Again, it is useful to read this verse in a dual context, both ancient and modern.
Ancient Context: Here the emphasis shifts from children to adults. The “men” must teach the “children” and act for the good of the community. Just as the “children” require food and clothing, so do the needy. Benjamin is creating a direct parallel between nurturing infants and nurturing needy adults. These verses should be read as conceptual parallels. Compassionate aid to the needy dismantles the pride in social divisions that leads to contention. Withholding substance from the needy creates an intensifying spiral of divisiveness: the needy remain in need, and the wealthy become hoarders. Benjamin is here describing how the community must heal past wounds. His clearness and directness tell us that he is addressing the people’s real experiences prior to this time.
Modern Context: How should we read this verse in our modern context? Benjamin’s people were primarily agricultural and rural. Their economy was not monetary but exchange. Thus, a needy person had probably been displaced from his land (hence, had become unable to grow his own food) or was prevented from doing so by other conditions: youth, old age, or illness, for example. Their needs were for sustenance in hard times.
In our monetary society, need is now much more complex. The beggars who put up their petitions to us may or may not be in need of food but still have genuine needs. However, in a monetary society, the nature of our charity is also different. Where the ancient beggar could only request assistance from his neighbors, modern needy have access to governmental programs that can assist with a larger range of needs. Where the ancient emphasis was on personal contact with the needy, the modern emphasis is on supporting social structures that have been developed for that purpose. As the next verse clarifies, the real problem is the giver’s pride. When we give freely and generously, we dismantle pride, the source of many social ills, and the needy will be taken care of.