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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Deuteronomy 24:6 Do not take a pair of millstones or even an upper millstone as security for a debt, because that would be taking one's livelihood as security.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/deuteronomy/24-6.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/7/05_Deu_24_06.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Deuteronomy 24:6 - Additional Laws" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="Do not take a pair of millstones or even an upper millstone as security for a debt, because that would be taking one's livelihood 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Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/deuteronomy/24.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />Do not take a pair of millstones—not even the upper one—as security for a debt, because that would be taking a person&#8217s livelihood as security.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/deuteronomy/24.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />“It is wrong to take a set of millstones, or even just the upper millstone, as security for a loan, for the owner uses it to make a living.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/deuteronomy/24.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />“No one shall take a mill or an upper millstone in pledge, for that would be taking a life in pledge.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/deuteronomy/24.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />Do not take a pair of millstones or even an upper millstone as security for a debt, because that would be taking one’s livelihood as security.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/deuteronomy/24.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />No man shall take the nether or the upper millstone to pledge: for he taketh <i>a man's</i> life to pledge.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/deuteronomy/24.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />“No man shall take the lower or the upper millstone in pledge, for he takes <i>one’s</i> living in pledge.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/deuteronomy/24.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />“No one shall seize a handmill or an upper millstone as a pledge <i>for a loan,</i> since he would be seizing <i>the debtor’s</i> means of life as a pledge.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/deuteronomy/24.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />&#8220No one shall take a handmill or an upper millstone in pledge, for he would be taking a life in pledge.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/deuteronomy/24.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />“No one shall take a handmill or an upper millstone in pledge, for he would be taking a life in pledge.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/deuteronomy/24.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />“No one shall take a handmill or an upper millstone in pledge, for he would be taking a life in pledge.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/deuteronomy/24.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />“No one shall take a handmill or an upper millstone [used to grind grain into bread] as security [for a debt], for he would be taking a [person’s] life in pledge.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/deuteronomy/24.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />“Do not take a pair of grindstones or even the upper millstone as security for a debt, because that is like taking a life as security.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/deuteronomy/24.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />Do not take a pair of millstones or an upper millstone as security for a debt, because that is like taking a life as security.&#8221 <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/deuteronomy/24.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />No man shall take the mill or the upper millstone to pledge; for he taketh a man's life to pledge.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/deuteronomy/24.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />When you lend money to people, you are allowed to keep something of theirs as a guarantee that they will pay back the loan. But don't take one or both of their millstones, or else they may starve. They need these stones for grinding grain into flour to make bread. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/deuteronomy/24.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />No man shall take the mill or the upper millstone to pledge: for he taketh a man's life to pledge.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/deuteronomy/24.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />Never let a family's handmill for grinding flour-or even part of a handmill-be taken to guarantee a loan. The family wouldn't be able to prepare food in order to stay alive.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/deuteronomy/24.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />"When you lend someone something, you are not to take as security his millstones used for grinding his grain. This would take away the family's means of preparing food to stay alive. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/deuteronomy/24.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />"Don't take a pair of millstones, especially the upper millstone, as collateral for a loan, because this means taking a man's livelihood.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/deuteronomy/24.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />Do not take a pair of millstones or even an upper millstone as security for a debt, because that would be taking one’s livelihood as security.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/deuteronomy/24.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />One must not take either lower or upper millstones as security on a loan, for that is like taking a life itself as security. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/deuteronomy/24.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />No man shall take the mill or the upper millstone to pledge; for he takes a life in pledge.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/deuteronomy/24.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />No man shall take the nether or the upper millstone for a pledge: for he taketh a man's life for a pledge.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/deuteronomy/24.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />No man shall take the mill or the upper millstone as a pledge, for he takes a life in pledge. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/deuteronomy/24.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />No one takes millstones and rider in pledge, for it [is one’s] life he is taking in pledge.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/deuteronomy/24.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> None doth take in pledge millstones, and rider, for life it is he is taking in pledge.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/deuteronomy/24.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />He shall not take the two mill-stones as a pledge, and the rider, for it is taking the soul as a pledge.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/deuteronomy/24.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />Thou shalt not take the nether, nor the upper millstone to pledge: for he hath pledged his life to thee. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/deuteronomy/24.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />You shall not accept an upper or lower millstone as collateral. For then he will have placed his life with you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/deuteronomy/24.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />No one shall take a hand mill or even its upper stone as a pledge for debt, for that would be taking as a pledge the debtor’s life.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/deuteronomy/24.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />No one shall take a mill or an upper millstone in pledge, for that would be taking a life in pledge.<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/deuteronomy/24.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />No man shall take the nether or the upper millstone as a pledge; for he takes a man's life to pledge.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/deuteronomy/24.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />Do not take a millstone or its upper millstone as security, for it is a soul you grieve.<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/deuteronomy/24.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />No man shall take the mill or the upper millstone to pledge; for he taketh a man's life to pledge.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/deuteronomy/24.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />Thou shalt not take for a pledge the under millstone, nor the upper millstone; for he who does so takes life for a pledge.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/deuteronomy/24-6.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IRhBtZaVxJ0?start=6505" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/deuteronomy/24.htm">Additional Laws</a></span><br> <span class="reftext">6</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/3808.htm" title="3808: lō- (Adv-NegPrt) -- Not. Or lowi; or loh; a primitive particle; not; by implication, no; often used with other particles.">Do not</a> <a href="/hebrew/7347.htm" title="7347: rê·ḥa·yim (N-md) -- (hand)mill. From an unused root meaning to pulverize; a mill-stone.">take a pair of millstones</a> <a href="/hebrew/7393.htm" title="7393: wā·rā·ḵeḇ (Conj-w:: N-ms) -- From rakab; a vehicle; by implication, a team; by extension, cavalry; by analogy a rider, i.e. The upper millstone.">or even an upper millstone</a> <a href="/hebrew/2254.htm" title="2254: ya·ḥă·ḇōl (V-Qal-Imperf-3ms) -- A primitive root; to wind tightly, i.e. To bind; specifically, by a pledge; figuratively, to pervert, destroy; also to writhe in pain.">as security for a debt,</a> <a href="/hebrew/3588.htm" title="3588: kî- (Conj) -- That, for, when. ">because</a> <a href="/hebrew/1931.htm" title="1931: hū (Pro-3ms) -- He, she, it. ">that would be</a> <a href="/hebrew/5315.htm" title="5315: ne·p̄eš (N-fs) -- From naphash; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. Animal of vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense.">taking one’s livelihood</a> <a href="/hebrew/2254.htm" title="2254: ḥō·ḇêl (V-Qal-Prtcpl-ms) -- A primitive root; to wind tightly, i.e. To bind; specifically, by a pledge; figuratively, to pervert, destroy; also to writhe in pain.">as security.</a> </span><span class="reftext">7</span>If a man is caught kidnapping one of his Israelite brothers, whether he treats him as a slave or sells him, the kidnapper must die. So you must purge the evil from among you.…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/exodus/22-26.htm">Exodus 22:26-27</a></span><br />If you take your neighbor’s cloak as collateral, return it to him by sunset, / because his cloak is the only covering he has for his body. What else will he sleep in? And if he cries out to Me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/job/24-3.htm">Job 24:3</a></span><br />They drive away the donkey of the fatherless and take the widow’s ox in pledge.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/proverbs/22-22.htm">Proverbs 22:22-23</a></span><br />Do not rob a poor man because he is poor, and do not crush the afflicted at the gate, / for the LORD will take up their case and will plunder those who rob them.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/amos/2-8.htm">Amos 2:8</a></span><br />They lie down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge. And in the house of their God, they drink wine obtained through fines.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/nehemiah/5-2.htm">Nehemiah 5:2-5</a></span><br />Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous. We must get grain in order to eat and stay alive.” / Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our homes to get grain during the famine.” / Still others were saying, “We have borrowed money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/10-1.htm">Isaiah 10:1-2</a></span><br />Woe to those who enact unjust statutes and issue oppressive decrees, / to deprive the poor of fair treatment and withhold justice from the oppressed of My people, to make widows their prey and orphans their plunder.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ezekiel/18-7.htm">Ezekiel 18:7</a></span><br />He does not oppress another, but restores the pledge to the debtor. He does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/22-13.htm">Jeremiah 22:13</a></span><br />“Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms without justice, who makes his countrymen serve without pay, and fails to pay their wages,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/leviticus/19-13.htm">Leviticus 19:13</a></span><br />You must not defraud your neighbor or rob him. You must not withhold until morning the wages due a hired hand.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/micah/2-1.htm">Micah 2:1-2</a></span><br />Woe to those who devise iniquity and plot evil on their beds! At morning’s light they accomplish it because the power is in their hands. / They covet fields and seize them; they take away houses. They deprive a man of his home, a fellow man of his inheritance.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/5-42.htm">Matthew 5:42</a></span><br />Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/luke/6-34.htm">Luke 6:34-35</a></span><br />And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. / But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/james/2-15.htm">James 2:15-16</a></span><br />Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. / If one of you tells him, “Go in peace; stay warm and well fed,” but does not provide for his physical needs, what good is that?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_john/3-17.htm">1 John 3:17</a></span><br />If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/25-35.htm">Matthew 25:35-40</a></span><br />For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, / I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.’ / Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? ...</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">No man shall take the nether or the upper millstone to pledge: for he takes a man's life to pledge.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/exodus/22-26.htm">Exodus 22:26,27</a></b></br> If thou at all take thy neighbour's raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that the sun goeth down: … </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/revelation/18-22.htm">Revelation 18:22</a></b></br> And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft <i>he be</i>, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;</p><p class="hdg">life</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/deuteronomy/20-19.htm">Deuteronomy 20:19</a></b></br> When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them: for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down (for the tree of the field <i>is</i> man's <i>life</i>) to employ <i>them</i> in the siege:</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/genesis/44-30.htm">Genesis 44:30</a></b></br> Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad <i>be</i> not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life;</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/luke/12-15.htm">Luke 12:15</a></b></br> And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/deuteronomy/23-21.htm">Account</a> <a href="/deuteronomy/23-1.htm">Crushed</a> <a href="/deuteronomy/15-3.htm">Debt</a> <a href="/numbers/11-8.htm">Handmill</a> <a href="/deuteronomy/22-29.htm">Life</a> <a href="/exodus/11-5.htm">Mill</a> <a href="/revelation/18-22.htm">Millstone</a> <a href="/numbers/11-8.htm">Millstones</a> <a href="/exodus/19-17.htm">Nether</a> <a href="/exodus/37-21.htm">Pair</a> <a href="/deuteronomy/15-8.htm">Pledge</a> <a href="/exodus/15-21.htm">Rider</a> <a href="/leviticus/6-2.htm">Security</a> <a href="/deuteronomy/23-1.htm">Stones</a> <a href="/leviticus/13-45.htm">Upper</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/deuteronomy/24-17.htm">Account</a> <a href="/deuteronomy/28-29.htm">Crushed</a> <a href="/1_samuel/22-2.htm">Debt</a> <a href="/numbers/11-8.htm">Handmill</a> <a href="/deuteronomy/27-24.htm">Life</a> <a href="/judges/16-21.htm">Mill</a> <a href="/judges/9-53.htm">Millstone</a> <a href="/isaiah/47-2.htm">Millstones</a> <a href="/joshua/15-19.htm">Nether</a> <a href="/judges/15-4.htm">Pair</a> <a href="/deuteronomy/24-10.htm">Pledge</a> <a href="/judges/9-53.htm">Rider</a> <a href="/deuteronomy/33-12.htm">Security</a> <a href="/deuteronomy/27-2.htm">Stones</a> <a href="/deuteronomy/24-13.htm">Upper</a><div class="vheading2">Deuteronomy 24</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/deuteronomy/24-1.htm">Of divorce</a></span><br><span class="reftext">5. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/deuteronomy/24-5.htm">A new married man goes not to war</a></span><br><span class="reftext">6. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/deuteronomy/24-6.htm">Of pledges</a></span><br><span class="reftext">7. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/deuteronomy/24-7.htm">Of kidnapping</a></span><br><span class="reftext">8. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/deuteronomy/24-8.htm">Of leprosy</a></span><br><span class="reftext">10. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/deuteronomy/24-10.htm">Of pledges</a></span><br><span class="reftext">14. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/deuteronomy/24-14.htm">The hire is to be given</a></span><br><span class="reftext">16. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/deuteronomy/24-16.htm">Of justice</a></span><br><span class="reftext">19. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/deuteronomy/24-19.htm">Of charity</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <script type="text/javascript"> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading"><a href="/study/deuteronomy/24.htm">Berean Study Bible</a></div><b>Do not take</b><br />The phrase "do not take" is a direct command, reflecting the imperative nature of the Mosaic Law. In Hebrew, the verb used here is "לֹא־תַחֲבֹל" (lo tachavol), which means "do not seize" or "do not take in pledge." This command underscores the importance of compassion and justice in financial dealings, emphasizing that certain items are essential for daily living and should not be confiscated.<p><b>a pair of millstones</b><br />Millstones were essential tools in ancient agrarian societies, used for grinding grain into flour. The Hebrew word for millstones is "רֵחַיִם" (rechaim), which refers to the two stones used in the grinding process. The lower stone was stationary, while the upper stone was turned to grind the grain. This phrase highlights the importance of preserving a person's means to provide for themselves and their family.<p><b>or even the upper one</b><br />The specification of "even the upper one" indicates the critical role of both stones in the milling process. The upper millstone, or "רֶכֶב" (rechev), was the movable part that crushed the grain. By prohibiting the taking of even one part of the millstone set, the law ensures that the debtor retains the ability to produce food, thus safeguarding their basic sustenance.<p><b>as security for a debt</b><br />The concept of taking items "as security for a debt" refers to the practice of pledging personal property as collateral. In Hebrew, the term "חָבֹל" (chavol) is used, which means to take a pledge or to bind. This practice was common in ancient times, but the law here sets boundaries to protect individuals from losing their means of livelihood.<p><b>because that would be taking</b><br />The phrase "because that would be taking" introduces the rationale behind the command. It implies a moral and ethical consideration, emphasizing the consequences of such actions. The Hebrew root "לָקַח" (laqach) means to take or seize, and it is used here to highlight the unjust nature of depriving someone of their essential tools for survival.<p><b>a man’s livelihood</b><br />The term "a man’s livelihood" refers to the essential means by which a person earns a living. In Hebrew, the word "נֶפֶשׁ" (nefesh) is often translated as "soul" or "life," but in this context, it signifies one's life-sustaining resources. This underscores the biblical principle of protecting human dignity and ensuring that individuals can maintain their basic needs.<p><b>as security</b><br />The repetition of "as security" reinforces the prohibition against taking essential items as collateral. It serves as a reminder of the ethical responsibility to consider the well-being of others in financial transactions. The law seeks to balance justice with mercy, ensuring that the vulnerable are not exploited.<div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/deuteronomy/24.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(6) <span class= "bld">The nether or the upper millstone.</span>--Literally, <span class= "ital">the two millstones, or even the upper one.</span><p><span class= "bld">A man's life.</span>--Literally, <span class= "ital">a soul. </span>This word connects the two verses (6, 7).<p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/deuteronomy/24.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verses 6-14.</span> <span class="accented">- Various prohibitions</span>. <span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 6.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">No man shall take the nether or the upper millstone to pledge</span>; rather, the <span class="accented">hand mill and the upper millstone</span> (literally, <span class="accented">the rider</span>) <span class="accented">shall not be taken</span> (literally, <span class="accented">one shall not take</span>) <span class="accented">in pledge</span>. Neither the mill itself nor the upper millstone, the removal of which would render the mill useless, was to be taken. The upper millstone is still called the rider by the Arabs (Hebrew <span class="accented">reehebh</span>, Arabic <span class="accented">rekkab</span>). F<span class="cmt_word">or he taketh a man's life to pledge</span>; <span class="accented">or for</span> (thereby) <span class="accented">life itself is pledged</span>; if a man were deprived of that by which food for the sustaining of life could be prepared, his life itself would be imperiled (cf. <a href="/job/22-6.htm">Job 22:6</a>; <a href="/proverbs/22-27.htm">Proverbs 22:27</a>; <a href="/amos/2-8.htm">Amos 2:8</a>). <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/deuteronomy/24-6.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">Do not</span><br /><span class="heb">לֹא־</span> <span class="translit">(lō-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adverb - Negative particle<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3808.htm">Strong's 3808: </a> </span><span class="str2">Not, no</span><br /><br /><span class="word">take a pair of millstones</span><br /><span class="heb">רֵחַ֖יִם</span> <span class="translit">(rê·ḥa·yim)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - md<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7347.htm">Strong's 7347: </a> </span><span class="str2">A mill-stone</span><br /><br /><span class="word">or even an upper millstone</span><br /><span class="heb">וָרָ֑כֶב</span> <span class="translit">(wā·rā·ḵeḇ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7393.htm">Strong's 7393: </a> </span><span class="str2">A vehicle, a team, cavalry, a rider, the upper millstone</span><br /><br /><span class="word">as security for a debt,</span><br /><span class="heb">יַחֲבֹ֥ל</span> <span class="translit">(ya·ḥă·ḇōl)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2254.htm">Strong's 2254: </a> </span><span class="str2">To wind tightly, to bind, a pledge, to pervert, destroy, to writhe in pain</span><br /><br /><span class="word">because</span><br /><span class="heb">כִּי־</span> <span class="translit">(kî-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunction<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3588.htm">Strong's 3588: </a> </span><span class="str2">A relative conjunction</span><br /><br /><span class="word">that would be</span><br /><span class="heb">ה֥וּא</span> <span class="translit">(hū)</span><br /><span class="parse">Pronoun - third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1931.htm">Strong's 1931: </a> </span><span class="str2">He, self, the same, this, that, as, are</span><br /><br /><span class="word">taking one’s livelihood</span><br /><span class="heb">נֶ֖פֶשׁ</span> <span class="translit">(ne·p̄eš)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5315.htm">Strong's 5315: </a> </span><span class="str2">A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion </span><br /><br /><span class="word">as security.</span><br /><span class="heb">חֹבֵֽל׃</span> <span class="translit">(ḥō·ḇêl)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2254.htm">Strong's 2254: </a> </span><span class="str2">To wind tightly, to bind, a pledge, to pervert, destroy, to writhe in pain</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/deuteronomy/24-6.htm">Deuteronomy 24:6 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/deuteronomy/24-6.htm">Deuteronomy 24:6 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/deuteronomy/24-6.htm">Deuteronomy 24:6 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/deuteronomy/24-6.htm">Deuteronomy 24:6 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/deuteronomy/24-6.htm">Deuteronomy 24:6 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/deuteronomy/24-6.htm">Deuteronomy 24:6 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/deuteronomy/24-6.htm">Deuteronomy 24:6 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/deuteronomy/24-6.htm">Deuteronomy 24:6 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/deuteronomy/24-6.htm">Deuteronomy 24:6 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/deuteronomy/24-6.htm">Deuteronomy 24:6 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/deuteronomy/24-6.htm">OT Law: Deuteronomy 24:6 No man shall take the mill (Deut. De Du)</a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/deuteronomy/24-5.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Deuteronomy 24:5"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Deuteronomy 24:5" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/deuteronomy/24-7.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Deuteronomy 24:7"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Deuteronomy 24:7" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>