1The seventh year a year of release for the poor. 7It must be no hindrance to lending or giving. 12An Hebrew servant, unless he be unwilling to depart, must in the seventh year go forth free and well furnished. 19All firstling males of the cattle are to be sanctified unto the Lord.
1ATa the 1end of every seven years thou shalt 2make a 3release.
a Exod. 21:2; Jer. 34:14.
1 That is, in the last year of all the seven years; for, the seventh year was ever and anon a year of release. Compare Exod. 21:2; Jer. 34:14. So elsewhere years and days are said to be accomplished or fulfilled when they first begin, or run on. See Deut. 14:28; Joshua 3:2; Jer. 25:12; Luke 2:21; Acts 2:1.
2 That is, keep.
3 Or, omission. The Hebrew word signifies both; and both were to be done in the seventh year: they were to neglects debts, or not to demand them, and to release men and maidservants, and not to till the ground.
2And this is the 4manner of the release: Every 5creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbour shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; 6because it is called 7the LORD’S release.
4 Hebr. the word; that is, the law or manner. Compare Deut. 19:4.
5 Hebr. every master, or, lord of demanding, or, of the lending of his hand, that is, everyone who has the right and power to demand a debt from a debtor, and to seize on him or on his estate. Other, each creditor shall release that which was lent of his hand which he might have exacted of his neighbour.
6 Or, when they have proclaimed a release unto the LORD.
7 That is, to the honor of the Lord, Who has also appointed it. Other, a neglect, or, release of the LORD, that is, which was ordered by the LORD.
3Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine 8with thy brother thine hand shall release;
8 What you have lent or gave him credit.
49Save when there shall be no 10poor among you; 11for the LORD shall 12greatly bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it:
9 Other, To the end that there be no poor among you, that is, if the debtor be rich and has truly the ability to pay. Compare the three following verses.
10 Or, needy (person).
11 Other, when the LORD shall, etc.
12 Hebr. blessing bless.
5Only if thou 13carefully hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day.
13 Hebr. obeying obey.
614For the LORD thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thoub shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee.
14 Other, When.
b Deut. 28:12.
7¶If there be among you a poor man of 15one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:
15 Hebr. out of, or, one out of thy brethren.
8But thou shalt open thine hand 16wide unto him, and shalt 17surely lend him 18sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.
16 Hebr. opening open.
17 Hebr. lending lend.
18 Hebr. the sufficiency of his want.
9Beware that there be not a 19thought in thy 20wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be 21evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be 22sin unto thee.
19 Hebr. word, or, matter, thing.
20 Of this word see Deut. 13 on verse 13.
21 That is, surly, unfriendly, that you show him an evil and angry face. Compare Deut. 28:54; Prov. 22 on verse 9; Mat. 20:15.
22 Which will be inquired into and punished by God in you.
10Thouc shalt 23surely give him, and thine heart shall not be 24grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, 25and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto.
c Mat. 5:42; Luke 6:35.
23 Hebr. giving give.
24 That is, it shall not grieve you; you shall give unto him with no averse, unwilling mind, but cheerfully. Compare Rom. 12:8; 2 Cor. 9:7.
25 Hebr. in all stretching forth, or, in all putting forth of thine hand. See Deut. 12:7.
11For thed poor 26shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand 27wide unto thy brother, to 28thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.
d Mat. 26:11; John 12:8.
26 That is, there shall always be poor persons in the land or be with you, as Mat. 26:11; John 12:8.
27 Hebr. opening open.
28 That is, unto him, who dwells among you and whose poverty is known unto you, to whom, as your brother, you are especially bound, as both the foregoing and the following words do plainly show.
12¶And ife thy brother, an 29Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be 30sold unto thee, 31and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee.
e Exod. 21:2; Jer. 34:14.
29 See Gen. 10 on verse 21.
30 See Exod. 21 on verse 2.
31 Other, and he shall have served thee six years; unless the year of the jubile, falling out in one of the six, had made him free.
13And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty:
14Thou shalt furnish him 32liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress: of that wherewith the LORD thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him.
32 Hebr. putting about the neck put about the neck, etc. The Hebrew word signifies to put a collar about his neck, to compass the neck about as with a cord or chain. Moses wants to say that they were to furnish him liberally with all things needful, that he may go away rejoicing.
15And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing to day.
16And it shall be, if he say unto thee, I will not go away from thee; because he loveth thee and thine house, 33because he is well with thee;
33 That is, because he prospers well by you.
17Then thou shalt take anf aul,g and 34thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant 35for ever. And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise.
f Exod. 21:6.
g pointed tool for making holes
34 See hereof Exod. 21:5, 6.
35 Hebr. and he shall be thy bondman of eternity, that is, all his lifetime; so Exod. 21:6. Compare Exod. 19:9; 1 Sam. 1:22, etc.; Psalm 73 on verse 12. Others understand this until the year of the jubile.
18It shall not seem 36hard unto thee, when thou sendest him away free from thee; for he hath been worth 37a double hired servant to thee, in serving thee six years: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all that thou doest.
36 That is, it shall not seem or appear hard unto you.
37 That is, he has done as a double hired servant, or, he has been worth to you as much as a double hired servant, for he had not the liberty to deny you his service, to terminate, or to do it slowly (as hirelings sometimes do), but he had to serve you to your satisfaction the full six years. Some gather out of Isa. 16:14 that hirelings might hire themselves for no longer time period than for three years.
19¶Allh the firstling males that come of thy herd and of thy flock thou shalt 38sanctify unto the LORD thy God: thou shalt do no work with the firstling of thy bullock, nor shear the firstling of thy sheep.
h Exod. 13:2; 22:29; 34:19. Lev. 27:26; Num. 3:13.
38 Compare Gen. 2 on verse 3; Lev. 8 on verse 10.
20Thou shalt eat it before the LORD thy God year by year in the place which the LORD shall choose, thou and thy 39household.
39 Or, house.
21Andi 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.
i Lev. 22:20; Deut. 17:1.
22Thou shalt eat it within thy gates: the unclean and the clean person shall eat it alike, as the 40roebuck, and as the hart.
40 See Deut. 12 on verse 15.
23Onlyj thou shalt not eat the blood thereof; 41thou shalt pour it upon the ground as water.
j Deut. 12:16, 23.
41 See Deut. 12:23, 24, 25.