Deuteronomy 15:17

_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, or oblige her to life-servitude by observing the same rites....

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 nothing to pay with. That we are slaves, poor, and perishing. But the Lord Jesus Christ, by becoming poor, and by shedding his blood, has made a full and free provision for the payment of our debts, the ransom of our souls, and the supply of all our wants. When the gospel is clearly preached, the acceptable year of the Lord is proclaimed; the year of release of our debts, of the deliverance of our souls, and of obtaining rest in him. And as faith...

Verse Deuteronomy 15:17. _THOU SHALT TAKE AN AWL_] Exodus 21:6....

The commands here are repeated from Exodus 21:2, with amplifications relative to the maidservant Deuteronomy 15:12 and to the making (Deuteronomy 15:13 ff) liberal provision for launching the freedman on an independent course of life. The release of the servant is connected with the sabbatical principle though not with the sabbatical year. It is noteworthy also that the prospect of a gift of this sort, the amount of which was left to the master’s discretion, would be likely to encourage diligence and faithfulness during the years of servitude. Deuteronomy 15:18...

EXPOSITION THE YEAR OF RELEASE FOR THE BENEFIT OF DEBTORS AND THE EMANCIPATION OF HEBREW SLAVES. THE SANCTIFICATION OF THE FIRSTBORN OF CATTLE. DEUTERONOMY 15:1 To the prescription of a tithe for the needy there is added a regulation for the behalf of debtors. The Israelites were not only to help the poor, but they were to refrain from what would be a hardship and oppression to them. Debtors, consequently, were not to be deprived of the benefit of the sabbatical year, for

THEN THOU SHALL TAKE AN AWL, AND THRUST IT THROUGH HIS EAR UNTO THE DOOR,.... Not of his master's house, but of the sanhedrim, or court of judicature, according to the Targum of Jonathan, before whom he was to be brought, and declare his desire to continue with his master; Exodus 21:6, AND HE SHALL BE THY SERVANT FOR EVER; that is, unto the jubilee, as the same Targum; for then all servants were released, and so Jarchi calls it the ever of jubilee: AND ALSO UNTO THY MAIDSERVANT THOU SHALL DO LIKEWISE; not bore her ear, for, as both Jarchi and Aben Ezra, and others say, she was not to be bored; though some are of opinion that a maidservant who was willing to continue with her master was to be bored as a manservant; but this respects the manner of dismissing her, or letting her go free, when she was not to go empty, but to be liberally furnished and supplied

11. THE YEAR OF RELEASE AND LIBERATION OF HEBREW SLAVES CHAPTER 15:1-18 _ 1. The year of release (Deuteronomy 15:1)_ 2. The liberation of the Hebrew slaves (Deuteronomy 15:12) The poor and those who have no possession were to be remembered in kindness and have a share in the blessings. Linked with this law are the laws not to force and oppress the poor, the year of release and the liberation of the slaves. The great Sabbatic year, the seventh, brought the release. See Exodus 23:10 and Leviticus 25:2. Here we have an enlarged exposition of the previously given law. The debtor not to be

Three laws in the interest of the poor: the Sabbatical year, or year of release (p. 102, Exodus 21:2 *, Leviticus 25:39 *). Deuteronomy 15:1. Every seventh year (probably the same year was observed throughout the country) a creditor's right to distrain for debt was suspended (not, as some say, permanently cancelled). Foreigners, however (not sojourners, see Deuteronomy 1:16 *) were deprived of this privilege (Deuteronomy 15:1). If, however, obedient to Yahweh, Israel would not need to borrow ...

AUL. Only here, and Exodus 21:6. FOR EVER. Figure of speech _Synecdoche_ (of the Whole), App-6, whole time put for part of time....

The Year of Remission: (2) of Slaves If a Hebrew, man or woman, serves as a slave for six years, in the seventh he shall not only go free but be liberally equipped from his owner's property; as Israel was a slave and redeemed by God (Deuteronomy 15:12-15). If, however, the slave elects to remain with his owner because he loves him, then he shall be bound to his service for ever (Deuteronomy 15:16 f.). Nor must his emancipation seem hard to the owner: six years" profit from a slave is double the hire of a hireling (Deuteronomy 15:18). Sg. throughout. Whether there are any editorial additions is uncertain: the prevailing use of the masc. for slave seems to some to point to the phrase or