And when thou sendest him out free from thee ,.... When he discharged him from his servitude, and made him a free man: thou shall not let him go away empty ; without anything to support himself, or to put himself in a way of business; he having in the time of his servitude worked entirely for his master, and so could not have got and saved anything for himself. read more
Thou shalt furnish him liberally ,.... Not only to supply his present wants, but for his future use, and to set him up in the world: "loading thou shall load him" F8 העניק תעניק "onerando oneratis", Munster, Pagninus, Vatablus. , so some render the words; give him as much as he can carry, and well stand up under; the word used has the signification of chains wore about the neck for honour or ornament, and so may signify he should be very honourably dismissed, with plain marks of... read more
And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt ,.... Where they were used hardly, and their lives were made bitter in hard bondage; and therefore should show the greater compassion to servants, whose case they could not but sympathize with, and have a fellow feeling of and the Lord thy God redeemed thee ; from the house of bondage and state of slavery, after they had been in it many years: therefore I command thee this thing today , to release their servants at... read more
And it shall be, if he say unto thee, I will not go away from thee ,.... Out of his house, nor quit his service: because he loveth thee and thine house ; his master and his family, and so loath to leave them, but chooses rather to stay with them than have his liberty; hence the Jews say F11 Maimon. in Misn. Kiddushin, c. 1. sect. 2. , if his master has not a wife and children, his ear is not to be bored: because he is well with thee; lives well with him , is well used by him,... read more
Thou shalt not let him go away empty - Because during the time he served thee, he made no property for himself, having been always honest towards thee; and now when he leaves thee, he has nothing to begin the world with. read more
Thou shalt furnish him - out of thy flock - Thou shalt give him some cattle to breed with; out of thy floor - some corn for seed and for bread; and out of thy wine press - an adequate provision of wine for present necessity. read more
Verse 13 13.And when thou sendest him out free from thee. Here not only is the enfranchisement of slaves enjoined, but an exhortation to liberality is also added, viz., that they should not send away their slaves without their hire; for this is not a civil enactment for the purpose of extorting from the avaricious more than they were willing to give. The rule of Paul here applies: “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly or of necessity: for God loveth... read more
From injunctions regarding the treatment of the poor and of debtors the transition is easy to the law concerning slaves, inasmuch as it was through the stress of poverty that any became such from among their brethren. The law, as here laid down, is the same as that in Exodus 21:2-6 , somewhat expanded; the most important addition being that the slave is not only to go free after six years of service, but is to be furnished by his master with the means of setting up a home for himself. The... read more
The rights of the slaves. By some who are but slightly acquainted with the subject, and who have too strong an animus against the Old Book to deal fairly with it, it has been made a matter of complaint against our Lord and his apostles that they did not put down slavery with a strong hand. The same may be said of Moses. If, however, without prejudging the case, we reverently ask, Why was it that he, as a divinely commissioned legislator, tolerated the institution of slavery? we are but... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Deuteronomy 15:12-18
Here is, I. A repetition of the law that had been given concerning Hebrew servants who had sold themselves for servants, or were sold by their parents through extreme poverty, or were sold by the court of judgment for some crime committed. The law was, 1. That they should serve but six years, and in the seventh should go out free, Deut. 15:12. Compare Exod. 21:2. And, if the year of jubilee happened before they served out their time, that would be their discharge. God's Israel were a free... read more