Chapter Summary
Core Passages from Deuteronomy 15
Deuteronomy 15:1-2"At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release." And this is the manner of the release: every creditor shall release what he has lent to his neighbor. He shall not exact it of his neighbor, his brother, because the Lord's release has been proclaimed.
This verse establishes the 'year of release,' a foundational law for Israel's economy that canceled debts among fellow Israelites every seven years, ensuring financial burdens didn't become permanent.Deuteronomy 15:11For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’
Here, God acknowledges the persistent reality of poverty while issuing a clear command: be open-handed and generous to the needy, making compassion a non-negotiable part of life in the community.Deuteronomy 15:13-14And when you let him go free from you, you shall not let him go empty-handed. You shall furnish him liberally out of your flock, out of your threshing floor, and out of your winepress. As the Lord your God has blessed you, you shall give to him.
This passage insists that freedom should be accompanied by provision. A freed servant was to be given a generous start to their new life, reflecting God's own abundant blessing.
Historical & Cultural Context
A Vision for a New Society
As Deuteronomy unfolds, Moses is delivering his final sermons to the generation of Israelites poised to enter the Promised Land. These are passionate appeals to build a society that looks completely different from the oppressive culture of Egypt they left behind. They are not merely dry legal recitations. Chapter 15 is a core part of this vision, outlining how their economic and social relationships should be shaped by God's own character of mercy and justice.
The Rhythm of Release
The chapter is built around the concept of the Sabbatical Year, a rhythm of seven-year cycles that God wove into the fabric of Israelite life. People were to be released from their burdens, similar to how the land rested every seventh year. This principle of release was a constant, tangible reminder that both the land and the people ultimately belonged to God, and that He was the source of all provision and freedom.
Laws of Release and Generosity
In Deuteronomy 15, Moses lays out specific instructions for the Sabbatical Year, a cornerstone of Israel's covenant life. The scene is one of teaching and preparation, as the nation is about to establish itself in a new land. These laws are designed to shape their hearts and society, ensuring justice and compassion for the poor and indebted are practiced realities, not just ideals.
The Year of Releasing Debts (Deuteronomy 15:1-6)
1 "At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release."
2 And this is the manner of the release: every creditor shall release what he has lent to his neighbor. He shall not exact it of his neighbor, his brother, because the Lord's release has been proclaimed.
3 Of a foreigner you may exact it, but whatever of yours is with your brother your hand shall release.
4 But there will be no poor among you; for the Lord will bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess -
5 if only you will strictly obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all this commandment that I command you today.
6 For the Lord your God will bless you, as he promised you, and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow, and you shall rule over many nations, but they shall not rule over you.
Commentary:
Every seven years, all debts between Israelites are to be canceled as an act of obedience and trust in God's provision.
The Heart of a Generous Giver (Deuteronomy 15:7-11)
7 If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother,
8 but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be.
9 Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, 'The seventh year, the year of release is near,' and your eye look grudgingly on your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the Lord against you, and you be guilty of sin.
10 You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake.
11 For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’
Commentary:
God commands His people to give generously to the poor without hesitation, promising to bless those who do so with a willing heart.
The Release of Hebrew Servants (Deuteronomy 15:12-18)
12 If your brother, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you, he shall serve you six years, and in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you.
13 And when you let him go free from you, you shall not let him go empty-handed.
14 You shall furnish him liberally out of your flock, out of your threshing floor, and out of your winepress. As the Lord your God has blessed you, you shall give to him.
15 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you; therefore I command you this today.
16 But if he says to you, 'I will not go out from you,' because he loves you and your household, since he is well-off with you,
17 then you shall take an awl, and put it through his ear into the door, and he shall be your slave forever. And to your female slave you shall do the same.
18 It shall not seem hard to you when you let him go free from you, for at half the cost of a hired worker he has served you six years. So the Lord your God will bless you in all that you do.
Commentary:
After six years of service, Hebrew servants must be set free with generous provisions, motivated by Israel's own redemption from slavery.
Dedicating the Firstborn Animals (Deuteronomy 15:19-23)
19 “All the firstborn males that are born of your herd and flock you shall dedicate to the Lord your God. You shall do no work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock.
20 You shall eat it, you and your household, before the Lord your God year by year at the place that the Lord will choose.
21 But if it has any blemish, if it is lame or blind or has any serious blemish whatever, you shall not sacrifice it to the Lord your God.
22 You shall eat it, the unclean and the clean alike, as the gazelle and as the deer.
23 Only you shall not eat its blood; you shall pour it out on the ground like water.
Commentary:
The firstborn male animals must be dedicated to God, reinforcing that all blessings come from Him and belong to Him.
Core Truths About God and Generosity
An Economy of Grace
Deuteronomy 15 reveals that God's economic system is not based on relentless accumulation but on rhythms of grace and restoration. The laws of release were designed to protect the vulnerable, prevent systemic poverty, and ensure that no one was trapped in a hopeless cycle of debt.
The Heart Behind the Law
This chapter emphasizes that true obedience is about the posture of the heart. It is more than simply following rules. God explicitly warns against a 'grudging' heart or a 'hardened' one, showing that He desires His people to be shaped into a community that is genuinely compassionate and generous.
Remembrance as Motivation
The command to be generous is directly tied to Israel's memory of being slaves in Egypt. Their own experience of unmerited freedom and redemption was meant to fuel their compassion for others. Remembering God's grace is presented as the engine for human generosity.
Living Out God's Generosity Today
The principle of release challenges the idea that profit should be pursued at all costs. It asks you to consider how your financial practices affect others, prioritizing people over ledgers. As Deuteronomy 15:7-8 suggests, it calls you to see financial resources as a tool God has given you to help others in need, rather than solely your own.
In a world with overwhelming needs, it's easy to become numb. Not hardening your heart means intentionally fighting against indifference. It means seeing the person in need as your 'brother' (Deuteronomy 15:11), listening to their story, and responding with practical compassion, whether through your time, skills, or finances.
Deuteronomy 15:15 grounds generosity in memory. When you remember that you have been freed from the ultimate debt of sin through Jesus, it changes your perspective on what you 'own.' Recognizing the magnitude of the grace you've received makes it easier to extend grace and resources to others, not out of duty, but out of a grateful heart.
God's Economy of Radical Compassion
Deuteronomy 15 reveals that God's vision for His people is a community marked by deep compassion and economic justice. He establishes laws to actively dismantle systems of poverty and oppression, not merely for social order. The message is both communal and deeply personal: because God has been extravagantly generous in redeeming us, we are called to open our hands and hearts to reflect that same grace to others.
What This Means for Us Today
The laws of release in Deuteronomy 15 are a powerful invitation to live differently in our own economic world. They call us to view our resources not as possessions to be hoarded, but as gifts to be shared for the restoration of our community. This chapter invites us to trust in God's abundant provision and join Him in His work of setting people free.
- In what area of my life am I 'hardening my heart' or 'shutting my hand'?
- How can my financial decisions better reflect God's heart for the poor and vulnerable?
- Who in my life needs to be reminded of the freedom and grace God offers?
Further Reading
Immediate Context
This preceding chapter discusses tithing and dietary laws, setting the stage for how Israel's resources are to be managed in holiness.
The following chapter details the annual festivals, continuing the theme of how Israel's calendar and resources are oriented around worship and community.
Connections Across Scripture
This chapter provides a more detailed look at the Sabbatical Year and introduces the even grander Year of Jubilee, a 50-year cycle of release.
This historical account shows Nehemiah confronting the wealthy Israelites for ignoring these very laws and forcing them to cancel debts and restore property to the poor.
Jesus begins His public ministry by reading from Isaiah, proclaiming 'the year of the Lord's favor,' a phrase that directly echoes the Sabbatical and Jubilee themes of release for the poor and oppressed.
Discussion Questions
- Deuteronomy 15:4 says 'there will be no poor among you,' but verse 11 says 'there will never cease to be poor.' How do you reconcile these two statements, and what does their tension teach us about God's ideal versus our reality?
- The law warns against having an 'unworthy thought' (v. 9) about withholding a loan near the Sabbatical year. How does this command about our inner attitude, rather than solely our outward actions, challenge your thinking about generosity?
- The reason for freeing servants generously is, 'Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt' (v. 15). What past experiences of grace or deliverance in your own life can motivate you to be more compassionate today?