Deuteronomy 15:1-3

Release for Debt Slaves

15:1 At the end of every seven years you must declare a cancellation ¹  of debts. 15:2 This is the nature of the cancellation: Every creditor must remit what he has loaned to another person; ²  he must not force payment from his fellow Israelite, ³  for it is to be recognized as “the Lord’s cancellation of debts.” 15:3 You may exact payment from a foreigner, but whatever your fellow Israelite ⁴  owes you, you must remit.

Deuteronomy 15:7-9

The Spirit of Liberality

15:7 If a fellow Israelite ⁵  from one of your villages ⁶  in the land that the Lord your God is giving you should be poor, you must not harden your heart or be insensitive ⁷  to his impoverished condition. ⁸  15:8 Instead, you must be sure to open your hand to him and generously lend ⁹  him whatever he needs. ¹⁰  15:9 Be careful lest you entertain the wicked thought that the seventh year, the year of cancellation of debts, has almost arrived, and your attitude ¹¹  be wrong toward your impoverished fellow Israelite ¹²  and you do not lend ¹³  him anything; he will cry out to the Lord against you and you will be regarded as having sinned. ¹⁴ 

[15:1]  ¹ tn The Hebrew term שְׁמִטָּת (shÿmittat), a derivative of the verb שָׁמַט (shamat, “to release; to relinquish”), refers to the cancellation of the debt and even pledges for the debt of a borrower by his creditor. This could be a full and final remission or, more likely, one for the seventh year only. See R. Wakely, NIDOTTE 4:155-60. Here the words “of debts” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied. Cf. NAB “a relaxation of debts”; NASB, NRSV “a remission of debts.”

[15:2]  ² tn Heb “his neighbor,” used idiomatically to refer to another person.

[15:2]  ³ tn Heb “his neighbor and his brother.” The words “his brother” may be a scribal gloss identifying “his neighbor” (on this idiom, see the preceding note) as a fellow Israelite (cf. v. 3). In this case the conjunction before “his brother” does not introduce a second category, but rather has the force of “that is.”

[15:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “your brother.”

[15:7]  ⁵ tn Heb “one of your brothers” (so NASB); NAB “one of your kinsmen”; NRSV “a member of your community.” See the note at v. 2.

[15:7]  ⁶ tn Heb “gates.”

[15:7]  ⁷ tn Heb “withdraw your hand.” Cf. NIV “hardhearted or tightfisted” (NRSV and NLT similar).

[15:7]  ⁸ tn Heb “from your needy brother.”

[15:8]  ⁹ tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute before both verbs. The translation indicates the emphasis with the words “be sure to” and “generously,” respectively.

[15:8]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “whatever his need that he needs for himself.” This redundant expression has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[15:9]  ¹¹ tn Heb “your eye.”

[15:9]  ¹² tn Heb “your needy brother.”

[15:9]  ¹³ tn Heb “give” (likewise in v. 10).

[15:9]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “it will be a sin to you.”