Tyndale Open Study NotesDeuteronomy 15

The 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.

cancel debts: This refers to releasing people from what they owe. It means freeing them from financial bondage (being trapped by unpaid debt).

The creditor was to forgive the debt. The person who owed money would not face further penalty for failing to repay it.

The remission happened every seventh year across the nation ("the Sabbath year," Leviticus 25:1–7). The timing followed the national calendar, not the date when a loan was made. As a result, a loan could be canceled only one year after it was given.

If Israel had obeyed the covenant fully, there would have been no poor people in the nation.

However, this ideal situation never became reality in ancient Israel. Poverty remained a serious problem among the people.

you will lend to many nations: If Israel obeyed God, the nation would become prosperous (having great wealth and resources). It would be able to lend to other nations instead of borrowing from them.

This prosperity would show that God was keeping his promise to Abraham. God had promised that Abraham’s descendants would be a blessing to all nations (Genesis 12:2–3; 17:4–6; 26:3–4).

The fact that some people will always be poor in an imperfect world is not an excuse to ignore their struggles. Instead, it emphasizes the need for wealthy individuals to help improve the lives of the poor (Matthew 26:6–13).

If 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).

he 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.

pierce it through his ear: Piercing the servant’s ear was a public sign. It showed that the bondservant had chosen to serve his master for life.

This mark identified him as permanently belonging to that household. Some believe this background may help explain Paul’s words, “I bear on my body the marks of Jesus” (Galatians 6:17).

worth 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.

The firstborn males of livestock represented the firstborn sons of Israel who had been spared from death in the tenth plague (Exodus 12:12, 29; 13:2, 12; 22:29).

A defect was any physical flaw that lowered the value of an animal.

If an animal was already of little or no value, offering it would not be a true sacrifice. A sacrifice required giving something valuable (2 Samuel 24:24).

The blood of an animal was understood to represent its life. Life was considered sacred because it comes from God.

For this reason, it was wrong to eat the blood (see 12:16).