Deuteronomy 15 Bible Commentary

The Geneva Study Bible

(Read all of Deuteronomy 15)
15:2 And this [is] the manner of the release: Every a 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.

(a) He shall only release his debtors, who are not able to pay for that year.

15:4 b 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:

(b) For if your debtor is rich, he may be forced to pay.

15:11 c For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt d open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.

(c) To try your charity, (Matthew 26:11).
(d) You shall be liberal.

15:14 Thou shalt e 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.

(e) In token that you acknowledge the benefit which God has given you by his labours.

15:17 Then thou shalt take an aul, and thrust [it] through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant f for ever. And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise.

(f) To the year of Jubile, (Leviticus 25:40).

15:18 It shall not seem hard unto thee, when thou sendest him away free from thee; for he hath been worth a double g hired servant [to thee], in serving thee six years: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all that thou doest.

(g) For the hired servant served but three years, and he six.

15:19 All the firstling males that come of thy herd and of thy flock thou shalt sanctify unto the LORD thy God: h thou shalt do no work with the firstling of thy bullock, nor shear the firstling of thy sheep.

(h) For they are the Lords.

15:22 Thou shalt eat it within thy gates: the unclean and the clean [person shall eat it] alike, i as the roebuck, and as the hart.

(i) You will eat them, as well as the roe buck and other wild beasts.