Charles Spurgeon Commentary Deuteronomy 15:7-9

"If there be with thee a poor man, one of thy brethren, within any of thy gates in thy land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thy heart, nor shut thy hand from thy poor brother; but thou shalt surely open thy hand unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need [in that] which he wanteth. Beware that there be not a base thought in thy heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou give him nought; and he cry unto Jehovah against thee, and it be sin unto thee." — Deuteronomy 15:7-9 (ASV)

Moses, moved by the Spirit of God, anticipates what would very naturally occur to many: "Then I will not lend near the seventh year; if I do, I will lose it, because I must release my debtor then." The hardhearted would be sure to make this their evil excuse for lending nothing. But here the Hebrew is warned against such wicked thoughts, for fear that, by refusing to lend to his poor brother for this cause, the needy one might cry to God, and it would be counted as sin for the merciless refuser.