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 always be some in the land who are poor. That is why I am commanding you to share freely with the poor and with other Israelites in need. 12“If a fellow Hebrew sells himself or herself to be your servant and serves you for six years, in the seventh year you must set that servant free. “When you release a male servant, do not send him away empty-handed. 14Give him a generous farewell gift from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress. Share with him some of the bounty with which the Lord your God has blessed you. 15Remember that you were once slaves in the land of Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you! That is why I am giving you this command.

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 slave, he may serve for no more than six years. Set him free in the seventh year, and he will owe you nothing for his freedom.
• Deuteronomy 15:14Give him a generous farewell gift from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress. Share with him some of the bounty with which the Lord your God has blessed you.
• Genesis 31:42In fact, if the God of my father had not been on my side—the God of Abraham and the fearsome God of Isaac—you would have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen your abuse and my hard work. That is why he appeared to you last night and rebuked you!”
• Exodus 3:21And I will cause the Egyptians to look favorably on you. They will give you gifts when you go so you will not leave empty-handed.
• Leviticus 25:42The people of Israel are my servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt, so they must never be sold as slaves.
• Proverbs 3:27Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them.
• Jeremiah 22:13And the Lord says, “What sorrow awaits Jehoiakim, who builds his palace with forced labor. He builds injustice into its walls, for he makes his neighbors work for nothing. He does not pay them for their labor.
• Malachi 3:5“At that time I will put you on trial. I am eager to witness against all sorcerers and adulterers and liars. I will speak against those who cheat employees of their wages, who oppress widows and orphans, or who deprive the foreigners living among you of justice, for these people do not fear me,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
• Colossians 4:1Masters, be just and fair to your slaves. Remember 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