Exodus 22:26-27
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This law reveals a surprising flexibility in pledging. It wasn't necessarily about permanently taking an item, but often involved a daily cycle where a poor person's essential clothing, used for warmth at night, could be held during the day but had to be returned before sunset for their immediate use.
If ever you take your neighbor’s cloak in pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down, for that is his only covering, and it is his cloak for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage is part of a larger section detailing laws for justice and compassion towards the vulnerable in Israelite society. Following instructions on preventing injustice and protecting property, God lays out specific rules about lending and the use of pledges, emphasizing that even in business dealings, fairness and care for the poor must prevail. This particular law addresses the practice of taking a neighbor's outer garment as collateral for a loan, requiring its immediate return before nightfall.
Imagine needing your only blanket back every single night. This wasn't a minor detail in ancient Israel; it was a matter of survival and dignity.
This law, found in Exodus 22:26, speaks volumes about how God cares for the vulnerable. It's not just about returning a borrowed item; it's about ensuring a person's basic needs are met daily.
The Practicality of Poverty
The "raiment" mentioned was likely a single outer garment, a crucial piece of clothing worn during the day and used as a blanket at night. For many poor Israelites, this was their only covering.
A Daily Debt Acknowledged
The requirement to return the pledge before sunset wasn't about the creditor's convenience. It was a practical way to allow the borrower to use the garment for its essential nighttime function. This daily return also served as a constant reminder of the debt, acting almost like a verbal contract, especially in a time when written agreements weren't common.
Was this just a rule, or was there something deeper God wanted His people to grasp about generosity and justice?
While the law provided a clear directive, the underlying principle was about cultivating a compassionate heart. God wasn't just setting rules for lending; He was shaping the character of His people.
Protecting the Vulnerable
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This wasn't about a creditor losing out; it was about preventing a borrower from being pushed into utter destitution. Taking away someone's sole covering for the night could lead to illness, despair, and further inability to work and repay the debt.
Emulating God's Character
God Himself is the ultimate provider and protector. By requiring His people to act with such care, He was calling them to reflect His own merciful nature. It’s a powerful reminder that true justice is always tempered with mercy and a deep consideration for the well-being of others.
Understand the original words
salmah · Hebrew Noun
An outer garment used as protection from the elements, often functioning as a poor man's bed covering; taking it in pledge implies withholding a necessity of life.
chabol · Hebrew Noun
Security or collateral given to ensure the repayment of a debt. Biblical law regulates the taking of pledges to prevent the oppression of the poor.
channun · Hebrew Adjective
Refers to the moral character of God, characterized by grace, mercy, and sensitivity to the suffering of His people; He is responsive to the cries of the oppressed.
This passage expands on the law given in Exodus, directly stating that if the pledge is a poor person's only covering, it must be returned before nightfall so they can sleep.
Nehemiah 5:3This passage highlights the harsh reality of pledging when people were forced to pledge their fields and vineyards, and even their children, due to crushing debt and famine, showing the desperate need for laws protecting the vulnerable.
Amos 2:8The prophet Amos directly condemns the wealthy who take garments pledged by the poor and hold onto them unlawfully, demonstrating how this ancient law was violated in later Israelite history.
Matthew 5:40Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, calls for a radical generosity that goes beyond mere legal requirement, teaching followers to give even the cloak to someone who asks, which is a profound extension of this principle of not oppressing the needy.
pulpitExodus 22:26: "If thou at all take thy neighbour's raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that the sun goeth down:"
Verse 26. - If thou take at all thy neighbour's raiment to pledge. Lending upon pledge, the business of our modern pawnbrokers, was not forbidden by the Jewish law; only certain articles of primary necessity were forbidden to be taken, as the handmill for grinding flour, or either of its mill-stones (Deuteronomy 24:6). Borrowing upon pledge was practised largely in…
clarkeExodus 22:26: "If thou at all take thy neighbour's raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that the sun goeth down:"
If thou - take thy neighbor's raiment to pledge - It seems strange that any pledge should be taken which must be so speedily restored; but it is very likely that the pledge was restored by night only, and that he who pledged it brought it back to his creditor next morning. The opinion of the rabbins is, that whatever a man needed for the support of life, he had the u…
This law reveals a surprising flexibility in pledging. It wasn't necessarily about permanently taking an item, but often involved a daily cycle where a poor person's essential clothing, used for warmth at night, could be held during the day but had to be returned before sunset for their immediate use.
This passage is part of a larger section detailing laws for justice and compassion towards the vulnerable in Israelite society. Following instructions on preventing injustice and protecting property, God lays out specific rules about lending and the use of pledges, emphasizing that even in business dealings, fairness and care for the poor must prevail. This particular law addresses the practice of taking a neighbor's outer garment as collateral for a loan, requiring its immediate return before nightfall.
This passage is part of a larger section detailing laws for justice and compassion towards the vulnerable in Israelite society. Following instructions on preventing injustice and protecting property, God lays out specific rules about lending and the use of pledges, emphasizing that even in business dealings, fairness and care for the poor must prevail. This particular law addresses the practice of taking a neighbor's outer garment as collateral for a loan, requiring its immediate return before nightfall.
"If ever you take your neighbor’s cloak in pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down, for that is his only covering, and it is his cloak for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I…" — This law reveals a surprising flexibility in pledging. It wasn't necessarily about permanently taking an item, but often involved a daily cycle where a poor person's essential clothing, used for warm…
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Last reviewed October 2026
