17 Do not deny justice to the foreigner or the fatherless, and do not take a widow’s cloak as security.
18 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you from that place. Therefore I am commanding you to do this.
Focused Passage
Deuteronomy 24:17-18
Justice for the Vulnerable and the Limits of Covenant Law
Divorce regulation (vv. 1–4) → protection of the new household (v. 5) → prohibition against seizing livelihood pledges (vv. 6, 10–13) → kidnapping law (vv. 7) → skin disease and Miriam's warning (vv. 8–9) → wage and pledge justice for the poor (vv. 14–15) → individual accountability (v. 16) → justice for the sojourner and widow (v. 17) → redemption memory as motive (vv. 18, 22) → gleaning laws for the threefold vulnerable (vv. 19–22)
Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources
Study Helps
References and Original Words
Verse 17
Cross-references
Original words
Do not לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle deny תַטֶּ֔ה H5186 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular justice מִשְׁפַּ֖ט H4941 Noun - masculine singular construct to the foreigner גֵּ֣ר H1616 Noun - masculine singular or the fatherless יָת֑וֹם H3490 Noun - masculine singular and do not וְלֹ֣א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle take a widow’s אַלְמָנָֽה׃ H490 Noun - feminine singular cloak בֶּ֖גֶד H899 Noun - masculine singular construct as security תַחֲבֹ֔ל H2254 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Verse 18
Cross-references
Original words
Remember וְזָכַרְתָּ֗ H2142 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular that כִּ֣י H3588 Conjunction you were הָיִ֙יתָ֙ H1961 Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular slaves עֶ֤בֶד H5650 Noun - masculine singular in Egypt בְּמִצְרַ֔יִם H4714 Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular and the LORD יְהוָ֥ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular your God אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular redeemed you וַֽיִּפְדְּךָ֛ H6299 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | second person masculine singular from that place מִשָּׁ֑ם H8033 Preposition-m | Adverb Therefore עַל־ H5921 Preposition . . . כֵּ֞ן H3651 Adverb I אָנֹכִ֤י H595 Pronoun - first person common singular am commanding מְצַוְּךָ֙ H6680 Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular you to do לַעֲשׂ֔וֹת H6213 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker - הַדָּבָ֖ר H1697 Article | Noun - masculine singular this הַזֶּֽה׃ס H2088 Article | Pronoun - masculine singular