Deuteronomy 15:14

14 Freely give them some animals from your flock. Also give them some of your grain and wine. The LORD your God has blessed you richly. Give to them as he has given to you.

Deuteronomy 15:14 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 15:14

Thou shalt furnish him liberally
Not only to supply his present wants, but for his future use, and to set him up in the world: "loading thou shall load him" F8, so some render the words; give him as much as he can carry, and well stand up under; the word used has the signification of chains wore about the neck for honour or ornament, and so may signify he should be very honourably dismissed, with plain marks of honour and respect; and the order is, to supply him

out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress;
with sheep or lambs out of the flock, with corn out of the floor, wheat, or barley, or both, and wine out of the winepress; which take in all the necessaries and comforts of life: of that

wherewith the Lord thy God hath blessed thee thou shall give unto him;
be it what it will, and in proportion to it, as of money as well as goods; it is asked, how much shall be given to him? not less than the value of thirty shekels, whether of one kind or whether of many kinds, according to the thirty shekels for the price of a servant, ( Exodus 21:32 ) {i}. All this may be an emblem both of the servitude the people of God are in to sin, Satan, and the law, while in a state of nature; and of their freedom from it by Christ, and of the sufficiency and fulness of food and raiment, and large measures of divine grace; even all things richly to enjoy, all things pertaining to life and godliness, which are given to them when brought out of that state; who otherwise come out of it destitute of all good things, having neither food nor clothes, nor money to buy either, but have all from Christ freely and fully.


FOOTNOTES:

F8 (qynet qyneh) "onerando oneratis", Munster, Pagninus, Vatablus.
F9 Maimon. Hilchot Obedim, c. 3. sect. 14.

Deuteronomy 15:14 In-Context

12 Suppose Hebrew men or women sell themselves to you. If they do, they will serve you for six years. Then in the seventh year you must let them go free.
13 But when you set them free, don't send them away without anything to show for all of their work.
14 Freely give them some animals from your flock. Also give them some of your grain and wine. The LORD your God has blessed you richly. Give to them as he has given to you.
15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. The LORD your God set you free. That's why I'm giving you this command today.
16 But suppose your servant says to you, "I don't want to leave you." He loves you and your family. And you are taking good care of him.
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