_AT THE END OF EVERY SEVEN YEARS THOU SHALT MAKE A RELEASE._ At the end of every seven years - during the last of the seven; i:e., the Sabbatical year (Exodus 21:2; Exodus 28:11; Leviticus 25:4; Jeremiah 34:14).... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND 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._ Every creditor ... shall release it - not by an absolute discharge of the debt, but by... [ Continue Reading ]
_OF A FOREIGNER THOU MAYEST EXACT IT AGAIN: BUT THAT WHICH IS THINE WITH THY BROTHER THINE HAND SHALL RELEASE;_ Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it. Admission to all the religious privileges of the Israelites was freely granted to pagan proselytes, though this spiritual incorporation did not always... [ Continue Reading ]
_SAVE 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:_ Save when there shall be no poor among you - apparently a qualifying clause added to limit the application of the foregoing statement;... [ Continue Reading ]
_ONLY 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._ No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_IF 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:_ If there be ... a poor man ... thou shalt not harden thine heart. The constitutional princi... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND 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._ If thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold. The last extremity of an insolvent debtor, when his house or land was not... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND WHEN THOU SENDEST HIM OUT FREE FROM THEE, THOU SHALT NOT LET HIM GO AWAY EMPTY:_ 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 sla... [ Continue Reading ]
_THOU 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._ No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND 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;_ If he say ... I will not go away. If they declined to avail themselves of the privilege of release, and chose to remain with their master, then, by a special f... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEN 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._ And also unto thy maid-servant thou shalt do likewise. - i:e., either dismiss her honourably, and with a sufficiency of provisions,... [ Continue Reading ]
_IT 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._ Worth a double hired servant - i:e., he is entitled to double wages, because... [ Continue Reading ]
_ALL 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._ All the firstling males ... thou shalt sanctify - (see the note at Exodus 22:30.) THOU SHALT D... [ Continue Reading ]