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Deuteronomy 15

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

INTRODUCTION TO Deuteronomy 15 This chapter treats of a release of debts every seventh year, to which a blessing is promised if attended to, Deuteronomy 15:1, which seventh year of release should not hinder lending to a poor man in distress, even though it was nigh at hand, Deuteronomy 15:7 and of letting servants go free, whether manservant or...

Deuteronomy 15:1

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release. Not of servants, for they were not to be dismissed from their service until they had served six years, as is directed to in a following law; for if they were to be set free whenever a sabbatical year came, they might be discharged when they had not served more than a year, or than half a...

Deuteronomy 15

Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary - Matthew Henry

In this chapter Moses gives orders, I. Concerning the release of debts, every seventh year (ver. 1-6), with a caution that this should be no hindrance to charitable lending, ver. 7-11. II. Concerning the release of servants after seven years' service, ver. 12-18. III. Concerning the sanctification of the firstlings of cattle to God, ver. 19, &c....

Deuteronomy 15:1-2

Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon

At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release. And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth aught 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. What a wonderful title for it, “the LORD’S release”!

Deuteronomy 15:2

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

And this is the manner of the release,.... Or the rules to be observed in making it: every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbour shall release it; that is, forgive the debt, or free the debtor from any obligation to payment. Some think this was only a release of debts for this year, in which there was no ploughing nor sowing, and so a...

Deuteronomy 15:3

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again,.... Either on the seventh year, or after it: but that which is thine with thy brother, thine hand shall release; a debt that lies between them, where the one is the creditor, and the other debtor, the creditor shall freely and fully forgive the debtor. So those only are released or forgiven by the Lord...

Deuteronomy 15:3

Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon

Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release; How was a man to pay when he did not sow or reap during the Sabbatical year? The foreigner did not observe the year of rest; consequently he was bound to pay, and it was only fair that he should do so; but for the Israelite, who carried...

Deuteronomy 15:4

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

Save when there shall be no poor among you,.... Then such a law could not take place, there would be no debts to be released; for this was never designed to screen rich persons from the payment of their just debts, or whoever were in a capacity of so doing, only such as were really poor, and unable to pay; and it supposes that this might sometimes...

Deuteronomy 15:4-6

Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon

For the LORD shall greatly bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it: 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. For the LORD thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: That little clause, “as he promised...

Deuteronomy 15:5

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

Ver. 5 Only if thou carefully hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God,.... In his word, and by his prophets; this being the case, there would be no more poor among them, or however they would be so blessed of God, that they would be capable of releasing the debts of the poor, without hurting themselves and their families: to observe to do all...

Deuteronomy 15:6

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

For the Lord thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee,.... He is faithful that has promised, and he always gives the blessing he promises according to the nature of the promise; if absolute, and without conditions, he gives it without respect to any; but if conditional, as the promises of temporal good things to Israel were, he gives according...

Deuteronomy 15:6

Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon

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. If God’s people had done his will, they would have been like their language; it is observed of the Hebrew by some, that it borrows nothing from other tongues, but lends many words to various languages.

Deuteronomy 15:7

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren,.... As there would be, according to the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem, if they did not keep the commandments of the law, and continue therein: within any of thy gates, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee; a native of the land was to be preferred to a foreigner, and a brother,...

Deuteronomy 15:7-9

Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon

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: but thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth. Beware that there be...

Deuteronomy 15:8

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him,.... And give him bountifully and liberally; in order to which the heart must be first opened, the affections moved, and a willing mind disposed to give generously: and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need in that which he wanteth: enough to answer his present exigencies, but not to cause him...

Deuteronomy 15:9

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart,.... "Or, thy heart of Belial" (f); thy worthless heart, and which is without a yoke not subjected to the law of God, as every carnal heart is; and in which Belial, Satan, the prince of this world, works effectually, and inclines to evil thoughts, afflictions, and desires, which are to be...

Deuteronomy 15:10

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

Thou shall surely give him,.... Or lend to him; though lending in such a case and circumstances, that person being extremely poor, and the year of release at hand, is the same as giving. Jarchi remarks that money must be given him, even a hundred times if he asks it; but the limitation is to what he wants, and what is sufficient for his present...

Deuteronomy 15:10-11

Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon

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. For the poor shall never cease out of the land: They would have done so, they might have done so, if the rule of God had been kept;...

Deuteronomy 15:11

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

For the poor shall never cease out of the land,.... There would be always such objects to exercise their charity and beneficence towards, John 12:8, which is no contradiction to Deuteronomy 15:4 for had they been obedient to the laws of God, they would have been so blessed that there would have been none; so the Targums; but he foresaw that they...