Deuteronomy 15:13

Deuteronomy 15:13 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty:
• New International Version (NIV)And when you release them, do not send them away empty-handed.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And when you let him go free from you, you shall not let him go empty-handed.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And when you send him away free from you, you shall not let him go away empty-handed;

Context of Deuteronomy 15:13

11There will never cease to be some poor people in the land; therefore, I am commanding you to make sure you open your hand to your fellow Israelites who are needy and poor in your land. 12If your fellow Hebrew – whether male or female – is sold to you and serves you for six years, then in the seventh year you must let that servant go free. If you set them free, you must not send them away empty-handed. 14You must supply them generously from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress – as the Lord your God has blessed you, you must give to them. 15Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you; therefore, I am commanding you to do this thing today.

Deuteronomy 15:13 word by word

וְכִֽי־תְשַׁלְּחֶ֥נּוּ חָפְשִׁ֖י מֵֽעִמָּ֑ךְ לֹ֥א תְשַׁלְּחֶ֖נּוּ רֵיקָֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And when thou sendestשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: let goH7971
• him out freeחׇפְשִׁיchophshîy · freeH2670
• emptyרֵיקָםrêyqâm · emptilyH7387

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 15:13

• Exodus 21:2“If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years, but in the seventh year he will go out free without paying anything.
• Deuteronomy 15:14You must supply them generously from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress – as the Lord your God has blessed you, you must give to them.
• Genesis 31:42If the God of my father – the God of Abraham, the one whom Isaac fears – had not been with me, you would certainly have sent me away empty-handed! But God saw how I was oppressed and how hard I worked, and he rebuked you last night.”
• Exodus 3:21“I will grant this people favor with the Egyptians, so that when you depart you will not leave empty-handed.
• Leviticus 25:42Since they are my servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt, they must not be sold in a slave sale.
• Proverbs 3:27Do not withhold good from those who need it, when you have the ability to help.
• Jeremiah 22:13“‘Sure to be judged is the king who builds his palace using injustice and treats people unfairly while adding its upper rooms. He makes his countrymen work for him for nothing. He does not pay them for their labor.
• Malachi 3:5“I will come to you in judgment. I will be quick to testify against those who practice divination, those who commit adultery, those who break promises, and those who exploit workers, widows, and orphans, who refuse to help the immigrant and in this way show they do not fear me,” says the Lord who rules over all.
• Colossians 4:1Masters, treat your slaves with justice and fairness, because you know that you also have a master in heaven.

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 15:13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13Thou shalt not let him go away empty - Because during the time he served thee, he made no property for himself, having been always honest towards thee; and now when he leaves thee, he has nothing to begin the world with.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. 1-23The law of Moses included rules about borrowing and lending. Here, God commanded Israel to cancel debts in the seventh year and to lend generously to the poor. These laws helped poor people survive times of need. They also placed limits on the wealthy so they would not take advantage of those who were vulnerable.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 13-1513-15. thou shalt not let him go away empty--A seasonable and wise provision for enabling a poor unfortunate to regain his original status in society, and the motive urged for his kindness and humanity to the Hebrew slave was the remembrance that the whole nation was once a degraded and persecuted band of helots in Egypt. Thus, kindness towards their slaves, unparalleled elsewhere in those days, was inculcated by the Mosaic law; and in all their conduct…Read the comment

Topics related to Deuteronomy 15:13

• Beneficence
• Fraternity
• Liberality
• Poor
• Sabbatic Year

In the dictionaries

• Bless
• Cease
• Debtor
• Firstling
• Freedom
• Poor
• 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