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an obligation which rests upon the righteous man (Isa. 58:7, 10). Here again the second agrees with him (Ezek. 18:7, 16). This was in accord with one of the many beneficent provisions of the deuteronomic law: "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 : thou shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need in that which he wanteth" (Deut. 15:7,8).
The resourceful man was also to strengthen and encourage the weak (Isa. 35:3, 4). This was what Job had done, accord- ing to one of his friends :
Thou hast strengthened the weak hands, Thy words have upheld him who was falling, And thou has reinforced the feeble knees.
Job. 4:3, 4.
In doing this the righteous man was to reassure the timid and fearful (Isa. 35:4; 40:1). This last obligation was not a light one at a time when life was terribly unsettled and insecure owing to the prevailing lawlessness and the hostility of neighboring peoples (Jer. 6:25; 35:11; 37:11; 42:16; 50:16; 52:13; Ezek. 11:8). The manifold efforts of the prophets themselves to induce their people to lay aside all fear reveal the need of the reassurance felt by all classes, and by none more than the poor and ignorant and superstitious. It would seem also that the want of moral stamina on the part of many, owing to the prevailing impurity, had something to do with the want of heart among the people and their consequent need of reinforcement (Isa. 1:5).
In their concern for the poor the prophets insisted especially that the widows and the fatherless of their people be not oppressed, or made to suffer in any way. With considerate kindness they were to be treated, and wrong was never to be done them (Jer. 7:6; 22:3; Zach. 7:10). Here again, it is worthy of note, they do not go beyond the humane provisions of the early codes (Exod. 22 : 22-24 ; Deut. 24:17-22). It must, however, have greatly ameliorated the lot of these poor unfortunates to have had such stalwart friends as these always
