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how can this principle guide us when thinking about systemic poverty and global wealth disparities?

Adds the setting and its conversation across both testaments.

Deuteronomy 15:7-8

“If there is with you a poor man, one of your brothers, within any of your gates in your land which Yahweh your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your poor brother; but you shall open your hand wide to him, and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need in that which he wants.”

This passage is part of Moses' address to the Israelites as they prepare to enter the promised land. It lays out laws for their new society, covering various aspects of life from worship to social justice, ensuring provisions for the poor and vulnerable within the community.

What does 'opening your hand wide' mean for you in a world of vast global disparities?

Then — the setting

This text, likely originating in the 7th century BCE (Deuteronomic reform period) or earlier, addresses the Israelite community directly. It establishes a social ethic for a covenant people living in an agrarian society, emphasizing internal communal responsibility. The instruction to 'open your hand wide' wasn't just about charity, but about structured lending within an economic system where land and resources were meant to be distributed more equitably through cycles like the Jubilee and Sabbatical years. This prevented permanent debt-slavery among Israelites and aimed to alleviate chronic poverty within their 'gates'. The focus is on brothers and sisters within the community, distinct from how foreign residents might be treated, yet still demanding generosity.

Across the Testaments

In the Old Testament, particularly the Torah and prophetic books, poverty is often seen as a social failing that the community is obligated to address, often through specific legal provisions like gleaning laws, tithing for the poor, and debt release. The New Testament, while not abrogating these principles, expands on them through Jesus's teachings, which emphasize radical generosity, detachment from wealth, and a preferential option for the poor (e.g., the Beatitudes, the parable of the rich fool). It moves beyond a nationalistic 'brother' to a broader 'neighbor' (Luke 10:29-37) and connects service to the poor directly with one's relationship with God (Matthew 25:31-46). The early Christian community in Acts models communal sharing to ensure 'no one among them lacked' (Acts 4:34), echoing and fulfilling the spirit of Deuteronomy 15.

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

Leviticus 25:35-37
Explains a similar principle of lending to the poor without interest among fellow Israelites.
Proverbs 28:27
Affirms that giving to the poor leads to blessing, while ignoring them brings a curse.
Matthew 25:35-40
Jesus identifies himself with the hungry, thirsty, and imprisoned, linking service to the needy with serving him.

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