I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Deuteronomy 24-26.

    There are several commands in this passage which all fit together. As I was reading through the passage trying to think of a way to summarize their theme I read this, “Never take advantage of poor and destitute laborers,…” Which gave me the theme I see running through these verses: never take advantage of those over whom you have power.

• Don’t take the tools someone uses to earn a living as security for a loan.
• Don’t go into someone’s house to pick up the item they are giving you as security for a loan, let them bring it out to you.

It may be less than obvious how this might amount to taking advantage of someone, but by going into their house you might see something which they do not wish to offer as security and demand that instead (if not this time at a future time). There are other ways that invading their space might amount to taking advantage of them.

• Pay your workers’ wages promptly.

There are a few more of these here, but they all represent the command not to take advantage of those over whom you have power. Even the admonition against using inaccurate scales can be seen as falling into this. I will add that I interpret the injunction against dishonest weights and measures to apply to any form of deception in making a deal.