A reflection on the nature and theological basis for poverty and debt laws in the Pentateuch

Abstract

Biblical laws were written to protect the poor from exploitation and to help them escape the cycle of poverty. These laws were not implemented via government agency, but through kinship networks. The underlying theology/ideology emphasized the moral obligation of the helper rather than the moral integrity of those helped. In other words, no blame was placed on the poor because many were reduced to poverty through no fault of their own. Even when someone fell into poverty because of their own actions, the overriding concern was their restoration. This theological worldview was based on Israel’s systematic understanding of God’s attributes as well as Israel’s covenant with God, and, consequently with one another. Although the means for assisting the poor as found in the Pentateuch may not be relevant to contemporary times and cultures, the theological underpinnings on which the poverty and debt laws of the Pentateuch are based can be understood as prescriptive for all people in every time.