A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Deuteronomy · Chapter 15
CHAP. XV.
Verſ. 1. AT the end of every ſeven years thou ſhalt make a releaſe, &c.]
That is, when the ſeventh year comes, which is the …nd or laſt of the ſeven; for we ſee verſ. 9. that the ſeventh year is called the year of releaſe, Behold the ſeventh year, the year of releaſe, is at hand; as likewiſe Jer. 34. 14. at the end of ſeven years let ye go every man his brother, is explained in the next words thus, when he hath ſerved thee ſix years thou ſhalt let him go free from thee. Now this year of releaſe was that ſeventh year ſpoken of, Exod. 23. 11. and Levit. 25. 4. to wit, the Sabbaticall year, when the land was to keep a Sabbath of reſt, there being that year neither plowing nor ſowing, nor any work of husbandry uſed. The greateſt difficulty concerning theſe words is, what this releaſe was, which is expreſſed in the following verſe thus, every creditour that lendeth ought unto his neighbour ſhall releaſe it, he ſhall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother, that is, of any Iſraelite whatſoever, becauſe it is called the Lords releaſe, that is, becauſe the Lord hath ordained it to be a year of releaſe. Some Expoſitours hold that the releaſe here enjoyned was an abſolute acquitting and diſcharging of the debt for ever; onelyonly they adde that they were bound thus to forgive the debts of the poore onelyonly, and that therefore it is added, verſ. 4. ſave when there ſhall be no poore among you, intimating that of the rich they might require what was owing them. But on the other ſide many of the beſt Expoſitours hold that it is onelyonly meant of a not exacting that year the debts that were owing them; and that becauſe, verſ. 8. the people are commanded to lend to their poore brethr…n, notwithſtanding this law, even when the year of releaſe was near at hand; and it were ſtrange that it ſhould be called lending when they knew that immediately at the year of releaſe their debt ſhould abſolutely be acquitted and made void. And indeed becauſe the Hebrew word, here tranſlated a releaſe of debts, may be rendred a remiſſion, or, intermiſsion, and is the ſame that is elſewhere uſed, to wit, Exod. 23. 11. where ſpeech is of the land that it ſhould be let reſt or intermitted from tillage, that being onelyonly for the ſeventh year, it cannot be gathered from this word that they were to give an abſolute releaſe of their debts for ever, but onelyonly that they were not to exact them this ſeventh year, and that becauſe there was neither ſowing nor reaping nor other works of husbandry that year, and ſo the poore had not ſuch means to pay their debts as in other years. However as in regard of the Sabbath-reſt of this year (of which ſee the note upon Exod. 23. 11.) ſo alſo in regard of this releaſe of debts at that time, this year was a figure or type of that acceptable year of grace, which brought us a releaſe of our ſinne… (which are called our debts, Matth. 6. ….) by and through Chriſt our Saviour, and whereby we alſo are taught to put … …e bowels of mercy, forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, &c. … …2, 13.
Verſ. 3. Of a foreiner thou mayeſt exact it again.]
The foreiner here intended, of whom they might exa…t their debts, notwithſtanding the year of releaſe, is by ſome thought to be every ſtranger of another nation, yea though he were a proſelyte: but others think it is meant onelyonly of thoſe ſtrangers that had not embraced the true rel…gion; and ſo indeed this law did the more fully repreſent that ſpirituall releaſe, whereof it was intended to be a figure or type, in that none can have any ſhare in this great priviledge of the remiſſion of ſinnes that are alien… and ſtrangers from the commonwealth of Iſrael, that is, none but thoſe that are true members of the Church, and Chriſtians indeed.
Verſ. 4. Save when there ſhall be n… poore among you.]
This (according to our tranſlation) is added as an exception, that unleſſe their debters were poo…e they were not bound to forbear the debt. But the other tranſlation, which is in the margin of our Bibles, ſeem… the beſt, To the end that there be no poore among you; and ſo it is added as a reaſon of the former law, to wit, that there might not be through exacting of debts any man brought to extreme poverty.
For the Lord ſhall greatly bleſſe thee, &c.]
Theſe words contain a reaſon that may induce them thus to ſhew mercy in not exacting their debts at the year of rel…aſe, namely, becauſe if in this and other things they were obedient to Gods laws, the Lord would ſo abundantly bleſſe them, that they ſho…ld be well able thus to forbear the exacting of their debts, and it ſhould be no prejudice at all to th…m.
Verſ. 12. And if thy brother, an Hebrew man or an Hebrew woman, be ſold unto thee, and ſerve thee ſix years, &c.]
