Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Deuteronomy 15:9

Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him naught; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee.

9. Beware ] be on guard with respect to thyself; see on Deu 4:9.

a base thought in thine heart ] Lit. a word or thing in thine heart, baseness, or worthlessness: b e liya‘al; see on Deu 13:13 (14).

thine eye be evil ] cruel or grudging, Deu 28:54; Deu 28:56; the opposite of tender or compassionate.

and it be sin unto thee ] ‘that which we think our Prudence oft proves sin to us’ (M. Henry).

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Verse 9. Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart] lebabecha beliyaal, thy belial heart, that is, thy good-for-nothing or unprofitable heart; See Clarke on De 13:13.

And thine eye be evil] An evil eye signifies a covetous disposition. See the same form of expression used by our Lord in the same sense. Mt 6:23. If thine eye be evil – If thou be a covetous person. Evil eye is by our Lord opposed to single eye, i. e., a person of a liberal, benevolent mind. Covetousness darkens the soul; liberality and benevolence enlighten it.

And he cry unto the Lord against thee] What a consolation to the poor and the oppressed, that they have a sure friend in God, who will hear their cry and redress their grievances!

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart; suppress the first risings and inward motions of such uncharitableness.

Thine eye be evil, i.e. envious, unmerciful, unkind, as this phrase is used, Pro 23:6; Mat 20:15; as a good eye notes the contrary disposition, Pro 22:9.

It be sin, i.e. it be charged upon thee as a sin, and as a great sin, as the word sin sometimes signifies, as Pro 24:9; Joh 15:24; Jam 4:17.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart,…. “Or, thy heart of Belial” f; thy worthless heart, and which is without a yoke not subjected to the law of God, as every carnal heart is; and in which Belial, Satan, the prince of this world, works effectually, and inclines to evil thoughts, afflictions, and desires, which are to be guarded against:

saying, the seventh year, the year of release, is at hand: perhaps next year, or within a few months:

and thine eye be evil against thy brother, and thou give him nought; being of an uncompassionate and covetous disposition, shall refuse to give or lend him anything on this consideration, because the year of release will quickly come, when, if poor and unable to pay him, he would be obliged to release his debt:

and he cry unto the Lord against thee; go to the throne of grace, and in prayer bring a charge, and lodge a complaint of unkindness and uncharitableness: and it be a sin unto thee; the Lord shall reckon it as a sin, a very heinous one, and call to an account for it.

f “corde tuo Belial”, Montanus.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Thus they were also to beware “ that there was not a word in the heart, worthlessness, ” i.e., that a worthless thought did not arise in their hearts ( is the predicate of the sentence, as the more precise definition of the word that was in the heart); so that one should say, “ The seventh year is at hand, the year of release, ” sc., when I shall not be able to demand what I have lent, and “ that thine eye be evil towards thy poor brother, ” i.e., that thou cherishest ill-will towards him (cf. Deu 28:54, Deu 28:56), “ and givest him not, and he appeals to Jehovah against thee, and it becomes sin to thee, ” sc., which brings down upon thee the wrath of God.

Deu 15:10

Thou shalt give him, and thy heart shall not become evil, i.e., discontented thereat (cf. 2Co 9:7), for Jehovah will bless thee for it (cf. Pro 22:9; Pro 28:27; Psa 41:2; Mat 6:4).

Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

9. Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart The original is very forcible. Lest there be a wicked thing in thy heart.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments