Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Deuteronomy 24:10
When thou dost lend thy brother any thing, thou shalt not go into his house to fetch his pledge.
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.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
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 abal, 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 ammurabi, 241.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Compare Exo 22:25-27.
Deu 24:13
Righteousness unto thee – Compare Deu 6:25 note.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
To prevent both the poor mans reproach, by having his wants exposed to view, and the creditors insolence and greediness, which might be occasioned by the sight of something which he desired, and the debtor could not spare.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
10-13. When thou dost lend thybrother anything, thou shalt not go into his house to fetch hispledgeThe course recommended was, in kind and considerateregard, to spare the borrower’s feelings. In the case of a poor manwho had pledged his cloak, it was to be restored before night, as thepoor in Eastern countries have commonly no other covering forwrapping themselves in when they go to sleep than the garment theyhave worn during the day.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
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.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
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.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
Verses 10-13:
“Pledge,” abot, collateral for a loan.
This statute prohibited the lender’s going into the debtor’s house to select what he considered appropriate collateral for a loan. He must stand outside the house, and wait for the debtor to bring out the “pledge” to him.
Among the poor, it was customary to use the outer cloak or garment as a covering for the night. If a debtor used this as collateral for a loan, the lender must return it to him at night.
God designed financing laws that they might not become oppressive to one who found it necessary to borrow. At the same time, these laws provided just re-payment of all loans to the lender.
Compare this text with Exo 22:25-27.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
10. When thou dost lend thy brother anything He provides against another iniquity in reclaiming a pledge, viz., that the creditor should ransack the house and furniture of his brother, in order to pick out the pledge at his pleasure. For, if this option were given to the avaricious rich, they would be satisfied with no moderation, but would seize upon all that was best, as if making an assault on the very entrails of the poor: in a word, they would ransack men’s houses, or at any rate, whilst they contemptuously refused this or that, they would fill the wretched with rebuke and shame. God, therefore, will have no pledge reclaimed, except what the debtor of his own accord, and at his own convenience, shall bring out of his house, lie even proceeds further, that the creditor shall not take back any pledge which he knows to be necessary for the poor: for example, if he should pledge the bed on which he sleeps, or his counterpane, or cloak, or mantle. For it is not just that lie should be stripped, so as to suffer from cold, or to be deprived of other aids, the use of which he could not forego without loss or inconvenience. A promise, therefore, is added, that this act of humanity will be pleasing to God, when the poor shall sleep in the garment which is restored to him. He speaks even more distinctly, and says: The poor will bless thee, and it shall be accounted to thee for righteousness. For God indicates that He hears the prayers of the poor and needy, lest the rich man should think the bounty thrown away which lie confers upon a lowly individual. We must, indeed, be more than iron-hearted, unless we are disposed to such liberality as this, when we understand that, although the poor have not the means of repaying us in this world, still they have the power of recompensing us before God, i e. , by obtaining grace for us through their prayers. An implied threat is also conveyed, that if the poor man should sleep inconveniently, or catch cold through our fault, God. will hear his groans, so that our cruelty will not be unpunished. But if the poor man, upon whom we have had compassion, should be ungrateful, yet, even though he is silent, our kindness will cry out to God; whilst, on the other hand, our tyrannical harshness will suffice to provoke God’s vengeance, although he who has been treated unkindly should patiently swallow his wrong. To be unto righteousness (108) is equivalent to being approved by God, or being an acceptable act; for since the keeping of the Law is true righteousness, this praise is extended to particular acts of obedience. Although it must be observed that this righteousness fails and vanishes, unless we universally fulfill whatever God enjoins. It is, indeed, a part of righteousness to restore a poor man’s pledge; but if a mall be only beneficent in this respect., whilst in other matters he robs his brethren; or if, whilst free from avarice, he exercises violence, is given to lust or gluttony, the particular righteousness, although pleasing in itself to God, will not come into account. In fact, we must hold fast the axiom, that no work is accounted righteous before God, unless il, proceeds from a man of purity and integrity; whereas there is none such to be found. Consequently, no works are imputed unto righteousness, except because God deigns to bestow His gratuitous favor on believers. In itself, indeed, it would be true, that whatever act of obedience to God we perform, it is accounted for righteousness, i e. , if the whole course of our life corresponded to it, whereas no work proceeds from us which is not corrupted by some defect. Thus, we must fly to God’s mercy, in order that, being reconciled to us, He may also accept our work.