Which they uſually did, unleſſe the year of Jubile happened in the mean time, Levit. 25. 40, 41. concerning which ſee the notes upon Exod. 21. 2. for this is not here added as a priviledge of the year of releaſe, but as another act of mercy agr…eable to that before enjoyned concerning the remitting of debts every Sabbaticall year: for indeed, how ſhould the ſetting free of ſervants be made one of the great priviledges of the year of Jubile, if the like had been done every ſeventh year, which was the year of releaſe? or to what purpoſe had it been to preſcribe that no Hebrew ſervant ſhould ſerve above ſix years, as is appointed Exod. 21. 2. if they could never ſerve ſix years, unleſſ… they began their ſervice immediately after the year of releaſe, and that becauſe otherwiſe when their releaſe came they muſt be ſet …ee.
Verſ. 15. And thou ſhalt remember that thou wast a bond-man, &c.]
The Iſraelites bondage in Egypt, and the Lords delivering them, is often preſſed upon them, to make them …ew mercy to their ſervants, and to ſet them free at the time appointed▪ of God, both becauſe the remembrance of our own miſeries doth naturally incline mans heart to take pity of thoſe that are in the ſame condition, and likewiſe becauſe it muſt needs be acknowledged fitting that men ſhould imitate the mercy and compaſſion of God. But b…ſides▪ there is covertly a hint given of a further matter, to wit, that …s they were not ſent empty away out of their bondage in Egypt▪ but came away thence with much of the riches of Egypt, ſo they ſhould not ſend away their ſervants empty when they ſet them free, but ſhould give them liberally of that they had, which was the thing enjoyned in the foregoing verſes.
Verſ. 16. And it ſhall be if …e ſay unto thee, I will not go aw…y ſ…om thee, &c.]
S…e the note upon Exod. 23. 6. and Levit. 25. 40.
Verſ. 17. And alſ… unto thy maid-ſervant thou ſhalt do likewiſe.]
Becauſe this follows ſo immediately upon that which went before concerning the boring of the ear of that man-ſervant which refuſed to be ſet free at ſix years end, there…ore many Expoſitours hold (and moſt prob…bly, there being no other place of Scripture that ſhows the contrary) that even the ears of maid-ſervants were bored likewiſe, if they refuſed their freedome at the time appointed; yet the Hebrews ſay that this clauſe, And alſo unto thy maid-ſervant thou ſhalt do likewiſe, hath onelyonly reference unto that which was ſaid in the …ormer verſes concerning the ſetting free of their men-ſervants at ſix years …nd, and the gifts they ſhould give them when they ſet them free, to wit, that herein to their maid-ſervants they ſhould do likewiſe.
Verſ. 18. For he hath been worth a double hired ſervant to thee, &c.]
Not becauſe of the hard ſervice he hath done above the ſervice of an hireling, as ſome think; for by the law Hebrew ſervants might not be u…ed like ſlaves, but like hired ſervants, Levit, 25. 39▪ 40. but becauſe hired ſervants had great w…ges, beſides meat and drink, &c. which ſervants that were ſold had not, in regard whereof amongſt us the ſervice of an appr…ntice is counted more proſitable then that of journeymen or hired ſervants; and ſome adde alſo becauſe hired ſervants did uſ…ally ſerve for three years, which they ground upon that, Eſa. 16. 14. Within three years, as the years of an hireling.
Verſ. 20. Thou ſhalt e…t it be…ore the Lord thy God year by …ear, &c.]
I have formerly ſhown upon Deut. 12. 17. that there were certain firſtlings (which were not thoſe firſtling-males that did firſt open the matrice, and that were the Lords by that generall Law of the firſ…-born, Numb. 18. 15.) and that theſe might b… brought …nto the Lord as p…ace-offerings, and ſo the owners and their houſholds might eat of theſe before the Lord; and of theſe therefore ſeverall Expoſitours do underſtand this place. But yet becauſe in the foregoing verſe it is ſaid of the firſtling males here intended, Thou ſhalt do no work with the firſtling of thy bullock, nor ſhear the firſtling of thy ſheep; and this ſeems to imply that the firſtlings here meant are thoſe firſtlings which were the Lords due ſo ſoon as ever they fell by that generall Law of the firſt-born, and therefore the owners had not power to reap any profit by them; therefore others underſtand theſe words as ſpoken to the prieſts, Thou ſhalt eat it be…ore the Lord,—that is▪ the prieſt, to whom God gav… all the firſtlings of Iſra…l as their po…tion: for as, ſay they, Moſes ſpake all that went before in this chapter to the people of Iſra…l, ſo here he continueth his ſ…eech in the ſame manner, though that he ſpeaks were intended of the prieſts peculiarly, becauſe he ſpeaks to the whole body of Iſrael as one man, under whom the prieſts were alſo comprehended.
Verſ. 22. Thou ſhalt eat it within thy gates, &c.]
T…t is, the prieſt, as above; and that as common meat in their own private dwell…gs; or …lſe it is meant that the owner ſhould redeem it, as any other unclean beaſt, a…d then eat it without ſcruple of conſcience; or it is ſpoken of thoſe ſecond ſo…t of firſtlings, concerning which we may ſee what is noted, chap. 12. 17.