You asked

what was the social safety net like in ancient israelite society compared to other nations then?

The passage, plainly, with room to sit with it.

Deuteronomy 15:7-8

“If there is with you a poor man, any 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 to him, and shall lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wants.”

This passage is part of Moses' address to the Israelites before they enter the promised land. It lays out laws for how they are to live as a community, including instructions for caring for the poor among them, emphasizing generosity and mutual support.

What does this passage challenge you to notice about the needs in your own community, and your capacity to respond?

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Read alongside it

Leviticus 19:9-10
Instructs landowners to leave gleanings in their fields for the poor and foreigners.
Ruth 2:1-16
Illustrates how the practice of gleaning provided for vulnerable individuals like Ruth and Naomi.
James 2:14-17
Emphasizes that faith without works, especially caring for those in need, is dead.

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