Deuteronomy 15:11

KJV1611 – Modern English

For the poor will never cease out of the land; therefore I command you, saying, you shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor, and to your needy, in your land.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

כִּ֛י לֹא־יֶחְדַּ֥ל אֶבְי֖וֹן מִקֶּ֣רֶב הָאָ֑רֶץ עַל־כֵּ֞ן אָנֹכִ֤י מְצַוְּךָ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר פָּ֠תֹחַ תִּפְתַּ֨ח אֶת־יָדְךָ֜ לְאָחִ֧יךָ לַעֲנִיֶּ֛ךָ וּלְאֶבְיֹנְךָ֖ בְּאַרְצֶֽךָ׃

Transliteration

For not shall ḥādal ʾeḇyôn from qereḇ the ʾāreṣ; therefore ʾānōḵî ṣāwāh you lēʾmōr pāṯōaḥ you shall pāṯaḥ ʾēṯ-your yāḏ to your ʾāḥ, to your ʿānî and to your ʾeḇyôn in your ʾereṣ.

Grammar Details

• *ḥādal*: qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular - will cease
• *ʾeḇyôn*: adjective with possessive suffix, masculine singular - your needy
• *qereḇ*: construct state, masculine singular - midst of
• *ʾāreṣ*: definite noun, feminine singular - the land
• *ʾānōḵî*: 1st person singular independent pronoun - I
• *ṣāwāh*: piel participle, masculine singular - commanding
• *lēʾmōr*: qal infinitive construct - saying
• *pāṯōaḥ*: qal infinitive absolute - opening
• *pāṯaḥ*: qal imperfect, 2nd person masculine singular - you shall open
• *yāḏ*: noun with possessive suffix, feminine singular - your hand
• *ʾāḥ*: noun with possessive suffix, masculine singular - your brother
• *ʿānî*: adjective with possessive suffix, masculine singular - your poor
• *ʾereṣ*: noun with possessive suffix, feminine singular - your land

Word Meanings

• *ḥādal*: cease/end/be lacking
• *qereḇ*: midst/among/within
• *pāṯōaḥ* + *pāṯaḥ*: surely open/freely open
• *ʿānî*: poor/afflicted/humble
• *ʾeḇyôn*: needy/destitute/poor

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  For there will never cease to be poor people in the land. Therefore, I command you to freely open your hand to your brother, to the needy, and to the poor in your land.

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wi unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  For the poor{H34} will never cease{H2308} out of{H7130} the land:{H776} therefore I command{H6680} thee, saying,{H559} Thou shalt surely{H6605} open{H6605} thy hand{H3027} unto thy brother,{H251} to thy needy,{H34} and to thy poor,{H6041} in thy land.{H776}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  For the poor{H34} shall never cease{H2308}{(H8799)} out of{H7130} the land{H776}: therefore I command{H6680}{(H8764)} thee, saying{H559}{(H8800)}, Thou shalt open{H6605}{(H8799)} thine hand{H3027} wide{H6605}{(H8800)} unto thy brother{H251}, to thy poor{H6041}, and to thy needy{H34}, in thy land{H776}.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  For the londe shall neuer be without poore. Wherfore I comaunde the sayenge: open thine hande vnto thi brother that is neady ad poore in thy lande.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  The londe shal neuer be without poore, therfore commaunde I the and saye, that thou open thine hande vnto thy brother, which is neady and poore in thy londe.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  Because there shall be euer some poore in the land, therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand vnto thy brother, to thy needie, and to thy poore in thy land.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  The lande shall neuer be without poore: and therfore I comaunde thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hande vnto thy brother that is needy & poore in thy lande.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  For the poor will never cease out of the land: therefore I command you, saying, You shall surely open your hand to your brother, to your needy, and to your poor, in your land.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  because the needy one doth not cease out of the land, therefore I am commanding thee, saying, Thou dost certainly open thy hand to thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy one, in thy land.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  For the poor will never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt surely open thy hand unto thy brother, to thy needy, and to thy poor, in thy land.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  For the poor will never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt surely open thy hand unto thy brother, to thy needy, and to thy poor, in thy land.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  For there will never be a time when there are no poor in the land; and so I give orders to you, Let your hand be open to your countrymen, to those who are poor and in need in your land.

• World English Bible (2000)

  For the poor will never cease out of the land: therefore I command you, saying, You shall surely open your hand to your brother, to your needy, and to your poor, in your land.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  There will never cease to be some poor people in the land; therefore, I am commanding you to make sure you open your hand to your fellow Israelites who are needy and poor in your land.

Referenced Verses

• Matt 26:11 : 11 For you always have the poor with you; but me you do not always have.
• Mark 14:7 : 7 For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you will you may do them good; but me you do not have always.
• John 12:8 : 8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.
• Deut 15:8 : 8 But you shall open your hand wide to him, and shall surely give him sufficient for his need, in what he wants.
• Prov 22:2 : 2 The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all.
• Matt 5:42 : 42 Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
• Luke 12:33 : 33 Sell what you have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags that do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches, nor moth destroys.
• Acts 2:45 : 45 And sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.
• Acts 4:32-35 : 32 Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. 33 And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 34 Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, 35 And laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.
• Acts 11:28-30 : 28 And one of them, named Agabus, stood up and indicated by the Spirit that there would be a great famine throughout the world, which happened in the days of Claudius Caesar. 29 Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brothers dwelling in Judea: 30 Which they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
• 2 Cor 8:2-9 : 2 How in a severe test of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the riches of their generosity. 3 For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they were willing of themselves; 4 Earnestly pleading with us for the privilege of participating in the service to the saints. 5 And this they did, not as we expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God. 6 So we urged Titus, that as he had begun, he would also complete in you this grace also. 7 Therefore, as you abound in everything, in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us, see that you abound in this grace also. 8 I speak not by commandment, but as a test of the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that through his poverty you might become rich.
• 1 John 3:16-18 : 16 By this we perceive the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his compassion from him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.