Deuteronomy 15:12

Deuteronomy 15:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee.
• New International Version (NIV)If any of your people—Hebrew men or women—sell themselves to you and serve you six years, in the seventh year you must let them go free.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"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.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“If your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you.

Context of Deuteronomy 15:12

10You shall generously give to him, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your work, and in all your undertakings. 11For the poor will not cease to exist in the land; therefore I am commanding you, saying, ‘You shall fully open your hand to your brother, to your needy and poor in your land.’ “If your fellow countryman, a Hebrew man or woman, is sold to you, then he shall serve you for six years, but in the seventh year you shall set him free. 13And when you set him free, you shall not send him away empty-handed. 14You shall give generously to him from your flock, your threshing floor, and from your wine vat; you shall give to him as the Lord your God has blessed you.

Deuteronomy 15:12 word by word

כִּֽי־יִמָּכֵ֨ר לְךָ֜ אָחִ֣יךָ הָֽעִבְרִ֗י א֚וֹ הָֽעִבְרִיָּ֔ה וַעֲבָֽדְךָ֖ שֵׁ֣שׁ שָׁנִ֑ים וּבַשָּׁנָה֙ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔ת תְּשַׁלְּחֶ֥נּוּ חָפְשִׁ֖י מֵעִמָּֽךְ׃Read the interlinear

• Ifכִּיkîy · forH3588
• your fellowאָח'âch · brother: compatriotH251
• countrymanאָח'âch · brother: compatriotH251
• a Hebrewעִבְרִי‛ibrîy · HebrewH5680
• orאוֹ'ô 'av · orH176
• is soldמָכַרmâkar · to sellH4376
• to you, then he shall serveעָבַד‛âbad · to serveH5647
• yearsשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
• but in the seventhשְׁבִיעִיshebîy‛îy shebi‛îy · seventhH7637
• you shall setשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: let goH7971
• freeחׇפְשִׁיchophshîy · freeH2670

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 15:12

• Deuteronomy 15:1“At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release of debts.
• Exodus 21:2“If you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve for six years; but on the seventh he shall leave as a free man without a payment to you.
• Leviticus 25:39‘Now if a countryman of yours becomes so poor with regard to you that he sells himself to you, you shall not subject him to a slave’s service.
• Jeremiah 34:14“At the end of seven years each of you shall set free his Hebrew brother who has been sold to you and has served you for six years, and you shall send him out free from you.” But your forefathers did not obey Me nor incline their ear to Me.
• John 8:35Now the slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever.

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 15:12

• 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. 12If a fellow Hebrew, a man or a woman, is sold to you and serves you: This arrangement allowed a person who owed money to work and repay the debt. In this way, the debtor could meet financial obligations to the creditor. The service could last no more than seven years (but see 15:16–17 for exceptions).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 12-1912. if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee--The last extremity of an insolvent debtor, when his house or land was not sufficient to cancel his debt, was to be sold as a slave with his family (Le 25:39; 2Ki 4:1; Ne 5:1-13; Job 24:9; Mt 18:25). The term of servitude could not last beyond six years. They obtained their freedom either after six years from the time of their sale or before the end of the seventh year. At the year…Read the comment

Topics related to Deuteronomy 15:12

• Beneficence
• Fraternity
• Hebrew
• Liberality
• Poor
• Sabbatic Year
• Servant

In the dictionaries

• Bless
• Cease
• Debtor
• Firstling
• Freedom
• Hebrew
• Poor
• Release
• Atonement, Day of
• Criticism

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