Is the biblical perspective on poverty that “there shall be no poor among you” or “you will always have the poor with you”?

Abstract

This article analyzes poverty in its ancient Near Eastern and modern contexts. Based on the release laws and vision of a society without poverty in Deuteronomy 15, it traces the development of this ideal through Jesus’ classic statement that the poor will always be there. The Deuteronomic year of release is viewed as a mechanism to address the effects of poverty in Israelite society. Beginning with a glance at the United States setting, in which poverty still abounds, the article transitions to the larger ancient Near Eastern context. Deuteronomy 15 sets the stage by critically analyzing the meaning of release laws in the historical context of the biblical economy, and whether such release meant suspension, reduction, or cancellation of debt. The release laws of the ancient Near East provide useful background to the biblical materials. The article proceeds to engage the meaning of Jesus’ famous proclamation in light of previous findings. Essentially, it argues that the implementation of release laws and other measures would have led to the idealistic vision of a society without great wealth inequities. Consequently, the article reads Jesus’ proclamation as a serious indictment on ancient Israelite society’s failure to enforce the biblical mandate to prevent poverty. The article concludes by considering the implications of poverty, release laws, and debt forgiveness in the United States and the global economy in light of ancient Near Eastern and biblical perspectives on poverty.