In this chapter Moses gives orders, I. Concerning
the release of debts, every seventh year (
1 At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release. 2 And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbour shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the Lord's release. 3 Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release; 4 Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the Lord shall greatly bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it: 5 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. 6 For the Lord thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee. 7 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 thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: 8 But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth. 9 Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the Lord against thee, and it be sin unto thee. 10 Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: 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. 11 For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.
Here is, I. A law for the relief of poor
debtors, such (we may suppose) as were insolvent. Every seventh
year was a year of release, in which the ground rested from being
tilled and servants were discharged from their services; and, among
other acts of grace, this was one, that those who had borrowed
money, and had not been able to pay it before, should this year be
released from it; and though, if they were able, they were
afterwards bound in conscience to repay it, yet thenceforth the
creditor should never recover it by law. Many good expositors think
it only forbids the exacting of the debt in the year of release,
because, no harvest being gathered in that year, it could not be
expected that men should pay their debts then, but that afterwards
it might be sued for and recovered: so that the release did not
extinguish the debt, but only stayed the process for a time. But
others think it was a release of the debt for ever, and this seems
more probable, yet under certain limitations expressed or implied.
It is supposed (
II. Here is a law in favour of poor
borrowers, that they might not suffer damage by the former law. Men
would be apt to argue, If the case of a man be so with his
debtor that if the debt be not paid before the year of release
it shall be lost, it were better not to lend. "No," says this
branch of the statute, "thou shalt not think such a thought." 1. It
is taken for granted that there would be poor among them, who would
have occasion to borrow (
III. Here is a command to give cheerfully
whatever we give in charity: "Thy heart shall not be grieved
when thou givest,
IV. Here is a promise of a recompence in
this life: "For this thing the Lord thy God shall bless
thee." Covetous people say "Giving undoes us;" no, giving
cheerfully in charity will enrich us, it will fill the barns
with plenty (
12 And if thy brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee. 13 And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty: 14 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 hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him. 15 And 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. 16 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; 17 Then thou shalt take an awl, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise. 18 It shall not seem hard unto thee, when thou sendest him away free from thee; for he hath been worth a double hired servant to thee, in serving thee six years: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all that thou doest.
Here is, I. A repetition of the law that
had been given concerning Hebrew servants who had sold themselves
for servants, or were sold by their parents through extreme
poverty, or were sold by the court of judgment for some crime
committed. The law was, 1. That they should serve but six years,
and in the seventh should go out free,
II. Here is an addition to this law,
requiring them to put some small stock into their servants' hands
to set up with for themselves, when they sent them out of their
service,
19 All the firstling males that come of thy herd and of thy flock thou shalt sanctify unto the Lord thy God: thou shalt do no work with the firstling of thy bullock, nor shear the firstling of thy sheep. 20 Thou shalt eat it before the Lord thy God year by year in the place which the Lord shall choose, thou and thy household. 21 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. 22 Thou shalt eat it within thy gates: the unclean and the clean person shall eat it alike, as the roebuck, and as the hart. 23 Only thou shalt not eat the blood thereof; thou shalt pour it upon the ground as water.
Here is, 1. A repetition of the law
concerning the firstlings of their cattle, that, if they were
males, they were to be sanctified to the Lord (