Deuteronomy 15:18

_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 his service was more advantageous to you, being both without wages and for a length of time, whereas hired servants were engaged yearly (Leviticus 25:53), or at most for three years (Isaiah 16:14)....

18._It shall not seem hard unto thee_. I have lately observed how difficult and inconvenient to the Jews was the observance of this law; wherefore it is not without reason that God reproves their mean and niggardly pride, if they enfranchised their slaves grudgingly. And, indeed, He first urges them to obey on the score of justice, and then from the hope of remuneration. For He reminds them that for six years the slave had earned double the wages of a hireling, either because his life was more laborious, inasmuch as heavier tasks are required from slaves than from free-men, who are paid for their work; or because he had completed twice as long a period as hirelings were wont to be engaged for. For the Jewish (commentators) (149) infer from this passage, that three years was the term prescribed for hired servants; and thus they suppose the six years were counted. But since this is a mere...

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...

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

IT SHALL NOT SEEM HARD TO THEE WHEN THOU SENDEST HIM AWAY FREE FROM THEE,.... He should not grudge him his liberty, nor what he gives to him when he dismisses him: FOR HE HATH BEEN WORTH A DOUBLE HIRED SERVANT TO THEE IN SERVING THEE SIX YEARS; since a hired servant a man is obliged to pay him wages for his work, besides his food, whereas a bondservant received no wages. Aben Ezra remarks, that this proves that a man might not hire himself for more than three years; or however, whereas a hired servant was sometimes hired for so many years, and this is the longest time of any we read of, a servant serving his master six years, his service must be worth double the service of an hired servant, which at most was but three years: AND THE LORD THY GOD SHALL BLESS THEE IN ALL THOU DOEST; thus well using thy servants, whether menservants or maidservants....

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 ...

DOUBLE. Figure of speech _Metonymy_ (of Subject), put for that which is more than one. App-6....

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