) identifies the pledged item, while שַׁלְמָתוֹ (salmaTo) specifies the borrower’s sleeping garment.

The thread — The identical sunset deadline for returning a pledged cloak appears in Exodus 22:26. The linkage between obedient action and righteousness before God runs through Deuteronomy 6:25 and Daniel 4:27.

Why it lands — The text commands the creditor to restore a necessary garment by evening so the borrower can sleep. It frames compliance with this practical restraint as righteousness credited by God.

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

הָשֵׁב֩ha.Shevcertainly <to return>תָּשִׁ֨יבta.Shivyou will returnל֤וֹl/oto <the>/ himאֶֽת־'et-<obj.>הַעֲבוֹט֙ha./'a.Votthe/ pledge כְּבֹ֣אke./Vo'when/ goes הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁha./She.meshthe/ sun וְשָׁכַ֥בve./sha.Khavand/ he will lie down בְּשַׂלְמָת֖וֹbe./sal.ma.T/oin/ garment/ his וּבֵֽרֲכֶ֑ךָּu./ve.ra.Khe./kaand/ he will bless/ youוּלְךָ֙u./le./Khaand/ to <the>/ youתִּהְיֶ֣הtih.Yehit will belong צְדָקָ֔הtze.da.Kahrighteousness לִפְנֵ֖יli/f.Nei<to>/ before יְהוָ֥הYah.wehYahweh אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃ ס'e.lo.Hei./khaGod/ your

King James Version

In any case thou shalt deliver him the pledge again when the sun goeth down, that he may sleep in his own raiment, and bless thee: and it shall be righteousness unto thee before the Lord thy God.

Cross-references

Deuteronomy 6:25 And if we are careful to observe every one of these commandments before the LORD our God, as He has commanded us, then that will be our righteousness.”
Daniel 4:27 Therefore, may my advice be pleasing to you, O king. Break away from your sins by doing what is right, and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed. Perhaps there will be an extension of your prosperity.”
Exodus 22:26 If you take your neighbor’s cloak as collateral, return it to him by sunset,
Deuteronomy 24:15 You are to pay his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and depends on them. Otherwise he may cry out to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin.
Genesis 15:6 Abram believed the LORD, and it was credited to him as righteousness.
Deuteronomy 15:9 Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought in your heart: “The seventh year, the year of release, is near,” so that you look upon your poor brother begrudgingly and give him nothing. He will cry out to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin.
Job 24:7 Without clothing, they spend the night naked; they have no covering against the cold.
Job 29:11 For those who heard me called me blessed, and those who saw me commended me,
Job 31:16 If I have denied the desires of the poor or allowed the widow’s eyes to fail,
Psalms 106:30 But Phinehas stood and intervened, and the plague was restrained.