Deuteronomy 15:6 kjv
For the LORD thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee.
Deuteronomy 15:6 nkjv
For the LORD your God will bless you just as He promised you; you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; you shall reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over you.
Deuteronomy 15:6 niv
For the LORD your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. You will rule over many nations but none will rule over you.
Deuteronomy 15:6 esv
For the LORD your God will bless you, as he promised you, and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow, and you shall rule over many nations, but they shall not rule over you.
Deuteronomy 15:6 nlt
The LORD your God will bless you as he has promised. You will lend money to many nations but will never need to borrow. You will rule many nations, but they will not rule over you.
Deuteronomy 15 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 28:12 | The Lord will open to you His good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain... and bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. | Direct parallel; conditional blessing and economic dominance. |
| Deut 28:13 | And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; and you shall only be above, and shall not be beneath... | Direct parallel; national supremacy for obedience. |
| Ex 23:25 | You shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you. | Promise of blessing for obedience. |
| Lev 26:3-5 | If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments and do them, then I will give you your rains in their season... and you shall eat your fill and dwell in your land securely. | Covenant blessing for obedience. |
| Ps 37:21 | The wicked borrows and does not pay back, but the righteous gives generously. | Contrast highlighting righteousness associated with lending, not borrowing. |
| Ps 112:5 | Good will come to him who is generous and lends generously; who conducts his affairs with justice. | The character of the blessed, righteous person who lends. |
| Prov 22:7 | The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender. | Highlights the undesirable position of being a borrower; underscores the value of Deut 15:6. |
| Prov 22:9 | Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor. | Links giving (like debt release) to blessing and provision. |
| Gen 12:2-3 | I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing... and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. | Foundational Abrahamic covenant of blessing to be a blessing. |
| Ex 19:5-6 | Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you shall be My treasured possession... a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. | Israel's chosen status and role tied to obedience. |
| Josh 1:8 | This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night... For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. | Prosperity and success through obedience to God's Word. |
| Isa 2:2-4 | In the latter days... all the nations shall stream to it... and many peoples shall come... and He will judge between the nations... and they shall beat their swords into plowshares. | Prophetic vision of Jerusalem as the spiritual head of nations. |
| Isa 60:3 | And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. | Israel (or New Jerusalem) as a beacon of light to nations, signifying spiritual influence and leadership. |
| Zech 8:22-23 | Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the Lord... We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you. | Nations seeking Israel, demonstrating their influence and preeminence. |
| Ps 2:8 | Ask of Me, and I will make the nations Your heritage, and the ends of the earth Your possession. | Messianic promise of universal dominion. |
| Mat 5:5 | Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. | Spiritual principle of inheriting the earth, related to humble submission to God's will. |
| Mat 6:33 | But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. | Prioritizing God's kingdom and righteousness leads to material provision. |
| 2 Cor 9:8 | And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. | God's enablement for spiritual and practical giving. |
| Eph 1:3 | Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. | The ultimate spiritual fulfillment of blessing in Christ. |
| Rev 20:6 | Blessed and holy is the one who has a share in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with Him for a thousand years. | Believers reigning with Christ, fulfilling the theme of dominion. |
Deuteronomy 15 verses
Deuteronomy 15 6 Meaning
Deuteronomy 15:6 articulates a covenantal promise of divine blessing, conditional on Israel's obedience to God's laws, particularly those preceding it regarding debt remission and care for the poor. This blessing would manifest as abundant prosperity, elevating Israel to a position of economic influence and national superiority, enabling them to be a benefactor to other nations rather than dependent on them. It signifies Israel's role as a leading nation, characterized by divinely provided resources and dominion, free from external financial or political servitude.
Deuteronomy 15 6 Context
Deuteronomy 15:6 is part of a larger section (Deuteronomy 12-26) detailing the practical outworking of the Mosaic Covenant for Israel once they entered the Promised Land. Specifically, chapter 15 addresses social and economic laws. Verses 1-11 focus on the law of the Sabbatical Year (Shemitah), requiring the cancellation of debts every seven years and a focus on open-handed generosity towards the poor. This law was intended to prevent long-term poverty and social stratification, fostering communal solidarity. Verse 6 functions as a divine promise and motivation: God would provide Israel with such abundance through their obedience to these social justice laws that they would transcend the common cycle of debt and economic subjugation seen among surrounding nations. Historically, ancient Near Eastern societies were often characterized by significant debt slavery and fluctuating power dynamics where nations would conquer and subjugate others, imposing tribute and taxes. This promise offers a stark contrast: Israel would be the lender, not the borrower; the ruler, not the ruled, setting them apart as a unique and blessed nation under God's sovereignty. The implicit polemic is against the exploitative economic and power systems of their neighbors, promoting God's design for justice, generosity, and flourishing.
