The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 259

CHAPTER XV. stranger wl,o lived among them and ha,l cla.ims on their benevolence (7 ~). Of such Tlll!I YEAR OF RELEASE FOR TilE BENEFIT they might exact e. debt, without regard to OF DEBTORS AND THE EMANCIPATION OF the year of release. "ThJB rule breathes HEBREW SLAVES. THE 8ANCT1FICATION no hatred of foreigners, but simply allows OJI' TIII!I FIRBTBORN OJI' CATTLE, the Isrnelites the right of every creditor to demand his debts and enforce the demand Vors. 1-6.-To the prescription of e. upon foreigners, even in the sabbatical year. tithe for the needy there is added e. regu- There was no severity in this, because la.tion for the behoof of debtors. The foreigners could get their ordinary income Ismelites were not only to help the poor, in the seventh yee.r as well as in any other" but they were to refrain from what would be (Keil). a hardship and oppression to them. Debtors, Ver. 4.-Se.ve when there she.11 be no poor among yon; rather, only that there shall consequently, were not to be deprived of be no poor among you ; q.d., this ordinance the benefit of the sabbatical year, for a.t the is not intended to prevent creditors seeking close of each seventh year there was to be a the payment of their just debts, but only release. This does not imply that the debt to prevent there being poor in the land. wns to be remitted, but only that the debtor The reason assigned is that the Lord would was not then to be pressed for payment. greatly bless them in the land which be had given them, so that the creditor would As during the sabbatical year the land lay be no loser by refraining from exacting his uncultivated, and the debtor consequently debt from his brother in the seventh year. would earn nothing, it was reasonable that Vers. 5, 6.-This blessing, though promised he should not then be pressed for payment. and certified, should come only if they were A la.w that every seventh year debts should careful to observe and do all that God com- manded them. The for at the beginning be remitted, would have frustrated itself, of ver. 6 connects this with ver. 4. Thon for on such conditions no one would lend, she.It lend. The verb in Kal signifies to and so there would be no debtors. This borrow on a pledge; in Hiph. to lend on a. is an addition to the law of the sabbath- pledge, as here ; it is a. denominative from year (Exod. xxiii. 10, etc.; Lev. xxv. 2-7). the Hebrew noun signifying pledge. Ver. 1.-Relee.se. The word thus rendered Vers. 7-11.-The reference'to the release (;imoit, from tl!)\'-', to leave, to let lie fallow) leads to a prescription regarding readiness occurs only here and in ver. 2; in Exod. to lend to the poor. They were not to xxxiii. 11 the cognate verb is used, and harden their hee.rts against their poorer from this the word is best explained. The brethren, nor were they, in the prospect debt was to be left in the hands of the of the year of release, to refuse to lend them debtor, as the land was to be let lie or left untilled for that year. what was necessary for their uses, but, on Ver. 2.-Creditor; literally, master of the the contrary, were to open their hea.rt and loa,n of his hand, equivalent to owner of what their hand to them according to their need, his hand has lent to another. Comp. the lest the poor should appeal against them to expression, "what was laid in his hancl" God, and sin should lie upon them. (Lev. v. 21; Authorized Version, "in fellow- ship," Lev. vi. 2); and N eh. x. 32, "the Ver. 7.-He.rden thine heart; literally, debt of every hand" (Authorized Version, make strong, so IIS to suppress natural com- "the exaction of every debt"). Neighbour; passion and sympa.thy. here, fellow-Israelite. Exe.et it of his neigh- Ver. 8.--Suffioient for hill need, in that bour; literally, press or urge his neighbour, which he we.nteth; literally, the sufficiency i.e. to pay. It is oe.lled the Lord's of his need wh-ich. he needeth, i.e. whatever release; rather, a release for Jehovall is he might need to meet his requirements. proclaimed; the sabbatical yellJ', like the Ver. 9.-A thought in thy wicked heart; year of jubilee, was proclaimed, and it was literally, a thing in thy heart icorthlessness, for Jehovah, in his honour, and in 11coo1·d- i.e. 11 thing which is worthless and un- a.nce with his ordinance. worthy. The word used is belial (Sp:?~), Ver. 3.-A foreigner; a stranger of another which does not denote that which is wirked nation, having no internal social relation so much a.a that which is worthless. Thus, to Ismel (''.l?J), as distinguished fro111 the " 11, ma.n of ?lelit\l" is a worthless fellow- 254: THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY. [cu. xv. 1-23.