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Deuteronomy 15

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¹At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts.

²This is the manner of remission: Every creditor shall cancel what he has loaned to his neighbor. He is not to collect anything from his neighbor or brother, because the LORD’s time of release has been proclaimed.

³You may collect something from a foreigner, but you must forgive whatever your brother owes you.

⁴There will be no poor among you, however, because the LORD will surely bless you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance,

⁵if only you obey the LORD your God and are careful to follow all these commandments I am giving you today.

⁶When the LORD your God blesses you as He has promised, you will lend to many nations but borrow from none; you will rule over many nations but be ruled by none.

⁷If there is a poor man among your brothers within any of the gates in the land that the LORD your God is giving you, then you are not to harden your heart or shut your hand from your poor brother.

⁸Instead, you are to open your hand to him and freely loan him whatever he needs.

⁹Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought in your heart: “The seventh year, the year of release, is near,” so that you look upon your poor brother begrudgingly and give him nothing. He will cry out to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin.

¹⁰Give generously to him, and do not let your heart be grieved when you do so. And because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything to which you put your hand.

¹¹For there will never cease to be poor in the land; that is why I am commanding you to open wide your hand to your brother and to the poor and needy in your land.

¹²If a fellow Hebrew, a man or a woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you must set him free.

¹³And when you release him, do not send him away empty-handed.

¹⁴You are to furnish him liberally from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress. You shall give to him as the LORD your God has blessed you.

¹⁵Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you; that is why I am giving you this command today.

¹⁶But if your servant says to you, ‘I do not want to leave you,’ because he loves you and your household and is well off with you,

¹⁷then take an awl and pierce it through his ear into the door, and he will become your servant for life. And treat your maidservant the same way.

¹⁸Do not regard it as a hardship to set your servant free, because his six years of service were worth twice the wages of a hired hand. And the LORD your God will bless you in all you do.

¹⁹You must set apart to the LORD your God every firstborn male produced by your herds and flocks. You are not to put the firstborn of your oxen to work, nor are you to shear the firstborn of your flock.

²⁰Each year you and your household are to eat it before the LORD your God in the place the LORD will choose.

²¹But if an animal has a defect, is lame or blind, or has any serious flaw, you must not sacrifice it to the LORD your God.

²²Eat it within your gates; both the ceremonially unclean and clean may eat it as they would a gazelle or a deer.

²³But you must not eat the blood; pour it on the ground like water.

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Deuteronomy 15:1-11 Verses 1-11

This year of release typified the grace of the gospel, in which is proclaimed the acceptable year of the Lord; and by which we obtain the release of our debts, that is, the pardon of our sins. The law is spiritual, and lays restraints upon the thoughts of the heart. We mistake, if we think thoughts are free from God's knowledge and check. That is a wicked heart indeed, which raises evil thoughts from the good law of God, as theirs did, who, because God had obliged them to the charity of forgiving, denied the charity of giving. Those who would keep from the act of sin, must keep out of their minds the very thought of sin. It is a dreadful thing to have the cry of the poor justly against us. Grudge not a kindness to thy brother; distrust not the providence of God. What thou doest, do freely, for God loves a cheerful giver, 2Co 9:7.

Deuteronomy 15:12-18 Verses 12-18

Here the law concerning Hebrew servants is repeated. There is an addition, requiring the masters to put some small stock into their servants' hands to set up with for themselves, when sent out of their servitude, wherein they had received no wages. We may expect family blessings, the springs of family prosperity, when we make conscience of our duty to our family relations. We are to remember that we are debtors to Divine justice, and have nothing to pay with. That we are slaves, poor, and perishing. But the Lord Jesus Christ, by becoming poor, and by shedding his blood, has made a full and free provision for the payment of our debts, the ransom of our souls, and the supply of all our wants. When the gospel is clearly preached, the acceptable year of the Lord is proclaimed; the year of release of our debts, of the deliverance of our souls, and of obtaining rest in him. And as faith in Christ and love to him prevail, they will triumph over the selfishness of the heart, and over the unkindness of the world, doing away the excuses that rise from unbelief, distrust, and covetousness.

Deuteronomy 15:19-23 Verses 19-23

Here is a direction what to do with the firstlings. We are not now limited as the Israelites were; we make no difference between a first calf, or lamb, and the rest. Let us then look to the gospel meaning of this law, devoting ourselves and the first of our time and strength to God; and using all our comforts and enjoyments to his praise, and under the direction of his law, as we have them all by his gift.

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Aliens: Jews Authorized to Take Usury From Deuteronomy 15:3

You may collect something from a foreigner, but you must forgive whatever your brother owes you.

Alms: Commandments and Practices Concerning Deuteronomy 15:7–11

If there is a poor man among your brothers within any of the gates in the land that the LORD your God is giving you, then you are not to harden your heart or shut your hand from your poor brother. / Instead, you are to open your hand to him and freely loan him whatever he needs. / Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought in your heart: “The seventh year, the year of release, is near,” so that you look upon your poor brother begrudgingly and give him nothing. He will cry out to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin.

