Deuteronomy 15:18

Deuteronomy 15:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)It shall not seem hard unto thee, when thou sendest him away free from thee; for he hath been worth a double hired servant to thee, in serving thee six years: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all that thou doest.
• New International Version (NIV)Do not consider it a hardship to set your servant free, because their service to you these six years has been worth twice as much as that of a hired hand. And the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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.
• New King James Version (NKJV)It shall not seem hard to you when you send him away free from you; for he has been worth a double hired servant in serving you six years. Then the Lord your God will bless you in all that you do.

Context of Deuteronomy 15:18

16But suppose a male slave says to you, “I don’t want to leave you,” because he loves you and your family and is happy with you. 17Then take an awl and pierce it through his ear lobe into a door, and he will be your slave for life. Do the same to a female slave ⌞if she doesn’t want to leave⌟. If you have to let your slave go free, it won’t be a hardship for you. It would have cost you twice as much to hire someone to do the same work for those six years. Besides, the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do. 19You must dedicate every firstborn male from your herds and flocks to the Lord your God. Never use a firstborn ox for work, and never shear a firstborn sheep. 20Every year you and your family must eat these animals in the presence of the Lord your God in the place the Lord will choose.

Deuteronomy 15:18 word by word

לֹא־יִקְשֶׁ֣ה בְעֵינֶ֗ךָ בְּשַׁלֵּֽחֲךָ֙ אֹת֤וֹ חָפְשִׁי֙ מֵֽעִמָּ֔ךְ כִּ֗י מִשְׁנֶה֙ שְׂכַ֣ר שָׂכִ֔יר עֲבָֽדְךָ֖ שֵׁ֣שׁ שָׁנִ֑ים וּבֵֽרַכְךָ֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ בְּכֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר תַּעֲשֶֽׂה׃ פRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• It shall not seem hardקָשָׁהqâshâh · to hardenH7185
• unto theeעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eye: appearanceH5869
• when thou sendest him awayשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: let goH7971
• freeחׇפְשִׁיchophshîy · freeH2670
• from thee; for he hath been worthשָׂכָרώâkâr · wagesH7939
• a doubleמִשְׁנֶהmishneh · secondH4932
• hired servantשָׂכִירώâkîyr · hiredH7916
• in servingעָבַד‛âbad · to serveH5647
• thee sixשֵׁשׁshêsh shishshâh · sixH8337
• yearsשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
• and the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• thy Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• shall blessבָּרַךְbârak · to blessH1288
• thee in all that thou doestעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 15:18

• Deuteronomy 15:10Be sure to give to them without any hesitation. When you do this, the Lord your God will bless you in everything you work for and set out to do.
• Isaiah 16:14But now the Lord says, “Moab’s honor will be despised within three years. I will count them like workers count the years left of their contracts. In spite of their great number, the survivors will be very few and powerless.”
• Isaiah 21:16This is what the Lord says to me: All of Kedar’s honor will be gone in another year. I will count it like workers count the years left on their contracts.
• Luke 17:7“Suppose someone has a servant who is plowing fields or watching sheep. Does he tell his servant when he comes from the field, ‘Have something to eat’?

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 15:18

• 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. 18worth twice the wages: A bondservant worked every day and did not serve for limited hours. Because of this, his work was worth more than the work of a hired laborer. A hired worker served only for certain hours of the day. The bondservant’s full-time service made his value greater.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. he hath been worth a double hired servant to thee--that is, he is entitled to double wages because his service was more advantageous to you, being both without wages and for a length of time, whereas hired servants were engaged yearly (Le 25:53), or at most for three years (Is 16:14).Read the comment

Topics related to Deuteronomy 15:18

• Beneficence
• Employee
• Liberality
• Sabbatic Year
• Servant

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Bless
• Cease
• Firstling
• Freedom
• Release
• Atonement, Day of
• Criticism
• Exodus, the Book of

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