Deuteronomy 15

Deuteronomy · Chapter 15

Deuteronomy 15:18

1At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release.2And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbour shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the LORD’s release.3Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release;4Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the LORD shall greatly bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it:5Only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day.6For the LORD thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee.7If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:8But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.9Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee.10Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto.11For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.12And 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.13And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty:14Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress: of that wherewith the LORD thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him.15And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing to day.16And it shall be, if he say unto thee, I will not go away from thee; because he loveth thee and thine house, because he is well with thee;17Then thou shalt take an aul, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise.18It 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.19All the firstling males that come of thy herd and of thy flock thou shalt sanctify unto the LORD thy God: thou shalt do no work with the firstling of thy bullock, nor shear the firstling of thy sheep.20Thou shalt eat it before the LORD thy God year by year in the place which the LORD shall choose, thou and thy household.21And if there be any blemish therein, as if it be lame, or blind, or have any ill blemish, thou shalt not sacrifice it unto the LORD thy God.22Thou shalt eat it within thy gates: the unclean and the clean person shall eat it alike, as the roebuck, and as the hart.23Only thou shalt not eat the blood thereof; thou shalt pour it upon the ground as water.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
18It 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.Do not regard it as a hardship to set your servant free, because his six years of service were worth twice the wages of a hired hand. And the LORD your God will bless you in all you do.It shall not seem hard unto thee, when thou lettest him go free from thee; for to the double of the hire of a hireling hath he served thee six years: and Jehovah thy God will bless thee in all that thou doest.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
notלֹא־lo'-H3808
not

לֹא (lo) 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

it will be hardיִקְשֶׁ֣הyik-SHEHH7185
to harden

קָשָׁה (qa.shah) 1) to be hard, be severe, be fierce, be harsh 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be hard, be difficult 1a2) to be hard, be severe 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be ill-treated 1b2) to be hard pressed 1c) (Piel) to have severe labour (of women) 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to make difficult, make difficulty 1d2) to make severe, make burdensome 1d3) to make hard, make stiff, make stubborn 1d3a) of obstinacy (fig) 1d4) to show stubbornness

in view yourבְעֵינֶ֗ךָve-'ei-NE-khaH5869INo entry
when letting go youבְּשַׁלֵּֽחֲךָ֙be-sha-le-cha-KHAH7971H
to send: depart

שָׁלַח (sha.lach) : depart/send 1) to send, send away, let go, stretch out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to send 1a2) to stretch out, extend, direct 1a3) to send away 1a4) to let loose 1b) (Niphal) to be sent 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to send off or away or out or forth, dismiss, give over, cast out 1c2) to let go, set free 1c3) to shoot forth (of branches) 1c4) to let down 1c5) to shoot 1d) (Pual) to be sent off, be put away, be divorced, be impelled 1e) (Hiphil) to send

a free [person]חָפְשִׁי֙cha-fe-SHIH2670
free

חׇפְשִׁי (choph.shi) 1) free 1a) free (from slavery) 1b) free (from taxes or obligations)

from with the youמֵֽעִמָּ֔ךְme-'i-MAKHH5973B
from with

מֵעִם (me.im) 1a) beside, except 1b) in spite of

forכִּ֗יKiH3588A
for

כִּי (ki) 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore

doubleמִשְׁנֶה֙mish-NEHH4932H
second

מִשְׁנֶה (mish.neh) 1) double, copy, second, repetition 1a) double 1b) copy (of law) 1c) second (in order) 1c1) second rank 1c2) second in age 1d) second quarter or district

[the] hire ofשְׂכַ֣רse-KHARH7939
wages

שָׂכָר (sa.khar) 1) hire, wages 1a) wages 1b) reward, pay 1c) fare, fee, passage-money

a hired laborerשָׂכִ֔ירsa-KHIRH7916
hired

שָׂכִיר (sa.khir) 1) hired 1a) hired (of animal) 1b) hireling, hired labourer (subst) 1b1) mercenary

he has served youעֲבָֽדְךָ֖'a-va-de-KHAH5647G
to serve

עָבַד (a.vad) : serve[someone] 1) to work, serve 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to labour, work, do work 1a2) to work for another, serve another by labour 1a3) to serve as subjects 1a4) to serve (God) 1a5) to serve (with Levitical service) 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be worked, be tilled (of land) 1b2) to make oneself a servant 1c) (Pual) to be worked 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to compel to labour or work, cause to labour, cause to serve 1d2) to cause to serve as subjects 1e) (Hophal) to be led or enticed to serve

sixשֵׁ֣שׁsheshH8337
six

שֵׁשׁ (shesh) 1) six 1a) six (cardinal number) 1b) sixth (ordinal number) 1c) in combination with other numbers Aramaic equivalent: shet (שֵׁת "six" H8353)

yearsשָׁנִ֑יםsha-NIMH8141
year

שְׁנָה (she.nah) year Aramaic of sha.neh (שָׁנָה "year" H8141)

and he will bless youוּבֵֽרַכְךָ֙u-ve-rakh-KHAH1288
to bless

בָּרַךְ (ba.rakh) 1) to bless, kneel 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to kneel 1a2) to bless 1b) (Niphal) to be blessed, bless oneself 1c) (Piel) to bless 1d) (Pual) to be blessed, be adored 1e) (Hiphil) to cause to kneel 1f) (Hithpael) to bless oneself 2) (TWOT) to praise, salute, curse Aramaic equivalent: be.rakh (בְּרַךְ "to bless" H1289)

Yahwehיְהוָ֣הYAH-wehH3068G
Lord

אֲדֹנָי (a.do.nai) Lord - a title, spoken in place of Yahweh in Jewish display of reverence Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

God yourאֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ'e-lo-HEI-khaH0430G
God

אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) This name means "gods" (plural intensive-singular meaning), "God" Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

in allבְּכֹ֖לbe-KHOLH3605
all

כֹּל (kol) 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

thatאֲשֶׁ֥ר'a-SHERH0834A
which

אֲשֶׁר (a.sher) A: 1) (relative part.) 1a) which, who 1b) that which 2) (conj) 2a) that (in obj clause) 2b) when 2c) since 2d) as 2e) conditional if B: Beth+ 1) in (that) which 2) (adv) 2a) where 3) (conj) 3a) in that, inasmuch as 3b) on account of C: Mem+ 1) from (or than) that which 2) from (the place) where 3) from (the fact) that, since D: Kaph+ 1) (conj.), according as, as, when 1a) according to that which, according as, as 1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since 1c) with a temporal force: when

you will doתַּעֲשֶֽׂה׃ פta-'a-SEHH6213A
to make: do

עָשָׂה (a.sah) : do/perform 1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to do, work, make, produce 1a1a) to do 1a1b) to work 1a1c) to deal (with) 1a1d) to act, act with effect, effect 1a2) to make 1a2a) to make 1a2b) to produce 1a2c) to prepare 1a2d) to make (an offering) 1a2e) to attend to, put in order 1a2f) to observe, celebrate 1a2g) to acquire (property) 1a2h) to appoint, ordain, institute 1a2i) to bring about 1a2j) to use 1a2k) to spend, pass 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be done 1b2) to be made 1b3) to be produced 1b4) to be offered 1b5) to be observed 1b6) to be used 1c) (Pual) to be made

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.