What he had previously prescribed respecting the poor, lie afterwards applies to widows alone, yet so as to recommend all poor persons to us under their name; and this we gather both from the beginning of the verse (17,) in which lie instructs them to deal fairly and justly with strangers and orphans, and also from the reason which is added, viz., that they should reflect that they were bondmen in the land of Egypt; for their condition there did not suffer them proudly to insult the miserable; and it is natural that he should be the more affected with the ills of others who has experienced the same. Since, then, this reason is a general one, it is evident also that the precept is general, that we should be humane towards all that are in want.
(108) “It shall be righteousness unto thee,” A V. , and rightly, as it would appear, for, as Piscator (in Poole’s Syn.) remarks, “ante צצץ deficit praepositio.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(11) PLEDGE FOR A LOAN (Deu. 24:10-13)
10 When thou dost lend thy neighbor any manner of loan, thou shalt not go into his house to fetch his pledge. 11 Thou shalt stand without, and the man to whom thou does lend shall bring forth the pledge without unto thee. 12 And if he be a poor man, thou shalt not sleep with his pledge; 13 thou shalt surely restore to him the pledge when the sun goeth down, that he may sleep in his garment, and bless thee: and it shall be righteousness unto thee before Jehovah thy God.
THOUGHT QUESTIONS 24:1013
418.
Please read the following references for a complete understanding of this circumstance: Deu. 15:7-11; Deu. 23:19-20; Exo. 22:25-27.
419.
List the qualities of character necessary to fulfill this injunction; such as: (1) compassion, (2) patience, (3) kindness.
420.
What type of righteousness is involved in Deu. 24:13?
AMPLIFIED TRANSLATION 24:1013
10 When you lend your brother anything, you shall not go into his house to get his pledge.
11 You shall stand outside, and the man to whom you lend shall bring the pledge out to you.
12 And if the man is poor, you shall not keep his pledge over night.
13 You shall surely restore to him the pledge at sunset that he may sleep in his garment and bless you; and it shall be credited to you as righteousness (rightness and justice) before the Lord your God.
COMMENT 24:1013
See also Deu. 15:7-11, Deu. 23:19-20, and especially Exo. 22:25-27. The creditor was to be considerate of the comfort and warmth of the borrower, and he was not to invade the personal property rights of this poor man, It is proverbial that The rich ruleth over the poor; And the borrower is servant to the lender (Pro. 22:7) but such despotism was not to chaacterize Israelites financial dealings with one another.
A poor man might only have one or two items of clothinghe very often slept in the same clothes he wore, The normal garments for the poor were long, loose garments . . . still used among the Arabs, and called hykes, which is a kind of blanket, something resembling a highland plaid, in which they often carry their provision, wrap themselves by day and sleep at night. (Clarke, writing about 1830). Thus the holder of this pledge was to return it by nightfall.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(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 securitytheir 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.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
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.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Regulation of Pledges ( Deu 24:10-13 ).
Deu 24:10-11
‘ When you lend your neighbour any manner of loan, you shall not go into his house to fetch his pledge. You shall stand outside, and the man to whom you lend shall bring forth the pledge outside to you.’
This regulation stressed the sanctity of a man’s home and personal rights, which were not to be violated. A creditor must not burst in without warning, taking what he would (like the kidnapper), indeed must not burst in at all. He must be considerate and thoughtful, and on making his approach to obtain his pledge, stand outside and let the person bring it out to him. This might be in respect of an initial pledge, or a daily pledge. In the latter case the man would clearly be very poor. But his right to privacy must still be respected.
Furthermore it prevented the creditor from making his own choice of what was to be pledged. A man’s property was seen as his own, and that right must be respected. We must not make free with other people’s possessions.
Deu 24:12-13
‘ And if he is a poor man, you shall not sleep holding on to his pledge, you shall surely restore to him the pledge when the sun goes down, that he may sleep in his garment, and bless you, and it shall be righteousness to you before Yahweh your God.’
And in the case of a very poor man, who has given his robe in pledge, the robe must be returned to him nightly so that he could sleep in it. For such a man would use his robe as his bed clothes. Then the man will bless his creditor, and this behaviour will count before God. God will see it and approve. They will be counted as covenant keepers and be blessed accordingly. Thus as with the taking of his handmill in Deu 24:6 this is the taking of what is vital for his personal welfare.
