5. MoseKapitel 15

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At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release of debts.

This is how the release shall work: every creditor shall release what he has lent to his neighbor. He shall not press his neighbor or his brother for payment, because the LORD's release has been proclaimed.

You may press a foreigner for payment, but whatever your brother owes you, you shall release.

However, there will be no poor among you, for the LORD will surely bless you in the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess—

if only you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God, taking care to follow all this commandment that I am giving you today.

For the LORD your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but borrow from none; you will rule over many nations, but none will rule over you.

If there is a poor man among you, one of your brothers, in any of your towns in the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not harden your heart or shut your hand against your brother in his need.

Rather, open your hand wide to him and lend him freely whatever he needs.

Be careful that no wicked thought creeps into your heart, such as: "The seventh year, the year of release, is near"—so that you look grudgingly at your brother in need and give him nothing. Then he will cry out to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin.

Give to him generously and without a grudging heart, for because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you set your hand to.

For there will always be poor people in the land. That is why I command you: open your hand wide to your brother, to the needy and the poor in your land.

If one of your own people, a Hebrew man or woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, in the seventh year you shall let that person go free from you.

And when you set him free, do not send him away empty-handed.

Supply him generously from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress. Give to him as the LORD your God has blessed you.

Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you. That is why I am giving you this command today.

But if he says to you, "I will not leave you," because he loves you and your household and is content with you,

then take an awl and drive it through his ear into the door, and he will be your servant for life. Do the same for your female servant.

Do not think it a hardship to set him free, for his six years of service have been worth twice the wages of a hired hand. And the LORD your God will bless you in all you do.

Set apart to the LORD your God every firstborn male of your herds and flocks. Do not put the firstborn of your oxen to work, and do not shear the firstborn of your flock.

Year after year you and your household shall eat it in the presence of the LORD your God at the place the LORD will choose.

But if it has any defect—if it is lame or blind, or has any serious flaw—you shall not sacrifice it to the LORD your God.

You may eat it in your own town. Both the unclean and the clean may eat it, as they would a gazelle or a deer.

Only you must not eat its blood; pour it out on the ground like water.

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Zusammenfassung2

Kapitel 15

Main Theme: Laws concerning debt release, the freeing of slaves, and the consecration of firstborn male animals as expressions of God's care and Israel's obedience.

Content: Every seventh year (the sabbatical year), all debts between Israelites are to be forgiven, though debts owed by foreigners may still be collected. The people are urged to be generous toward the poor, who will always be present in the land. Hebrew slaves are to be freed after six years of service and given generously upon their release, but they may choose to remain permanently. All firstborn male animals must be consecrated to the Lord and eaten at the sanctuary.

Key Words/Images:

Shemitta (שְׁמִטָּה): The sabbatical year involving debt forgiveness, expressing God's liberating care.
Open hand: A symbol of generosity toward the poor and willingness to lend without reluctance (vv. 8, 11).
Ear piercing: A ritual in which a slave who loves his master chooses permanent service (v. 17).
Firstborn: Male animals belonging to the Lord that are to be eaten at the sanctuary rather than used for labor.

Historischer Kontext

Historical and Cultural Context for Deuteronomy 15

Events and Customs

Shemittah – The Year of Release

The chapter opens with the command concerning shemittah (שְׁמִטָּה), which means "release" or "liberation." Every seventh year, debts between Israelites were to be forgiven. This was a radical social arrangement in ancient times. In Mesopotamia, there were sporadic debt cancellations issued by kings (so-called mīšarum edicts), but these were irregular and dependent on royal goodwill. Israel's system was unique because it was cyclical and established by law, not reliant on the favor of a ruler.

Release of Hebrew Slaves

Verses 12–18 address the release of Hebrew slaves after six years of service. Unlike surrounding cultures, where debt slaves often remained in lifelong bondage, the Mosaic Law imposed time-limited servitude. The ritual of piercing the ear with an awl (מַרְצֵעַ, martse'a) against the doorpost (v. 17) marked voluntary, permanent service. In the ancient Near East, the ear symbolized obedience and attentiveness, giving the ritual deeper cultural resonance.

The Firstborn Animals

Verses 19–23 concern the consecration of firstborn male animals from cattle and sheep. These were not to be used for work or sheared but were to be eaten annually before the Lord at the chosen place. Animals with defects could be eaten locally as ordinary food, but they were not to be offered as sacrifices. The prohibition against eating blood (v. 23) reiterates a fundamental principle of the Mosaic Law.

Key Terms

Evyon (אֶבְיוֹן)

The word evyon (poor, needy) appears seven times in this chapter, underscoring its thematic weight. The term describes not only material poverty but also social vulnerability – people who lacked the networks and resources to support themselves.

Ha'aneq (הַעֲנֵיק)

The verb in verse 14 (הַעֲנֵק תַּעֲנִיק), often translated "supply generously," comes from the root ענק, which is related to "neck." It implies that the freed slave was to be sent away with generous gifts – from livestock, threshing floors, and winepresses – as a visible marker of new status and the opportunity for economic renewal.

Beliyya'al (בְלִיַּעַל)

In verse 9, there is a warning against a "beliyya'al thought" in the heart – a base or worthless thought. The term was later used to refer to evil in general and here refers to calculated stinginess: refusing to lend because the year of release was approaching.

Chapter-Specific Findings

The Laws of Hammurabi (c. 1750 B.C.) from Babylon contain provisions regarding debt slaves who were to be released after three years (§117), offering an interesting parallel to the Israelite six-year system. The Israelite system stands out due to its humanitarian rationale: "Remember that you yourself were a slave in Egypt" (v. 15) – a theological motivation absent from Mesopotamian law codes.

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Schlüsselwörter8

Slette — To cancel debt or obligations, in this case every seventh year as part of God's command.
Syvende året — The year when debts were to be canceled and slaves set free, a symbol of God's grace and justice.
Bror — A fellow citizen in Israel, used to emphasize community and mutual responsibility within society.
Fattig — A person lacking financial resources who needs help from others to survive.
Låne — To give money or property to someone with the expectation that it will be returned, often with interest.
Rente — An additional cost that the borrower must repay to the lender, based on a percentage of the loan.
Hånd — Symbolizes action and support, as in "keeping an open hand" to help the poor and needy.
Frigi — To set slaves free and release them from their duties, as part of God's command every seventh year.