Deuteronomy 15

AT the end of every seven years (i. e.) In the last year of the seven, as is most evident from ver. 9. Exod. 21. 2. Ier. 34. 14. So the like phrase is oft used, as Deut. 14. 28. Ios. 3. 2. Ier. 25. 12. Luk. 2. 21. Act. 2. 1. And this year of release, as it is called below ver. 9. is the same with the Sabbatical year, Exod. 23. 11. Levit. 25. 4. thou shalt make a release.

And this is the manner of the release. Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbour, shall release it Not absolutely and finally forgive it, but forbear it for that year, as may appear, 1. because the word does not signifie a total dismission or acquitting, but an intermission for a time, as Exod. 23. 11. He shall not exact it, as it here follows, i. e. force it from him by course of Law or otherwise, to wit, that year, which is easily understood out of the whole context. 2. Because the person releasing is called a creditor, and his communicating to him what he desires and needs is called lending here and ver. 8. whereas it were giving, and the person giving it were no creditor but a donor, if it were to be wholly forgiven to him.... 3. Because the reason of this Law is temporary and peculiar to that year, wherein there being no sowing, nor reaping, they were not in a capacity to pay their debts. 4. Because it seems unjust and unreasonable, and contrary to other Scriptures, which require men to pay what they borrow, as Ps. 37. 21. Yet I deny not that in case of poverty the debt was to be forgiven, but that was not by virtue of this law, but of other commands, of God.: he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother This is added to explain and limit the word neighbour, which is more general unto a brother, to wit, in Nation and Religion, to an Israelite, who is opposed to a forreigner, ver. 3. Heb. and a brother, for that is a brother, the particle and being oft so used, as Gen. 13. 15. &c., because it is called the LORDS release Or. a release to or for the Lord, in obedience to his command, for his honour, and as an acknowledgment of his right in your estates and of his kindness in giving and continuing them to you. If you are unwilling to release this for your brothers sake, yet do it for Gods sake your Lord and the chief creditor..

Of a forreigner Or stranger, yea though a proselyte, for 1. They are oft called by this name, as Gen. 17. 12. Ruth 2. 10. 2. Though proselytes were admitted to the Church-priviledges of the Israelites, yet they were not admitted to all their civil immunities or priviledges. See 1 Chron. 22. 2. and 2 Chron. 2. 17. 3. Such were not then freed from their personal debt, to wit, of their service, Levit. 25. 44. Deut. 15. 12. Ier. 34. 14. therefore not from their real debt. thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine To wit, by right though lent to him. with thy brother, thine hand shall release.

Save when there shall be no poor among you So the words are an exception to the foregoing clause, which they restrain to the poor, and imply that if his brother was rich, he might exact his debt of him, in that year. And indeed this Law seems to be chiefly if not wholly designed and given in favour to the poor and to the borrower, as is manifest from ver. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. But the words are and may be rendred thus, as in the margent of our Bibles, To the end that there be no poor among you. And so they contain a reason of this Law, to wit, that none be impoverished and ruined by a rigid and unseasonable exaction of debts. They may also be translated thus, Nevertheless of a truth or, assuredly (as the particle chi is oft used) there shall be no poor among you, and the sense may be this, Though I impose this Law upon you, which may seem hard and grievous, yet the truth is, supposing your performance of the conditions of Gods Covenant, you shall not have any great occasion to exercise your charity and kindness in this matter, for God will greatly bless you, &c. so as you shall be in a capacity of lending, and few or none of you will have any need to borrow and thereby to expose his brethren to the inconvenience and burden of this Law. Thus the connexion is plain and easie both with the foregoing and following words. Object. It is said, the poor should never cease, ver. 11. Answ. That also is true and affirmed by God, because he foresaw they would not perform their duty, and therefore would bereave themselves of the promised blessing.: for the LORD shall greatly bless thee And therefore this will be no great inconvenience nor burden to thee. in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it:

Only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day.

For the LORD thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee, and thou shalt lend unto many nations Thou shalt be rich and able to lend not only to thy poor brother, but even to strangers of other nations, yea to many of them., but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee.

If there be among you a poor man, of one of thy brethren, within any of thy gates, in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee thou shalt not harden thy heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:

But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him (i. e.) Deal bountifully and liberally with him, giving him as it were by handfuls., and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.

Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart Suppress the first risings and inward motions of such uncharitableness., saying, The seventh year, the year of release is at hand, and thine eye be evil (i. e.) Envious, unmerciful, unkind, as this phrase is used Prov. 23. 6. Matth. 20. 15. as a good eye notes the contrary disposition, Prov. 22. 9. against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought, and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin (i. e.) It be charged upon thee as a sin, and as a great sin, as the word sin sometimes signifies, as Prov. 24. 9. Iohn 15. 24. Iam. 4. 17. unto thee.

Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him (i. e.) Thou shalt give not only with an open hand, but with a willing and chearful mind and heart, Rom. 12. 8. 2. Cor. 9. 7. without which thy very charity is uncharitable and not accepted by God, who requires the heart in all his services.: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto (i. e.) In all thy works, as before, for the hand is the great instrument of action..

For the poor shall never cease out of the land God by his providence will so order it, partly for the punishment of your disobedience, and partly for the trial and exercise of your obedience to me and charity to your brother, both which are best discovered by your performance of costly duties.: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy in the land.

And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman be sold unto thee See on Exod. 22. 3., and serve thee six years To be computed, either 1. From the year of release, as they gather from hence that personal and real debts were both released together. But that seems to be supposed rather than proved, nay there is a manifest difference between them, for the release of real debts is expresly mentioned and required in the year of release, but so is not the release of the personal debt of servitude, either here or elsewhere. Or rather 2. From the beginning of this servitude, which is every where limited unto the space of six years, as here and below ver. 18. and Exod, 21. 2. Ier. 34. 14. And it seems a strange and forced exposition, to take these six years, for so much of the six years as remains until the year of release, which possibly might not be one quarter of a year, whereas an hired servant serves for a far longer time, and this is said to be worth a double hired servant, in regard of the longer time of his service, ver. 18. Adde to this, that it is mentioned as the peculiar priviledge of the year of Jubilee, that such servants were then freed though their six years of service were not expired., then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee.

And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty.

Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress, of that wherewith the LORD thy God has blessed thee, thou shalt give unto him.

And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee And brought thee out with triumph and with riches, which because they would not, God did, give to thee as a just recompence for thy service, and therefore thou shalt sollow his example, and send out thy servant furnished with all convenient provisions.: therefore I command thee this thing to day.

And it shall be if he say unto thee, I will not go away from thee (because he loveth thee, and thine house, because he is well with thee) Because he is sensible that he fares well with thee. Or, because it is good, i. e. acceptable in his eyes or pleasing to him, to be with thee..

Then thou shalt take an awl, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever (i. e.) All the time of his Life, or, at least, till the year of Jubile. See on Exod. 21. 6.: and also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise (i. e.) Either dismiss her honourably and with plenty of provision: or engage her to perpetual servitude in the same manner and by the same Rites. Whence it appears, that this case differs from that Exod. 21. 7. and that the maid-servant there was taken in upon other and better terms than this here..

It shall not seem hard unto thee, when thou sendest him away free from thee: for he has been worth a double hired servant to thee Or, he deserves double wages to an hired servant, because he served thee upon better terms, both without wages, which hired servants require, and for a longer time, even for six years, as it here follows, whereas servants were ordinarily hired but from year to year, Levit. 25. 53. or at most but for three years, as they gather from this place and Isa. 16. 14., in serving thee six years, and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all that thou doest.

All the firstling males that come of thy herd, and of thy flock, thou shalt sanctifie unto the LORD thy God: thou shalt do no work with the firstling This is meant, either 1. Of the male firstlings; which, they say, is forbidden here, because some did plow with the firstlings of their Oxen, and shear the firstlings of their sheep before they were offered. But this seems absurd and incredible, because they were to be offered upon the eighth day, Exod. 22. 30. when they were very unfit for such uses. Or rather 2. The second firstlings, of which see on Deut. 12. 17. of thy bullock, nor shear the firstling of thy sheep.

Thou Either 1. Thou, O Priest. Or rather 2. Thou, O Israelite for it is evident that the same person who was forbidden to work with these, verse 19. is here commanded to eat them, &c. shalt eat it Together with the Levites, as is to be understood from Deut. 12. 18. and 14. 27, 29. where that is expressed in like cases. before the LORD thy God year by year To wit, in the solemn feasts which returned upon them every year. See Deut. 16. 11, 14., in the place which the LORD shall choose, thou and thy houshold.

And if there be any blemish therein, as if it be lame, or blind, or have any ill blemish, thou shalt not sacrifice it unto the LORD thy God.

Thou shalt eat it within thy gates: the unclean and the clean person shall eat it alike, as the ro-buck, and as the hart.

Only thou shalt not eat the blood thereof thou shalt pour it upon the ground as water.