We should note that, while Deuteronomy continually makes provision for those in need, ‘the poor’ are only mentioned in this chapter and Deu 15:4-11. This was partly because had Israel been obedient there would not have been poor in the land. so that regularly he speaks in terms of those of whom some would inevitably be poor, the fatherless, the widow and the resident alien/foreigner (Deu 10:18-19; Deu 14:29; Deu 16:11; Deu 16:14; Deu 27:19; Deu 1:16; Deu 5:14; Deu 26:11-13; Deu 29:11 compare Exo 22:22-23) rather than directly of the poor. For he did not want reference to the poor to be taken as evidence that there inevitably would be poor people, other than as a result of misfortune. Poor people in Yahweh’s land were actually a contradiction. His attitude to the resident alien and the foreigner is especially paralleled in Lev 19:33-34, compare with this Deu 10:18, but is common throughout (Exo 12:48-49; Exo 20:10; Exo 22:21; Exo 23:9; Exo 23:12; Lev 24:22; Lev 25:6; Lev 25:35; Num 9:14; Num 15:14-16; Num 15:26-30; Num 35:15).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
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. v. 11. Thou shalt stand abroad, v. 12. And if the man, v. 13. in any case, v. 14. Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy, v. 15. at his day, v. 16. The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers, v. 17. Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger nor of the fatherless, v. 18. But thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt, 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, v. 20. When thou beatest thine olive-tree, v. 21. When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean it afterward, v. 22. And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt; therefore I command thee to do this thing,
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
These directions concerning poor debtors, show the mercy of the LORD. Without going into all the minute circumstances of the case, respecting our insolvency towards GOD, I would ask the Reader; whether he doth not discern some very interesting points, which show us our mercies in JESUS. Yes! Reader, however poor, however insolvent, however obliged to give our pledge by day, all the people of JESUS sleep in the sure covering of the LORD’s righteousness. It may serve to teach us also, how much these creditors resemble the great and Almighty Creditor, who are blessed in their kind and compassionate remembrance of their poorer brethren. 1Jn 3:14 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
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.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Deu 24:10-13
10When you make your neighbor a loan of any sort, you shall not enter his house to take his pledge. 11You shall remain outside, and the man to whom you make the loan shall bring the pledge out to you. 12If he is a poor man, you shall not sleep with his pledge. 13When the sun goes down you shall surely return the pledge to him, that he may sleep in his cloak and bless you; and it will be righteousness for you before the LORD your God.
Deu 24:10 you shall not enter his house to take his pledge The honor and privacy of one’s home was protected. This man also could choose which garment to use as the pledge.
The VERB (BDB 716, KB 778, Qal INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT) is intensified by the use of the same NOUN (BDB 716) pledge. A pledge was a physical object, in this context, a man’s outer garment used as security for a loan (cf. Deu 24:11-13).
These garments were not very valuable, but were necessary to the daily needs of the poor. Taking a man’s garment was more than security for a loan. It was an expression of contempt for the poor man. In God’s eyes all humans are valuable because they are made in His image and likeness (cf. Gen 1:26-27). God’s covenant people must recognize the value and worth He places on humans and respond appropriately!
Deu 24:12 If he is a poor man, you shall not sleep with his pledge This referred to the outer cloak which the poor used as a sleep covering (cf. Exo 22:26-27).
Deu 24:13 you shall surely return This is the INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE combined with the IMPERFECT VERB of the same root (BDB 996, KB 1427), which denotes intensity.
and bless you YHWH defends the poor, widow, alien, and orphan’s rights and person. To abuse them caused a reaction from YHWH Himself (e.g., Exo 22:23; Deu 15:9; Deu 24:15)!
it will be righteousness for you The Septuagint understands this term as it is used here to refer to Jewish almsgiving (cf. Deu 6:25; Deu 15:7-11; Mat 6:1-4).
SPECIAL TOPIC: ALMSGIVING
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
lend. Compare Exo 22:25-27.
brother = neighbour. pledge. Hebrew. ‘abot. = a security. Not the same word in verses: Deu 24:10, Deu 24:11, Deu 24:12, Deu 24:13 as in Deu 24:6 and Deu 24:17.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
When: Deu 15:8
lend thy brother any thing: Heb. lend the loan of anything to thy brother
Reciprocal: Exo 22:26 – to pledge Neh 5:7 – Ye exact usury Job 22:6 – For thou Job 24:3 – drive Eze 33:15 – restore
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Deu 24:10-13. Thou shalt not go in To prevent both the poor mans reproach, by having his wants exposed, and the creditors 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.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
24:10 When thou dost lend thy brother any thing, thou shalt not go {e} into his house to fetch his pledge.
(e) As though you would appoint what to have, but shall receive what be may spare.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Debtors 24:10-15
The Israelites were not to take advantage of their poorer brethren because of their vulnerable condition. God looked out for them. They were not to withhold their clothing and wages from them (cf. Jas 5:4). Specifically they were not to humiliate a debtor by entering his house and demanding repayment of a debt. They were to allow the debtor to initiate repayment. Perhaps the connection with the ninth commandment is that by taking the initiative the creditor was saying something about the debtor that was not necessarily true, namely, that he was unable and or unwilling to repay the debt.