Deuteronomy 24:19-22

(15) NEEDY TO BE CONSIDERED AT HARVEST TIME (Deuteronomy 24:19-22)

19 When thou reapest thy 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 sojourner, for the fatherless, and for the widow; that Jehovah thy God may bless thee in all the work of thy hands. 20 When thou beatest thine olive-tree, thou shalt not go over the boughs again: it shall be for the sojourners, for the fatherless, and for the widow. 21 When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean it after thee: it shall be for the sojourner, for the fatherless, and for the widow. 22 And thou shalt remember that thou was a bondman in the land of Egypt: therefore I command thee to do this thing.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 24:19-22

430.

Are some people naturally more generous than others? Is generosity a quality controlled by law?

AMPLIFIED TRANSLATION 24:19-22

19 When you reap your harvest in your field and have forgotten a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the
stranger and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow; that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands
20 When you beat your olive tree, do not go over the boughs again; the leavings shall be for the stranger and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.
21 When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not glean it afterward; it shall be for the stranger and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.

22 You shall [earnestly] remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I command you to do this.

COMMENT 24:19-22

Compare Deuteronomy 23:24-25, Leviticus 19:9-10; Leviticus 23:22. The poor and the sojourner were to be considered whether grain, olives, or grapes were being harvested, It is not difficult to see how the basic quality of generosity would be developed in the faithful Israelite who kept these laws.