Deuteronomy 23:25 - When you come into your neighbor’s standing grain, then you may pluck the ears with your hand; but you shall not move a sickle to your neighbor’s standing grain.
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What does "Deuteronomy 23:25" mean?
This verse, Deuteronomy 23:25, is about gleaning – the practice of allowing the poor and hungry to take small amounts of food from a field without harming the overall crop. Here's a breakdown of its meaning:
"When you come into your neighbor’s standing grain, then you may pluck the ears with your hand..." This part gives permission to anyone who is hungry to enter a neighbor's field and pluck ears of grain (like wheat or barley) by hand. This implies they are allowed to eat the grain to satisfy their immediate hunger. It's a form of informal charity.
"...but you shall not move a sickle to your neighbor’s standing grain." This part sets a limit. It prohibits the person from using a sickle (a harvesting tool) to cut down the grain. This is to prevent theft or the wholesale harvesting of the crop, which would deprive the owner of their harvest.
In essence, the verse allows a hungry person to take just enough grain to alleviate their immediate hunger directly from the field, but they are forbidden from harvesting a larger amount that would significantly impact the owner's harvest.
Key takeaways:
Compassion and Social Responsibility: This verse reflects a sense of community and responsibility to care for the poor and hungry.
Limited Right: It establishes a limited right for those in need to access food, but not an unlimited right to take as much as they want.
Protection of Property Rights: The prohibition against using a sickle protects the landowner's property rights and ensures they can still harvest their crop.
Practical Application: It's a very practical instruction on how to balance the needs of the hungry with the rights of the landowners. It promotes a system where the poor can find sustenance without stealing or depriving farmers of their livelihood.
This law reflects the principles of justice and compassion that are central to the Old Testament. It's a simple, yet powerful, way to ensure that those in need are taken care of within the community, while still respecting private property.
Deuteronomy 23:25 - When you come into your neighbor’s standing grain, then you may pluck the ears with your hand; but you shall not move a sickle to your neighbor’s standing grain.
What does "Deuteronomy 23:25" mean?
This verse, Deuteronomy 23:25, is about gleaning – the practice of allowing the poor and hungry to take small amounts of food from a field without harming the overall crop. Here's a breakdown of its meaning:
"When you come into your neighbor’s standing grain, then you may pluck the ears with your hand..." This part gives permission to anyone who is hungry to enter a neighbor's field and pluck ears of grain (like wheat or barley) by hand. This implies they are allowed to eat the grain to satisfy their immediate hunger. It's a form of informal charity.
"...but you shall not move a sickle to your neighbor’s standing grain." This part sets a limit. It prohibits the person from using a sickle (a harvesting tool) to cut down the grain. This is to prevent theft or the wholesale harvesting of the crop, which would deprive the owner of their harvest.
In essence, the verse allows a hungry person to take just enough grain to alleviate their immediate hunger directly from the field, but they are forbidden from harvesting a larger amount that would significantly impact the owner's harvest.
Key takeaways:
Compassion and Social Responsibility: This verse reflects a sense of community and responsibility to care for the poor and hungry.
Limited Right: It establishes a limited right for those in need to access food, but not an unlimited right to take as much as they want.
Protection of Property Rights: The prohibition against using a sickle protects the landowner's property rights and ensures they can still harvest their crop.
Practical Application: It's a very practical instruction on how to balance the needs of the hungry with the rights of the landowners. It promotes a system where the poor can find sustenance without stealing or depriving farmers of their livelihood.
This law reflects the principles of justice and compassion that are central to the Old Testament. It's a simple, yet powerful, way to ensure that those in need are taken care of within the community, while still respecting private property.