Awl: A Tool Deuteronomy 15:17

then take an awl and pierce it through his ear into the door, and he will become your servant for life. And treat your maidservant the same way.

Bankruptcy Deuteronomy 15:1, 2

At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. / This is the manner of remission: Every creditor shall cancel what he has loaned to his neighbor. He is not to collect anything from his neighbor or brother, because the LORD’s time of release has been proclaimed.

Beneficence: General Scriptures Concerning Deuteronomy 15:7–18

Blessing: Contingent Upon Obedience Deuteronomy 15:4, 5

Blessing: Temporal, from God Deuteronomy 15:4, 6

There will be no poor among you, however, because the LORD will surely bless you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance, / When the LORD your God blesses you as He has promised, you will lend to many nations but borrow from none; you will rule over many nations but be ruled by none.

Blindness of Animals, Disqualified for a Sacrifice Deuteronomy 15:21

But if an animal has a defect, is lame or blind, or has any serious flaw, you must not sacrifice it to the LORD your God.

Blood: Forbidden to be Used As Food Deuteronomy 15:23

But you must not eat the blood; pour it on the ground like water.

Creditor: Laws Concerning Deuteronomy 15:2, 3

This is the manner of remission: Every creditor shall cancel what he has loaned to his neighbor. He is not to collect anything from his neighbor or brother, because the LORD’s time of release has been proclaimed. / You may collect something from a foreigner, but you must forgive whatever your brother owes you.

Creditors: Prohibited From: Exacting Debts from Brethren During Sabbatical Year Deuteronomy 15:2, 3

Ear Piercings Deuteronomy 15:17

then take an awl and pierce it through his ear into the door, and he will become your servant for life. And treat your maidservant the same way.

Employee: General Scriptures Concerning Deuteronomy 15:18

Do not regard it as a hardship to set your servant free, because his six years of service were worth twice the wages of a hired hand. And the LORD your God will bless you in all you do.

Fear of God: A Motive of Obedience Deuteronomy 15:9

Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought in your heart: “The seventh year, the year of release, is near,” so that you look upon your poor brother begrudgingly and give him nothing. He will cry out to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin.

Feeding the Hungry Deuteronomy 15:7

If there is a poor man among your brothers within any of the gates in the land that the LORD your God is giving you, then you are not to harden your heart or shut your hand from your poor brother.

Firstborn of Man and Beast, Reserved to Himself by God Deuteronomy 15:19–23

You must set apart to the LORD your God every firstborn male produced by your herds and flocks. You are not to put the firstborn of your oxen to work, nor are you to shear the firstborn of your flock. / Each year you and your household are to eat it before the LORD your God in the place the LORD will choose. / But if an animal has a defect, is lame or blind, or has any serious flaw, you must not sacrifice it to the LORD your God.

Fraternity: General Scriptures Concerning Deuteronomy 15:7–15

Fundraisers Deuteronomy 15:10

Give generously to him, and do not let your heart be grieved when you do so. And because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything to which you put your hand.

God: Providence of Deuteronomy 15:4–6

There will be no poor among you, however, because the LORD will surely bless you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance, / if only you obey the LORD your God and are careful to follow all these commandments I am giving you today. / When the LORD your God blesses you as He has promised, you will lend to many nations but borrow from none; you will rule over many nations but be ruled by none.

Hebrew: Applied to And his Descendants Deuteronomy 15:12

If a fellow Hebrew, a man or a woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you must set him free.

Helping Deuteronomy 15:11

For there will never cease to be poor in the land; that is why I am commanding you to open wide your hand to your brother and to the poor and needy in your land.

Helping People Deuteronomy 15:7

If there is a poor man among your brothers within any of the gates in the land that the LORD your God is giving you, then you are not to harden your heart or shut your hand from your poor brother.

Helping the Needy Deuteronomy 15:7, 8

Helping the Poor Deuteronomy 15:11

For there will never cease to be poor in the land; that is why I am commanding you to open wide your hand to your brother and to the poor and needy in your land.

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Threshing See [633]AGRICULTURE. Foreigner A Gentile. Such as resided among the Hebrews were required… Sacrifice The offering up of sacrifices is to be regarded as… Brother (1.) In the natural and common sense (Matt. 1:2; Luke… Borrow The Israelites "borrowed" from the Egyptians (Ex. 12:35, R.V., "asked")… Hebrew A name applied to the Israelites in Scripture only by… Animal An organized living creature endowed with sensation. The Levitical law… Clean The various forms of uncleanness according to the Mosaic law… Bless (1.) God blesses his people when he bestows on them… Blind Blind beggars are frequently mentioned (Matt. 9:27; 12:22; 20:30; John… Blood (1.) As food, prohibited in Gen. 9:4, where the use… Egypt The land of the Nile and the pyramids, the oldest… Heart According to the Bible, the heart is the centre not… Wages Rate of (mention only in Matt. 20:2); to be punctually… Seven This number occurs frequently in Scripture, and in such connections… Woman Was "taken out of man" (Gen. 2:23), and therefore the… Lord There are various Hebrew and Greek words so rendered. (1.)… Hand Called by Galen "the instrument of instruments." It is the…