Leviticus 25:35
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The text doesn't just say to help a poor brother; it uses the phrase "his hand fails." This vivid imagery points to someone who has lost their ability to provide for themselves, a loss so severe that it's like their hand can no longer grasp or support them. Therefore, you're called to literally "lay hold" of them, much like you would a stranger or sojourner, ensuring they don't become completely outcast in their desperation.
“If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This section is about protecting the vulnerable within the Israelite community, especially those who might be forced into servitude due to poverty. Before this verse, the laws discussed the land resting in the Year of Jubilee to prevent permanent loss of inheritance, and now Moses addresses the immediate concern of how the community should care for its members who are struggling now. The instruction here sets the stage for further commands in the following verses, particularly forbidding usury and ensuring dignity for those who fall on hard times.
What does it mean for someone's 'hand to fail' or 'waver'?
The verse paints a vivid picture of poverty. It's not just about being broke; it's about losing the capacity to provide for oneself. The Hebrew phrasing suggests a hand that falters, that can no longer grip or work effectively to sustain life.
The Depth of Poverty
When a fellow Israelite's hand wavers, it signifies a crisis where self-sufficiency is lost. They can't earn, they can't manage, they can't keep what they have. This isn't a call for a quick fix, but for profound support.
A Call to Action
'You shall support him' or 'you shall lay hold of him' means to actively step in. It’s about strengthening that wavering hand, preventing a complete fall, and ensuring they can continue to live among you with dignity.
Does 'brother' only mean blood relative, or someone closer?
The command to support a poor brother is extended with a surprising qualifier: 'yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner.' This might seem contradictory at first, but it reveals a core principle of God's law.
Defining 'Brother'
In the context of Leviticus, 'brother' primarily refers to fellow Israelites. However, the inclusion of 'stranger' and 'sojourner'—foreigners living within the community—expands the circle of care.
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A Universal Ethic
While some scholars debate the precise rendering, the most consistent interpretation is that Israelites were to treat even resident foreigners with a high degree of compassion, especially when they fell into poverty. They weren't to be treated as outcasts but were to receive consideration similar to how the Israelites themselves were to be treated when they lacked land or status.
This foreshadows a larger truth: God’s heart is for all people, and His people are called to reflect that inclusive love.
Why is the goal simply to 'live with you'?
The ultimate aim of supporting a poor brother or even a struggling foreigner is so 'he shall live with you.' This isn't just about temporary relief; it's about integration and preventing alienation.
Avoiding Social Ruin
Extreme poverty could lead to a form of indentured servitude or a complete loss of one's place in the community. The law actively worked against this by commanding neighbors to step in.
Sustaining Community
By ensuring that those who fell on hard times could 'live with you,' the community maintained its wholeness. It prevented the formation of an underclass of outcasts and reinforced the idea that everyone had a place and a stake in the community's well-being. This was a radical commitment to communal responsibility and mutual dependence, reflecting God's desire for His people to flourish together.
Understand the original words
ach · Hebrew Noun
A fellow member of the covenant community of Israel. Brotherly duty in the Bible involves providing aid, protection, and justice, reflecting the relational obligations of the covenant.
ger · Hebrew Noun
A temporary resident or guest in a land not their own. Biblically, they often lived under the protection of the host community but lacked the full political and land-owning rights of native citizens.
This parable directly illustrates the command to support a neighbor in need, extending compassion even to those who are not part of one's immediate community, mirroring the spirit of Leviticus 25:35 towards both 'brother' and 'stranger'.
1 Timothy 5:8This passage emphasizes the practical responsibility of caring for one's own household, and by extension, one's community, highlighting the consequences of neglecting those who are struggling to provide for themselves.
Deuteronomy 15:7-11This passage reiterates the command to be generous to the poor within Israel, urging that the 'heart shall not be greedy,' which connects to the proactive support required in Leviticus 25:35 to prevent impoverishment.
Galatians 6:10This verse calls believers to 'do good to all, especially to those who belong to the family of faith,' echoing the principle of supporting one's 'brother' while also recognizing a broader responsibility to help those in need, as Leviticus 25:35 implies.
Nehemiah 5:1-13This historical account shows the tragic consequences when the Israelites failed to uphold the principles of economic justice and mutual support, directly violating the spirit of the laws regarding the poor and the indebted, as seen in Leviticus 25:35.
pulpitLeviticus 25:35: "And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee."
Verses 35-38. - Slavery. It is presumed that no Hebrew will become a slave except on the pressure of poverty, and this poverty his brethren are commanded to relieve; but foreseeing that either want of charity on the part of the rich or unthrift on the part of the poor would certainly bring about slavery, the le…
pooleLeviticus 25:35: "And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee."
Fallen in decay, Heb. his hand wavereth, of faileth or is decayed so that he hath not power to get or keep wealth, as the phrase is, Deu 8:18 ; as on the contrary, when a man is able, his hand is said to attain and find sufficiency , as here above, Leviticus 25:26 . Relieve him, Heb. strengthen him , comfort hi…
The text doesn't just say to help a poor brother; it uses the phrase "his hand fails." This vivid imagery points to someone who has lost their ability to provide for themselves, a loss so severe that it's like their hand can no longer grasp or support them. Therefore, you're called to literally "lay hold" of them, much like you would a stranger or sojourner, ensuring they don't become completely outcast in their desperation.
This section is about protecting the vulnerable within the Israelite community, especially those who might be forced into servitude due to poverty. Before this verse, the laws discussed the land resting in the Year of Jubilee to prevent permanent loss of inheritance, and now Moses addresses the immediate concern of how the community should care for its members who are struggling now. The instruction here sets the stage for further commands in the following verses, particularly forbidding usury and ensuring dignity for those who fall on hard times.
This section is about protecting the vulnerable within the Israelite community, especially those who might be forced into servitude due to poverty. Before this verse, the laws discussed the land resting in the Year of Jubilee to prevent permanent loss of inheritance, and now Moses addresses the immediate concern of how the community should care for its members who are struggling now. The instruction here sets the stage for further commands in the following verses, particularly forbidding usury and ensuring dignity for those who fall on hard times.
"“If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you." — The text doesn't just say to help a poor brother; it uses the phrase "his hand fails." This vivid imagery points to someone who has lost their ability to provide for themselves, a loss so severe that…
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Last reviewed October 2026
