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 nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee.

DEUTERONOMY 15:9KJV
Know the Bible

Deuteronomy 15:9 (KJV)

What does Deuteronomy 15:9 mean?

Deuteronomy 15:9 warns people not to let selfish or hard thoughts stop them from helping a poor fellow Israelite, especially as the “year of release” approaches, when debts would be forgiven. The verse says refusing to help out of fear of not being repaid is considered sinful before God.

Moses is speaking to the Israelites about the laws God gave them for living together in the land. The “seventh year, the year of release” refers to a special time when debts were canceled to prevent long-term poverty. The verse addresses the temptation to withhold help from someone in need just because the lender might lose money soon, highlighting the importance of generosity and compassion over self-interest.

The Hebrew behind Deuteronomy 15:9

  • “Beware” (שָׁמַר, shamar): This word means to watch carefully or guard oneself. The warning is not just about outward actions but about guarding one’s inner attitude.
  • “Wicked” (בְּלִיַּעַל, beliyya‘al): This word often means “worthless” or “good-for-nothing,” but here it points to a heart that is morally corrupt or selfish, not just evil in a general sense.
  • “Release” (שְׁמִטָּה, shemittah): This is the technical term for the seventh-year cancellation of debts. Knowing this word helps clarify that the verse is about a real economic practice, not just a spiritual idea.
  • “Eye be evil” (רַע, ra‘): The phrase “your eye be evil” means to look with stinginess or ill will, not just to see something bad. It’s about an attitude of reluctance to help.

Why Deuteronomy 15:9 matters

  • Deuteronomy 15:9 clarifies that God cares not just about actions but also about motives and attitudes, especially in how people treat the poor.
  • The verse highlights the real social and economic pressures Israelites faced, showing that God’s laws aimed to build a community where compassion overcomes self-protection.
  • This verse connects to the larger theme in Deuteronomy 15 about caring for the vulnerable and trusting God’s provision, even when it seems risky or costly.

Where else these words appear

“release” Hebrew H8059 · used in 4 verses

  • Deuteronomy 15:1 At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release.
  • Deuteronomy 15:2 And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbour shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the LORD'S release.
  • Deuteronomy 31:10 And Moses commanded them, saying, At the end of every seven years, in the solemnity of the year of release, in the feast of tabernacles,

“wicked” Hebrew H1100 · used in 26 verses

  • Deuteronomy 13:13 Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known;
  • 1 Samuel 30:22 Then answered all the wicked men and men of Belial, of those that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them ought of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away, and depart.
  • Job 34:18 Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked? and to princes, Ye are ungodly?

“sin” Hebrew H2399 · used in 33 verses

  • Genesis 41:9 Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day:
  • Deuteronomy 21:22 And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree:
  • Psalms 103:10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

“poor” Hebrew H34 · used in 58 verses

  • Exodus 23:6 Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.
  • Psalms 49:2 Both low and high, rich and poor, together.
  • Proverbs 31:9 Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.