“And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee.”
My Notes
What Does Leviticus 25:35 Mean?
"And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee." God commands economic support for the impoverished community member: if your brother has become poor, you shall strengthen him (hechezaqta — make strong, support, hold up). The obligation extends beyond ethnic Israelites: "yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner" — even non-Israelites living among you receive the same economic protection. The purpose: "that he may live with thee" — the support exists to sustain life, not just to ease conscience.
The word "relieve" is literally "strengthen" — the support isn't passive charity but active empowerment. You don't just give the poor person food. You strengthen them — enabling them to live and eventually thrive.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Where is someone 'waxen poor' (declining) near you that you could strengthen before they hit bottom?
- 2.What does 'strengthen' (rebuild capacity) require that 'give' (provide handout) doesn't?
- 3.How does the inclusion of 'stranger and sojourner' (no ethnic limits) expand your economic responsibility?
- 4.What would 'that he may live WITH thee' (relational community, not charity) look like in your context?
Devotional
Your brother is poor. Strengthen him. Even if he's a foreigner. So he can live. God commands economic support that doesn't just maintain survival but actively rebuilds capacity — for Israelites AND for foreigners living among them.
If thy brother be waxen poor. The poverty is progressive: waxen poor — the Hebrew describes a decline, a falling, a weakening over time. The person wasn't always poor. They became poor through circumstances that reduced their capacity. The instruction addresses the trajectory: catch them while they're falling. Don't wait until they've hit the bottom.
Fallen in decay with thee. The 'with thee' locates the obligation: this person is near you. You can see their decline. Their poverty isn't in a distant country. It's beside you — close enough to notice, close enough to help, close enough that their survival or death depends on your response.
Then thou shalt relieve him. Hechezaqta — you shall strengthen. Not: give them something. Strengthen them. The support isn't a handout that sustains dependence. It's an intervention that rebuilds capacity. The word is the same used for strengthening walls, supporting beams, reinforcing structures. You strengthen the poor person the way you'd strengthen a building that's sagging: find the weak point and reinforce it.
Yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner. The economic protection extends beyond ethnic Israel: the foreigner living among you receives the same strengthening. The person you strengthen doesn't need to share your ethnicity, your religion, or your covenant. They need to share your proximity. If they're near you and they're poor — strengthen them. Regardless of who they are.
That he may live with thee. The purpose: life. Not just survival — living WITH you. The strengthened person doesn't just not die. They live in community. They participate. They contribute. They exist as a neighbor, not as a charity case. The 'with thee' is relational: the goal isn't maintaining a population. It's sustaining a community where the poor person has a place.
The command covers the entire spectrum of poverty response: see the decline (notice), catch the fall (intervene early), strengthen the person (rebuild capacity), include the foreigner (no ethnic limits), and sustain community (they live WITH you). The response isn't a one-time donation. It's an ongoing relational commitment to the person's presence in the community.
Every economic system, every community, every relationship faces this test: what do you do when your brother becomes poor? God's answer: strengthen. Not pity. Not judge. Not avoid. Strengthen.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And if thy brother be waxen poor,.... An Israelite, as Aben Ezra, be reduced to a low estate, through afflictions in…
Rather, And if thy brother (an Israelite) becomes poor and falls into decay with thee, thou shalt assist him and let him…
Here is, I. A law concerning the real estates of the Israelites in the land of Canaan, and the transferring of them. 1.…
Prohibition of usury in the case of a poor Israelite(H with perhaps a slight admixture of P)
Cross References
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