The Meaning of Deuteronomy 15:11 Explained

Deuteronomy 15:11

KJV: 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.

YLT: 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.

Darby: For the needy shall never cease from within the land; therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thy hand bountifully unto thy brother, to thy poor and to thy needy, in thy land.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Deuteronomy 15:11 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 15

1  The seventh year a year of release for the poor
7  one must be generous in lending or giving
12  A Hebrew servant, except by choice, must be freed in the seventh year
19  All firstborn males of the cattle are to be sanctified unto the Lord

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 15:11 mean?

For never will cease the poor from the land upon thus I command you saying wide You shall open - your hand to your brother to your poor and your needy in your land -
כִּ֛י לֹא־ יֶחְדַּ֥ל אֶבְי֖וֹן מִקֶּ֣רֶב הָאָ֑רֶץ עַל־ כֵּ֞ן אָנֹכִ֤י מְצַוְּךָ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר פָּ֠תֹחַ תִּפְתַּ֨ח אֶת־ יָדְךָ֜ לְאָחִ֧יךָ לַעֲנִיֶּ֛ךָ וּלְאֶבְיֹנְךָ֖ בְּאַרְצֶֽךָ ס

לֹא־  never 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יֶחְדַּ֥ל  will  cease 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָדַל 
Sense: to stop, cease, desist, forego, cease to be, leave undone, forbear.
אֶבְי֖וֹן  the  poor 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: אֶבְיׄון  
Sense: in want, needy, chiefly poor, needy person.
הָאָ֑רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
עַל־  upon 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
כֵּ֞ן  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
מְצַוְּךָ֙  command  you 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: צָוָה  
Sense: to command, charge, give orders, lay charge, give charge to, order.
לֵאמֹ֔ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
פָּ֠תֹחַ  wide 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: פָּתַח 
Sense: to open.
תִּפְתַּ֨ח  You  shall  open 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: פָּתַח 
Sense: to open.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
יָדְךָ֜  your  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
לְאָחִ֧יךָ  to  your  brother 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
לַעֲנִיֶּ֛ךָ  to  your  poor 
Parse: Preposition-l, Adjective, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עָנִי  
Sense: poor, afflicted, humble, wretched.
וּלְאֶבְיֹנְךָ֖  and  your  needy 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֶבְיׄון  
Sense: in want, needy, chiefly poor, needy person.
בְּאַרְצֶֽךָ  in  your  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation