Deuteronomy 15:16

Deuteronomy 15:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And it shall be, if he say unto thee, I will not go away from thee; because he loveth thee and thine house, because he is well with thee;
• New International Version (NIV)But if your servant says to you, “I do not want to leave you,” because he loves you and your family and is well off with you,
• English Standard Version (ESV)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,
• New King James Version (NKJV)And if it happens that he says to you, ‘I will not go away from you,’ because he loves you and your house, since he prospers with you,

Context of Deuteronomy 15:16

14Give him gifts of sheep, grain and wine. Be generous! Give him many good things, as the Lord has blessed you with good things. 15Remember that you were once slaves in Egypt. But the Lord your God rescued you from there. This is why I am giving you this command today. But perhaps your servant will say to you, ‘I do not want to leave you!’ He may say that because he loves you and your family. He enjoys his life with you. 17If he says that, you must take a tool with a sharp point. Push it through his ear, into your door. After that, he will be your servant for his whole life. Do the same thing for any female servant who wants to stay with you. 18Do not think that it will be difficult for you if he goes free. Remember that he has served you well for six years. He has been worth twice as much as a servant that you pay to do your work. The Lord your God will bless you in everything that you do.

Deuteronomy 15:16 word by word

וְהָיָה֙ כִּֽי־יֹאמַ֣ר אֵלֶ֔יךָ לֹ֥א אֵצֵ֖א מֵעִמָּ֑ךְ כִּ֤י אֲהֵֽבְךָ֙ וְאֶת־בֵּיתֶ֔ךָ כִּי־ט֥וֹב ל֖וֹ עִמָּֽךְ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And it shall be, if he sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto thee, I will not go awayיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
• from thee; because he lovethאָהֵב'âhab 'âhêb · to love: loverH157
• thee and thine houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
• because he is wellטוֹבţôb · be pleasingH2895

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 15:16

• Exodus 21:5But perhaps the slave may say, “I love my master, my wife and my children. I will not go away as a free man!”
• Psalms 40:6You do not really want sacrifices and offerings. I understand that! You do not ask for burnt offerings or sin offerings.

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 15:16

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15-18Verses 15-18 The commands here are repeated from Exodus 21:2-6, with amplifications relative to the maidservant Deuteronomy 15:12 and to the making (Deuteronomy 15:13 ff) liberal provision for launching the freedman on an independent course of life. The release of the servant is connected with the sabbatical principle though not with the sabbatical year. It is noteworthy also that the prospect of a gift of this sort, the amount of which was left to the…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-18Verses 12-18 Here the law concerning Hebrew servants is repeated. There is an addition, requiring the masters to put some small stock into their servants' hands to set up with for themselves, when sent out of their servitude, wherein they had received no wages. We may expect family blessings, the springs of family prosperity, when we make conscience of our duty to our family relations. We are to remember that we are debtors to Divine justice, and have…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16he loves you: In the setting of a covenant, this phrase describes a committed relationship. This relationship includes both faithfulness to promises and deep personal care.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 16-1716-17. if he say unto thee, I will not go away from thee--If they declined to avail themselves of the privilege of release and chose to remain with their master, then by a peculiar form of ceremony they became a party to the transaction, voluntarily sold themselves to their employer, and continued in his service till death.Read the comment

Topics related to Deuteronomy 15:16

• Beneficence
• Liberality
• Sabbatic Year
• Servant

In the dictionaries

• Bless
• Cease
• Firstling
• Freedom
• Release
• Atonement, Day of
• Criticism
• Exodus, the Book of
• Genesis
• Law in the Old Testament

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings