Deuteronomy 24:21
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This isn't just about leaving a few stray grapes; it’s a profound reminder that even the last, most insignificant-seeming bits of our harvest belong to God and are meant to provide for the vulnerable. It challenges us to look beyond our own needs and perceive the divine imprint on even the leftovers, ensuring provision for those who have nothing.
When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not strip it afterward. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage is part of a series of laws in Deuteronomy that instruct the Israelites on how to show compassion and justice, particularly toward vulnerable members of society like the poor, widows, and foreigners. Following rules about not re-aping forgotten sheaves of grain and not beating olive trees a second time, this verse extends the principle to grape harvesting, ensuring that what's left behind benefits those in need. It's all rooted in a powerful reminder of their own past struggles as enslaved people in Egypt, urging them to act with mercy because God showed them mercy.
Imagine finishing your harvest, thinking you've got it all. But God says there's more to do – you've left something behind on purpose.
This passage in Deuteronomy is part of a series of laws (Deuteronomy 24:19-22) designed to care for the most vulnerable in Israelite society: the sojourner (foreigner), the fatherless (orphans), and the widow. When harvesting grain, olives, or grapes, the Israelites were explicitly commanded not to go back and gather everything. A forgotten sheaf, the leftover olives on the branches, or the remaining grapes on the vine were not to be meticulously cleaned up. These 'leftovers' were God's provision for those who had no land or means to provide for themselves.
This wasn't about accidental oversight; it was a deliberate act of charity built into the very fabric of their agricultural life. It ensured that even the poorest could glean something, receiving a tangible share of the land's bounty.
God didn't just command generosity; He gave them a powerful reason to be merciful – a memory from their own past.
The command to leave the gleanings isn't just about social welfare; it's deeply tied to Israel's identity and history. The very next verse (Deuteronomy 24:22) is crucial: 'And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt.'
This memory served as a constant, potent reminder. They knew what it was like to be vulnerable, oppressed, and without provision. Having been shown immense mercy by God in their slavery, they were now called to extend that same mercy to the vulnerable within their own community. Their past hardship was meant to fuel present compassion. It was a call to embody the very grace God had shown them.
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Understand the original words
ger · Hebrew Noun
A foreigner or immigrant residing in a land not their own. In the Old Testament, the law frequently commands compassion for them, acknowledging their vulnerability and dependency on God's covenant people.
yathom · Hebrew Noun
A child whose father has died; biblically, they represent one of the most vulnerable social groups. The Torah mandates special protection and justice for them as a reflection of God's character as a "Father to the fatherless."
almanah · Hebrew Noun
A woman whose husband has died. In the biblical social structure, they often lacked legal and economic security, making their protection a primary responsibility of the godly and a manifestation of justice.
This passage lays out similar laws about not fully harvesting fields and olive groves, ensuring that leftovers are for the poor and sojourners, reflecting the same heart of compassion for the vulnerable.
Ruth 2:2-3Ruth's act of gleaning in Boaz's field directly illustrates this command in action, showing how the poor could provision themselves from what was left behind.
Luke 10:30-37The Parable of the Good Samaritan highlights the principle behind these laws: showing mercy and practical care to those in need, regardless of their background, mirroring the intention of protecting the sojourner, fatherless, and widow.
2 Corinthians 8:13-15Paul connects the Old Testament principle of provision for the needy with New Testament generosity, emphasizing a balance where abundance for some leads to relief for others, echoing the spirit of Deuteronomy's commands.
Matthew 25:35-40Jesus identifies himself with the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, and imprisoned, teaching that acts of kindness to the least of these are acts of service to Him, reinforcing the profound spiritual significance of caring for the vulnerable.
calvinDeuteronomy 24:19-22: "When thou cuttest down thine harvest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow: that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hands."
- When thou cuttest down thine harvest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheaf in the field, then shalt not go again to fetch it: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow; that the Lor…
cambridgeDeuteronomy 24:21: "When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean it afterward: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow."
21 . When thou gatherest ] Lit. cuttest off , the usual vb. for harvesting grapes ( Jdg 9:27 ). Ingathering , applied to the vintage feast (see on Deuteronomy 16:13 ), is another vb.
This isn't just about leaving a few stray grapes; it’s a profound reminder that even the last, most insignificant-seeming bits of our harvest belong to God and are meant to provide for the vulnerable. It challenges us to look beyond our own needs and perceive the divine imprint on even the leftovers, ensuring provision for those who have nothing.
This passage is part of a series of laws in Deuteronomy that instruct the Israelites on how to show compassion and justice, particularly toward vulnerable members of society like the poor, widows, and foreigners. Following rules about not re-aping forgotten sheaves of grain and not beating olive trees a second time, this verse extends the principle to grape harvesting, ensuring that what's left behind benefits those in need. It's all rooted in a powerful reminder of their own past struggles as enslaved people in Egypt, urging them to act with mercy because God showed them mercy.
This passage is part of a series of laws in Deuteronomy that instruct the Israelites on how to show compassion and justice, particularly toward vulnerable members of society like the poor, widows, and foreigners. Following rules about not re-aping forgotten sheaves of grain and not beating olive trees a second time, this verse extends the principle to grape harvesting, ensuring that what's left behind benefits those in need. It's all rooted in a powerful reminder of their own past struggles as enslaved people in Egypt, urging them to act with mercy because God showed them mercy.
"When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not strip it afterward. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow." — This isn't just about leaving a few stray grapes; it’s a profound reminder that even the last, most insignificant-seeming bits of our harvest belong to God and are meant to provide for the vulnerab…
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Last reviewed October 2026
