Deuteronomy 15: The year of release for debts and for slaves
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Hebrew. How to read a study
What happens?
Moses tells Israel that at the end of every seven years each lender is to release what he has lent to a fellow Israelite, and that no one should refuse a poor brother a loan because the year of release is near. A Hebrew man or woman who has served six years is to go free in the seventh, and be sent off with gifts from the flock, the threshing floor and the winepress; one who wants to stay has his ear pierced at the door and serves for life. The firstborn male animals are to be set apart to Yahweh and eaten at the chosen place, unless they have a defect.
Who is speaking?
Moses speaks the whole chapter to Israel. In verse 9 he gives a thought a person might have in his heart, and in verse 16 the words of a servant who does not want to leave. No verse is in gold. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1At the end of every seven years, you shall cancel debts.
In plain English: At the end of every seven years you are to make a release (this Bible: cancel debts).
The Hebrew word: "Cancel debts" is the word shemittah, "a release". The dictionary gives it as "remission (of debt) or suspension of labor". It comes from shamat, "to let alone, desist, remit", the word used in for letting the land "rest" in the seventh year.
How it is translated: Shemittah is in only 4 verses of the Bible, all in Deuteronomy: 15:1, 15:2, 15:9 and . This Bible says "release" in the other 3.
What changes: Read as a cancelling, the debt is wiped out in the seventh year. Read as a pause, the lender may not press for payment during that year, and the text does not say the debt ends. Verse 2 says the lender is to "release" what he lent and "not require payment"; readers differ on which it means.
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2This is the way it shall be done: every creditor shall release that which he has lent to his neighbor. He shall not require payment from his neighbor and his brother, because Yahweh’s release has been proclaimed.
In plain English: This is how the release is to be done: every lender is to release what he has lent to his neighbor. He is not to press his neighbor, his brother, for payment, because Yahweh's release has been announced.
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3Of a foreigner you may require it; but whatever of yours is with your brother, your hand shall release.
In plain English: You may press a foreigner for payment, but whatever of yours your brother has, you are to let go.
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4However there will be no poor with you (for Yahweh will surely bless you in the land which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance to possess)
In plain English: Yet there will be no poor among you, because Yahweh will surely bless you in the land Yahweh your God is giving you to own as an inheritance,
Good to know: Verse 4 says "there will be no poor with you", and verse 11 says "the poor will never cease out of the land". Verse 5 ties the first to Israel listening to Yahweh. The text does not explain further, and readers fit the two together in different ways.
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5if only you diligently listen to Yahweh your God’s voice, to observe to do all this commandment which I command you today.
In plain English: if only you listen carefully to the voice of Yahweh your God and are careful to do all this commandment I am giving you today.
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6For Yahweh your God will bless you, as he promised you. You will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow. You will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you.
In plain English: For Yahweh your God will bless you, as he promised you. You will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow. You will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you.
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7If a poor man, one of your brothers, is with you within any of your gates in your land which Yahweh your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your poor brother;
In plain English: If there is a poor man among you, one of your brothers, in any of the towns of the land Yahweh your God is giving you, do not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother.
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8but you shall surely open your hand to him, and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need, which he lacks.
In plain English: Instead, you must open your hand to him and lend him enough for whatever he needs.
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9Beware that there not be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, “The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,” and your eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing; and he cry to Yahweh against you, and it be sin to you.
In plain English: Be careful that you do not have a wicked (literally: worthless) thought in your heart: "The seventh year, the year of release, is near," so that you look on your poor brother with an evil eye and give him nothing. He may cry out to Yahweh against you, and it will be sin to you.
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10You shall surely give, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because it is for this thing Yahweh your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you put your hand to.
In plain English: You must give to him, and your heart must not be sorry when you give, because for this Yahweh your God will bless you in all your work and in all you put your hand to.
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11For the poor will never cease out of the land. Therefore I command you to surely open your hand to your brother, to your needy, and to your poor, in your land.
In plain English: The poor will never be gone from the land. That is why I command you to open your hand wide to your brother, to the needy and the poor in your land.
Good to know: Jesus' words "you always have the poor with you" in , and are like the first part of this verse.
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12If your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you.
In plain English: If your brother, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, is sold (or: sells himself) to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you are to set him free.
Good to know: to gives a like law for a Hebrew servant: six years, then free in the seventh. Here the law also names the Hebrew woman, and adds the gifts on leaving (verses 13 and 14). says a daughter sold as a servant "shall not go out as the male servants do". and speak of a brother serving until the Year of Jubilee. The text does not say how these laws fit together.
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13When you let him go free from you, you shall not let him go empty.
In plain English: When you set him free, do not send him away empty-handed.
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14You shall furnish him liberally out of your flock, out of your threshing floor, and out of your wine press. As Yahweh your God has blessed you, you shall give to him.
In plain English: Give to him generously from your flock, from your threshing floor, and from your winepress. Give to him as Yahweh your God has blessed you.
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15You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and Yahweh your God redeemed you. Therefore I command you this thing today.
In plain English: Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and Yahweh your God redeemed you. That is why I am giving you this command today.
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16It shall be, if he tells you, “I will not go out from you,” because he loves you and your house, because he is well with you,
In plain English: But if he says to you, "I will not leave you," because he loves you and your household, and he is well off with you,
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17then you shall take an awl, and thrust it through his ear to the door, and he shall be your servant forever. Also to your female servant you shall do likewise.
In plain English: then take an awl and push it through his ear into the door, and he will be your servant forever. Do the same for your female servant.
Good to know: In the master first brings the servant "to God", then pierces his ear at the door or the doorpost. Deuteronomy gives only the door.
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18It shall not seem hard to you when you let him go free from you, for he has been double the value of a hired hand as he served you six years. Yahweh your God will bless you in all that you do.
In plain English: Do not think it hard when you set him free, because for six years he has served you, worth double (or: as much as) a hired worker. And Yahweh your God will bless you in all you do.
The Hebrew word: "Double" is mishneh, which the dictionary gives as "a repetition, i.e. a duplicate (copy of a document), or a double (in amount)".
How it is translated: This Bible says "double" in 7 of the 34 verses that use mishneh, "second" in 17, and "copy" in 2 (one of them ).
What changes: Read as "double", the servant was worth twice what a hired worker would cost. Read as "a duplicate", he gave the same as a hired worker would, for six years.
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19You shall dedicate all the firstborn males that are born of your herd and of your flock to Yahweh your God. You shall do no work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock.
In plain English: Set apart to Yahweh your God every firstborn male born in your herd and your flock. Do not work the firstborn of your oxen, and do not shear the firstborn of your sheep.
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20You shall eat it before Yahweh your God year by year in the place which Yahweh shall choose, you and your household.
In plain English: You and your household are to eat it before Yahweh your God year by year, in the place Yahweh will choose.
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21If it has any defect—is lame or blind, or has any defect whatever, you shall not sacrifice it to Yahweh your God.
In plain English: But if it has any defect, if it is lame or blind or has any serious defect, you must not sacrifice it to Yahweh your God.
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22You shall eat it within your gates. The unclean and the clean shall eat it alike, as the gazelle and as the deer.
In plain English: Eat it in your own towns. The unclean and the clean may eat it alike, as they would eat a gazelle or a deer.
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23Only you shall not eat its blood. You shall pour it out on the ground like water.
In plain English: Only you must not eat its blood. Pour it out on the ground like water.
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