Deuteronomy 15

When and how they where to keep the year of release verse 1 7c. a strict charge to provide for the poor in Israel with a promise of Gods blessing in so doing 7 of releasing man and maidservants among the Hebrews that were sold likewise how they were to be dealt withal if they if they desired to abide with servitudes 12 of consecrating the first born of the cattle 19.

1. At the end of the seven years [that is in the last year of the seven years for the seventh year was ever and anon a year of release compare Exodus 21:2 Jeremiah 34:14 so elsewhere years and days are said to be accomplished and fulfilled when they first begin or run on see Deuteronomy 14:28 Joshua 3:2 Jeremiah 25:12 Luke 2:21 Acts 2:1] thou shalt make [that is keep] a release [or omission neglect the Hebrew word signifieth both and both were to be done in the seventh year they were to neglect debts or least wise not to demand or to call them in and to release men and maid-servants and not to till the ground.]

2. Now this is the thing [Heb. The word that is the law or manner compare below chapter 19.4] of the release that every creditor [Heb. All or every master or Lord of demanding or calling in or of the loan of his hand that is everyone that hath right and power to demand a debt of a debtor and to seize on him or on his estate] that shall have lent his neighbor ought should release it he shall not demand it of his neighbor or of his brother [or of every creditor shall release that which was lent of his hand which he might have exacted of his neighbor] because they have proclaimed a release unto the Lord [that is to the honor of God who so appointed and ordained it others a neglect or release of the Lord that is which is which was commanded or appointed by the Lord or when they have proclaimed a release unto the Lord.]

3. Thou shalt demand it of the stranger but what thou hast with thy brother [that is thou hast lent or trusted him] thine hand shall release.

4. Only because there shall be no beggar [on necessitous person] among ye [others save whom there shall be no poor among ye] that is if the debtor be rich and ability to pay compare the three following verses] for the Lord shall abundantly bless thee [Heb. Blessing bless thee others when the Lord shall &c.] in the land which the Lord thy God shall give thee for an inheritance to possess it hereditarily.

5. Only if thou shalt diligently obey [Heb. Obeying obey] the voice of the Lord thy that thou observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day.

6. For [others when] the Lord thy god shall bless thee according as he hath spoken unto thee then thou shalt lent unto many nations but thou shalt not borrow and thou shalt not reign over many nations but they shall not reign over thee.

7. When they shall be a poor man among ye one of thy brethren [Heb. Out of or one of thy brethren] in one of thy gates in of thy land which the Lord thy God shall give thee then thou shalt not stiffen thy heart nor shut thine hand against thy brother that is poor.

8. But thou shalt liberally open [Heb. Opening open] thine hand unto him and shalt richly lend [Heb. Lending lend] him sufficient for his want which is wanting to him [Heb. The sufficiency of his want.]

9. take heed unto thy self that there be not in thine heart a word [or matter] of Belial [of this word see above chapter 13 on verse 13] to say the seventh year the year of release is at hand so that thine eye be evil against thy brother that is poor[that is surly6] unkind unfriendly that thou give him a dogged look and cast an evil and envious eye upon him compare below chapter 28.54 Proverbs 22 on verse 9and Matthew 20:15] and that thou give him nothing and he cry unto the Lord against thee and it be sin in thee [which be inquired into and punished by God in thee.]

10. Thou shalt liberally give [Heb giving give] unto him and thine heart shall not be evil when thou givest unto him [that is it shall not grieve thee thou shalt give unto him with no averse unwilling mind but cheerfully Romans 12:8,2 2 Corinthians 9:7] for because this thing the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works and in all thou puttest thine hand unto [Heb. In all stretched forth or in all putting forth of thine hand see above chapter 12.7.]

11. For the poor shall not cease out of the midst of the land [that is there shall be always poor in the land or with thee as Matthew 26:11 Job 12:8] therefore I command thee saying thou shalt liberally open [Heb. Opening open] thine unto thine brother to thy distress and thy poor in thy land that is unto him that dwelleth by thee and whose poverty is known unto thee to whom as to thy brother thou art especially bound as both the foregoing and the following words do plainly shew.]

12. when thy brother an Hebrew man [see Genesis 10 on verse 21] or an Hebrew woman shall be sold unto thee [see exodus 22 on verse 3] then he shall serve thee six years [others and he shall have served thee six years unless the year off jubilee falling in one of the six had made him free] but in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee.

13. And when thou lettest him go free from thee then thou not let him go empty away.

14. Thou shalt lay upon him richly out of the flock an doubt of thy threshing flour and out of thine wine press [Heb. Putting about the neck put about the neck &c. the Hebrew word signifieth to put a collar about his neck to compass the neck about as with a cord or the chain Moseh intimateth hereby that there were to furnish him liberally with all things needful that he may go away rejoicing] of that wherein 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 o Egypt and that the Lord thy God redeemed thee therefore I command thee this day to day.

16. But it shall come to pass when he shall say unto thee I will not go away from thee because he loveth thee and thine house because he is well with thee [that is because he fareth well by thee.]

17. Then shalt take an owl and prick it into its ears and into his door [see hereof Exodus 21:5, 6] and he shall be thy bondman forever [Heb. And he shall thy bond man for eternity that is all his lifetime so exodus 21.6 compare exodus 19.9 1Samuel 1.22 &c. Psalms 73 on verse 12 others understand this until the year of jubilee] and thou shalt do so likewise unto the maidservant.

18. It shall not be heard in thine eyes [that is it shall not seem or appear hard unto thee] when thou lettest him go free from thee ] when thou letterset him go free from thee for he hath served thee six years as an hired servant of double wages [that is he hath done as a double hired servant or he hath worth to thee as much as a double hired servant for he had not the liberty to deny thee his service to give it over or to do it slowly as hirelings or day laborers sometimes do but he was fain to serve thee to thy content six years complete some do gather out of Isaiah 16:14 that hirelings might hire themselves for no longer time then for three years] so the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all that thou shalt do.

19. All the first born that shall be born among thy oxen and among thy sheep being a male thou shalt hallow [compare Genesis 2 on verse 3 Leviticus 8 on verse 10] unto the Lord thy God thou shalt not labor with thy first born of thine ox nor shear the first born of thy sheep.

20. Thou shalt eat them before the face of the Lord thy god year by year in the place which the lord shall choose you and thine house [that is household.]

21. But when there shall be any blemish whether lame or blind or any evil blemish then thou shalt not offer it unto the Lord thy God.

22. Thou shalt eat it within thy gates the unclean and the clean together as a Roe and as a hart [see above chapter 12 on verse 15.]

23. Only thou shalt not eat the blood thereof thou shalt pour it out upon the earth as water [see above chapter 12 on verse 23, 24, 25.]