When thou beatest thine olive tree, thou shalt not go over the boughs again: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.
When you harvest olives from your olive tree, don't go back through the branches a second time to get every last olive. Leave what remains for the foreigners, orphans, and widows.
God is teaching His people to be generous by intentionally leaving part of their harvest for those who are poor and vulnerable in society.
📚 Historical Context
This command was part of God's social welfare system for ancient Israel, ensuring that the most vulnerable people - foreigners, orphans, and widows - would have access to food. In an agricultural society where olive oil was essential for cooking, lighting, and health, this provision was literally life-sustaining for those who had no other means of support.
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