Deuteronomy 24:10

When thou dost lend thy brother any thing, thou shalt not go into his house to fetch his pledge.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(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 security—their own clothing, or the mill-stones used to prepare their daily food, being almost their only portable property. (See Exodus 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.”

Benson Commentary

Deuteronomy 24:10-13. Thou shalt not go in — To prevent both the poor man’s reproach, by having his wants exposed, and the creditor’s 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.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

24:5-13 It is of great consequence that love be kept up between husband and wife; that they carefully avoid every thing which might make them strange one to another. Man-stealing was a capital crime, which could not be settled, as other thefts, by restitution. The laws concerning leprosy must be carefully observed. Thus all who feel their consciences under guilt and wrath, must not cover it, or endeavour to shake off their convictions; but by repentance, and prayer, and humble confession, take the way to peace and pardon. Some orders are given about pledges for money lent. This teaches us to consult the comfort and subsistence of others, as much as our own advantage. Let the poor debtor sleep in his own raiment, and praise God for thy kindness to him. Poor debtors ought to feel more than commonly they do, the goodness of creditors who do not take all the advantage of the law against them, nor should this ever be looked upon as weakness.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Compare Exodus 22:25-27.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

10-13. When thou dost lend thy brother anything, thou shalt not go into his house to fetch his pledge—The course recommended was, in kind and considerate regard, to spare the borrower's feelings. In the case of a poor man who had pledged his cloak, it was to be restored before night, as the poor in Eastern countries have commonly no other covering for wrapping themselves in when they go to sleep than the garment they have worn during the day.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

To prevent both the poor man’s reproach, by having his wants exposed to view, and the creditor’s insolence and greediness, which might be occasioned by the sight of something which he desired, and the debtor could not spare.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire 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.

Geneva Study Bible

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.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

10. When thou dost lend] See on Deuteronomy 15:1 ff.

any manner of loan] Lit. loan of anything, cp, Deuteronomy 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 (Deuteronomy 15:8, give a pledge). In this case the borrower would make his selection of what his pledge should be.

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 (Deuteronomy 24:10 f.); if he be poor, the pledge, usually his outer robe in which he sleeps, shall be restored by sunset (Deuteronomy 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: Deuteronomy 24:10 f. because of neighbour, not brother as usual with Sg. (see on Deuteronomy 15:2); and Deuteronomy 24:12 f. adapted from E, Exodus 22:26 f. (25 f.; E’s ḥabal, pledge, becomes ‘abat, so as to fit Deuteronomy 24:10 f.), with the religious motive differently expressed. See further on Deuteronomy 24:6. Cp. Ezekiel 18:7; Ezekiel 18:12; Ezekiel 33:15; Code of Ḫammurabi, § 241.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 10-13. - If one had to take a pledge from another, he was not to go into the house of the latter and take what he thought fit; he must stand without, and allow the debtor to bring to him what he saw meet to offer. He might stand outside and summon the debtor to produce his pledge, but he was not insolently to enter the house and lay hands on any part of the owner's property. To stand outside and call is still a common mode of seeking access to a person in his own house or apartment among the Arabs, and is regarded as the only respectful mode. There would be thus a mitigation of the severity of the exaction, the tendency of which would be to preserve good feeling between the parties. If the debtor was needy, and being such could give in pledge only some necessary article, such as his upper garment in which he slept at night, the pledge was to be returned ere nightfall, that the man might sleep in his own raiment, and have a grateful feeling towards his creditor. In many parts of the East, with the Arabs notably, it is customary for the poor to sleep in their outer garment. "During the day the poor while at work can and do dispense with this outside raiment, but at night it is greatly needed, even in summer. This furnishes a good reason why this sort of pledge should be restored before night" (Thomson, 'Land and the Book,' 1:192, 500). The earlier legislation (Exodus 22:25, 26) is evidently assumed here as well known by the people. It shall be righteousness unto thee (see on Deuteronomy 6:25). Deuteronomy 24:10

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Warning against oppressing the Poor. - Deuteronomy 24:10, Deuteronomy 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.