Deuteronomy 15:1-11

The Sabbatical Year

1 "At the end of ¹every seven years you shall grant a release.

2 And this is the manner of the release: every creditor shall release what he has lent to his neighbor. He shall not exact it of his neighbor, his brother, because the LORD's release has been proclaimed.

3 ²Of a foreigner you may exact it, but whatever of yours is with your brother your hand shall release.

4 ³But there will be no poor among you; ⁴for the LORD will bless you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess--

5 ⁵if only you will strictly obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all this commandment that I command you today.

6 For the LORD your God will bless you, ⁶as he promised you, and ⁷you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow, and ⁸you shall rule over many nations, but they shall not rule over you.

7 "If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the LORD your God is giving you, ⁹you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother,

8 but ¹⁰you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be.

9 Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, 'The seventh year, the year of release is near,' and your ¹¹eye look grudgingly^[a] on your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he ¹²cry to the LORD against you, and ¹³you be guilty of sin.

10 You shall give to him freely, and ¹⁴your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because ¹⁵for this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake.

11 For ¹⁶there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ¹⁷'You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.'

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Deuteronomy 15:1-11 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 15

This chapter treats of a release of debts every seventh year, to which a blessing is promised if attended to, De 15:1-6, which seventh year of release should not hinder lending to a poor man in distress, even though it was nigh at hand, De 15:7-11 and of letting servants go free, whether manservant or maidservant, at the end of six years' servitude, De 15:12-15 but if unwilling to go, and desirous of staying, must have his ear bored through with an awl, and serve to the year of jubilee, De 15:16-18 and of sanctifying and eating the firstlings of the herd and flock where the Lord directs, De 15:19-23.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 17

1. Deuteronomy 31:10; Nehemiah 10:31; [ver. 12; Exodus 23:10, 11; Leviticus 25:2-4]
2. [Deuteronomy 23:20]
3. [ver. 11]
4. Deuteronomy 28:8
5. Deuteronomy 28:1
6. Deuteronomy 7:13; Exodus 23:25
7. Deuteronomy 28:12, 44
8. Deuteronomy 28:13; 1 Kings 4:21, 24; Ezra 4:20; [Proverbs 22:7]
9. [1 John 3:17]
10. Leviticus 25:35; [Matthew 5:42; Luke 6:34, 35]
11. Deuteronomy 28:54, 56; Proverbs 23:6; Proverbs 28:22; Matthew 20:15
12. Deuteronomy 24:15
13. [Matthew 25:41, 42]
14. [2 Corinthians 9:7]
15. Proverbs 28:27; See Deuteronomy 14:29
16. [Matthew 26:11; Mark 14:7; John 12:8]
17. [See ver. 8 above]

Footnotes 1

[a]. Or be evil; also verse 10

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.