S1 Y1 15:1-18. Sabbatical year.
Y2 15:19-23. Firstlings.
Y3 16:1-17. Three feasts.
Y1 p1 1-6. Release.
q1 7-11. Hypothetical case.
p2 12-15. Release.
q2 16,17. Hypothetical case.
p3 18. Release.
p1 r 1-4-. Command.
s -4. Reason. Blessing.
r 5. Obedience.
s 6. Reason. Blessing.1452 B.C.
Deuteronomy 15)
1: At the end of every seven years (= when the 7th year has arrived. Cp. Ex. 23:10,11. Lev. 25:3,4) you shall make a release (cp. Ex. 23:10,11. Lev.25:6,7. In Ex. and Lev. rest for the land. In Deut. release for the debtor. The noun, shamat, only here and 31:10. The verb, only in Ex.23:11 = to let lie down).
2: And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lends anything to his neighbor shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbor, or of his brother; because it is called the Lord's release.
3: Of a foreigner you may exact it again: but that which is yours with your brother your hand shall release;
4: Save when there shall be no poor among you;
for the Lord shall greatly bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you for an inheritance to possess it:
5: Only if you carefully listen to the voice of the Lord your, to observe to do all these commandments which I command you this day.
6: For the Lord your God blesses you, as He promised you: and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; and you shall reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over you.
q1 t v 7-. Case of poverty.
w -7-. Your land.
u x -7. Warning.
y 8. Command.
u x 9. Warning.
y 10. Command.
t v 11-. Cases of poverty.
w -11. Your land.7: If there be among you a poor man of one of your brethren within any of your gates in your land
which the Lord your God gives you,
you shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your poor brother:
8: But you shall open your hand wide to him, and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wants.
9: Beware that there be not a thought (= word = thought expressed) in your wicked heart (= heart, or mind of Belial), saying, 'The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand;' and your eye be evil against your poor brother, and you give him nothing; and he cry to the Lord against you, and it be sin to you.
10: You shall surely give him, and your heart (= mind) shall not be grieved when you give to him: because that for this thing the Lord you God shall bless you in all your works, and in all that you put your hand to.
11: For the poor shall never cease out of the land (i.e. of die from your neglect; which would be the case if these laws were not carried out):
therefore I command you, saying, You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor, and to your needy, in your land.'
12: And if your brother or your sister, an Hebrew man (cp. Ex. 21:2. Jer.34:13,14), or an Hebrew woman, be sold to you, and serve you six years; then in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you.
13: And when you send him out free from you, you shall not let him go away empty:
14: You shall furnish him liberally out of your flock, and out of your threshing-floor, and out of your winepress: of that wherewith the Lord your God has blessed you, you shall give to him.
15: And you shall remember that you were a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you: therefore I command you this thing today.
16: And it shall be, if he say to you (cp. Ex. 21:2. Jer. 34:13,14), 'I will not go away from you;' because he loves you and your house, because he is well with you;
17: Then thou shalt take an aul (only here and Ex.21:6), and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be your servant for ever (Fig. whole time put for part of time). And also to your maidservant you shall do likewise.
18: It shall not seem hard to you, when you send him away free from you; for he has been worth a double hired servant to you (Fig., put for that which is more than one), in serving you six years: and the Lord your God shall bless you in all that you do.
Y2 a b 19-. Without blemish.
c -19. Prohibition. Not worked.
d 20. Eating (positive).
a b 21-. Without blemish.
c -21. Prohibition.
d 22,23. Eating (negative).19: All the first-ling males that come of your herd and of your flock you shall sanctify to the Lord your God (cp. Ex. 34:19,20):
you shall do no work with the first-ling of your bullock, nor shear the first-ling of your sheep.
20: You shall eat it before the Lord your God year by year in the place which the Lord shall choose, you and your household.
21: And if there be any blemish therein (cp. Lev. 22:20-22. Mal. 1:8), as if it be lame, or blind, or have any ill blemish,
you shall not sacrifice it to the Lord your God.
22: You shall eat it within your gates: the unclean and the clean person shall eat it alike, as the roebuck, and as the hart.
23: Only you shall not eat the blood thereof; you shall pour it upon the ground as water.