Deuteronomy 15 6 Word analysis
- For the Lord your God: This phrase points to YHWH (יהוה), Israel's covenant God, distinguished by a personal relationship ("your God," אֱלֹהֶיךָ - Eloheykha). It emphasizes that the promised blessing emanates directly from Him, not from Israel's own strength or alliances.
- will bless you: Hebrew: בָּרַךְ (barakh). This is an active and deliberate act by God to confer prosperity, fruitfulness, and well-being. It is holistic, encompassing material wealth, peace, security, and influence, enabling the conditions described in the rest of the verse.
- as he promised you: Hebrew: דִּבֶּר־לָךְ (dibber-lakh) – "spoken to you" or "said to you." This highlights the covenantal foundation. God's blessings are not arbitrary but are tied to His previous pronouncements and agreements (e.g., Abrahamic covenant, Mosaic covenant conditions). It grounds the present promise in God's faithfulness to His Word and His prior conditional blessings for obedience found in other covenant texts.
- and you shall lend to many nations: Hebrew: לָוָה (lavah) – to lend, to borrow. Here, in the causative (Hiphil) stem, it signifies to cause to lend or give. This implies a state of overflowing abundance in Israel, far beyond its own needs, such that it possesses surplus to provide financially to other entities. This position is one of strength and generosity.
- but you shall not borrow: This part completes the picture of economic independence and dominance. To borrow (here in Qal stem of lavah) was a sign of need or subservience, as "the borrower is the slave of the lender" (Prov 22:7). God promises to elevate Israel beyond such dependency.
- and you shall rule over many nations: Hebrew: מָשַׁל (mashal) – to rule, govern, have dominion. This implies political, military, and influential superiority. It is a reversal of the typical power dynamic where weaker nations were subjected. This rule would extend beyond mere territorial conquest to a broader sphere of influence and prestige among the surrounding "nations" (גּוֹיִם - goyim).
- but they shall not rule over you: This reiterates Israel's preeminence and protection from subjugation. It assures their national sovereignty and freedom from foreign domination, provided they remained faithful to the covenant. This contrasts sharply with the curse described in Deut 28:43-44, where the foreigner would rise higher and rule over them.
- "will bless you, as He promised you": This clause directly links the present promise to Israel's covenant obedience. It underscores that God's provision is not unearned but is a faithful fulfillment of His pledged blessings for a people devoted to Him. The capacity to be a lender and ruler flows from the divine blessing received through faithfulness.
- "lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow": This paired phrase emphasizes economic ascendancy. It means Israel will be a donor economy, not a debtor economy, projecting an image of robust self-sufficiency and overwhelming abundance granted by God. This highlights financial liberation and influence.
- "rule over many nations, but they shall not rule over you": This parallel structure points to national supremacy and political independence. It is a declaration that Israel, by adhering to God's ways, would be a global leader and not a subject people, standing above rather than beneath other nations. This reflects spiritual and national destiny.
Deuteronomy 15 6 Bonus section
This promise highlights the holistic nature of God's covenant blessings. It's not just about spiritual salvation, but also about societal and economic flourishing as a result of walking in God's ways. The phrase "many nations" (goyim rabim) suggests a far-reaching influence, implying that Israel's abundance and leadership would serve as a testimony to God's character among the Gentile world. This foreshadows a role that ultimately finds its fullest expression in Christ, through whom God's people (the Church) are called to be salt and light, influencing nations for righteousness and displaying the fruit of God's transforming power, sometimes even through material blessing for the purpose of gospel advancement and good works. The repeated contrast ("lend, not borrow"; "rule, not ruled") underscores a divinely orchestrated reversal of natural power dynamics, positioning Israel as an exemplary model among the kingdoms of the world, when they truly trusted and obeyed their God.
Deuteronomy 15 6 Commentary
Deuteronomy 15:6 provides a profound covenantal promise, linking Israel's faithful adherence to God's law, specifically the compassionate economic practices of debt remission and caring for the poor, to unparalleled national blessing. It envisions a divinely enabled state of prosperity where Israel, far from struggling, would possess such abundance that it could provide for and influence other nations, rather than being dependent upon or subjugated by them. This blessing is not merely material; it establishes Israel's moral authority and distinctiveness as a "head and not the tail" (Deut 28:13). It showcases God's desire for His people to thrive in a way that showcases His generosity and righteous governance, making them a testament to His power and faithfulness in the eyes of the world. Ultimately, while fully realized Israel's history fluctuated due to disobedience, the principle endures: obedience to God's Word leads to blessing, abundance, and spiritual authority, echoing throughout Scripture concerning both corporate and individual flourishing under divine grace.