4 Save H657 when there shall be no poor H34 among you; for the LORD H3068 shall greatly H1288 bless H1288 thee in the land H776 which the LORD H3068 thy God H430 giveth H5414 thee for an inheritance H5159 to possess H3423 it:
And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken H8085 diligently H8085 unto the voice H6963 of the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 to observe H8104 and to do H6213 all his commandments H4687 which I command H6680 thee this day, H3117 that the LORD H3068 thy God H430 will set H5414 thee on high H5945 above all nations H1471 of the earth: H776 And all these blessings H1293 shall come H935 on thee, and overtake H5381 thee, if thou shalt hearken H8085 unto the voice H6963 of the LORD H3068 thy God. H430 Blessed H1288 shalt thou be in the city, H5892 and blessed H1288 shalt thou be in the field. H7704 Blessed H1288 shall be the fruit H6529 of thy body, H990 and the fruit H6529 of thy ground, H127 and the fruit H6529 of thy cattle, H929 the increase H7698 of thy kine, H504 and the flocks H6251 of thy sheep. H6629 Blessed H1288 shall be thy basket H2935 and thy store. H4863 Blessed H1288 shalt thou be when thou comest in, H935 and blessed H1288 shalt thou be when thou goest out. H3318 The LORD H3068 shall cause H5414 thine enemies H341 that rise up H6965 against thee to be smitten H5062 before thy face: H6440 they shall come out H3318 against thee one H259 way, H1870 and flee H5127 before H6440 thee seven H7651 ways. H1870 The LORD H3068 shall command H6680 the blessing H1293 upon thee in thy storehouses, H618 and in all that thou settest H4916 thine hand H3027 unto; and he shall bless H1288 thee in the land H776 which the LORD H3068 thy God H430 giveth H5414 thee.
There is H3426 that scattereth, H6340 and yet increaseth; H3254 and there is that withholdeth H2820 more than is meet, H3476 but it tendeth to poverty. H4270 The liberal H1293 soul H5315 shall be made fat: H1878 and he that watereth H7301 shall be watered H3384 also himself.
And if thou draw out H6329 thy soul H5315 to the hungry, H7457 and satisfy H7646 the afflicted H6031 soul; H5315 then shall thy light H216 rise H2224 in obscurity, H2822 and thy darkness H653 be as the noonday: H6672 And the LORD H3068 shall guide H5148 thee continually, H8548 and satisfy H7646 thy soul H5315 in drought, H6710 and make fat H2502 thy bones: H6106 and thou shalt be like a watered H7302 garden, H1588 and like a spring H4161 of water, H4325 whose waters H4325 fail H3576 not.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Deuteronomy 15
Commentary on Deuteronomy 15 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 15
De 15:1-11. The Seventh Year, a Year of Release for the Poor.
1. At the end of every seven years—during the last of the seven, that is, the sabbatical year (Ex 21:2; 23:11; Le 25:4; Jer 34:14).
2. Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbour shall release it—not by an absolute discharge of the debt, but by passing over that year without exacting payment. The relief was temporary and peculiar to that year during which there was a total suspension of agricultural labor.
he shall not exact it … of his brother—that is, an Israelite, so called in opposition to a stranger or foreigner.
because it is called the Lord's release—The reason for acquitting a debtor at that particular period proceeded from obedience to the command, and a regard for the honor, of God; an acknowledgment of holding their property of Him, and gratitude for His kindness.
3. Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again—Admission to all the religious privileges of the Israelites was freely granted to heathen proselytes, though this spiritual incorporation did not always imply an equal participation of civil rights and privileges (Le 25:44; Jer 34:14; compare 1Ch 22:2; 2Ch 2:17).
4. Save when there shall be no poor man among you—Apparently a qualifying clause added to limit the application of the foregoing statement [De 15:3]; so that "the brother" to be released pointed to a poor borrower, whereas it is implied that if he were rich, the restoration of the loan might be demanded even during that year. But the words may properly be rendered (as on the Margin) to the end, in order that there may be no poor among you—that is, that none be reduced to inconvenient straits and poverty by unseasonable exaction of debts at a time when there was no labor and no produce, and that all may enjoy comfort and prosperity, which will be the case through the special blessing of God on the land, provided they are obedient.
7-11. If there be among you a poor man … thou shalt not harden thine heart—Lest the foregoing law should prevent the Israelites lending to the poor, Moses here admonishes them against so mean and selfish a spirit and exhorts them to give in a liberal spirit of charity and kindness, which will secure the divine blessing (Ro 12:8; 2Co 9:7).
11. For the poor shall never cease out of the land—Although every Israelite on the conquest of Canaan became the owner of property, yet in the providence of God who foresaw the event, it was permitted, partly as a punishment of disobedience and partly for the exercise of benevolent and charitable feelings, that "the poor should never cease out of the land."
De 15:12-19. Hebrew Servants' Freedom.
12. if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee—The last extremity of an insolvent debtor, when his house or land was not sufficient to cancel his debt, was to be sold as a slave with his family (Le 25:39; 2Ki 4:1; Ne 5:1-13; Job 24:9; Mt 18:25). The term of servitude could not last beyond six years. They obtained their freedom either after six years from the time of their sale or before the end of the seventh year. At the year of jubilee, such slaves were emancipated even if their six years of service were not completed [see on Le 25:39].
13-15. thou shalt not let him go away empty—A seasonable and wise provision for enabling a poor unfortunate to regain his original status in society, and the motive urged for his kindness and humanity to the Hebrew slave was the remembrance that the whole nation was once a degraded and persecuted band of helots in Egypt. Thus, kindness towards their slaves, unparalleled elsewhere in those days, was inculcated by the Mosaic law; and in all their conduct towards persons in that reduced condition, leniency and gentleness were enforced by an appeal which no Israelite could resist.
16, 17. if he say unto thee, I will not go away from thee—If they declined to avail themselves of the privilege of release and chose to remain with their master, then by a peculiar form of ceremony they became a party to the transaction, voluntarily sold themselves to their employer, and continued in his service till death.
18. he hath been worth a double hired servant to thee—that is, he is entitled to double wages because his service was more advantageous to you, being both without wages and for a length of time, whereas hired servants were engaged yearly (Le 25:53), or at most for three years (Isa 16:14).
19. All the firstling males of thy herd and of thy flock thou shalt sanctify unto the Lord thy God—[See on Ex 13:2]; see Ex 22:30).
thou shalt do not work with the firstling of thy bullock—that is, the second firstlings (see De 12:17, 18; 14:23).