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영문 원문
In this chapter Moses gives orders, I. Concerning the release of debts, every seventh year (De 15:1-6), with a caution that this should be no hindrance to charitable lending, De 15:7-11. II. Concerning the release of servants after seven years' service, De 15:12-18. III. Concerning the sanctification of the firstlings of cattle to God, De 15:19-23, etc.
1-23
The Year of Release (1451 BC)
简体中文
豁免之年（主前1451年）
¹ 每逢七年末一年，你要施行豁免。 ² 豁免的定例乃是这样：凡债主要把所借给邻舍的豁免了；不可向邻舍和弟兄追讨，因为耶和华的豁免已经宣告了。 ³ 若借给外邦人，你可以向他追讨；但凡借给你弟兄的，你都要松手豁免了。 ⁴ 你若留意听从耶和华你神的话，谨守遵行我今日所吩咐你这一切的诫命， ⁵ 耶和华你的神就必照他向你起誓所应许的，赐福与你：你必借给许多国民，却不至向他们借贷；你必管辖许多国民，他们却不能管辖你。 ⁶ 因为在耶和华你神所赐你为业、你所得为业的地上，耶和华你的神必照他所应许你的赐福与你——你若实在听从耶和华你神的话，谨守遵行我今日所吩咐你这一切的诫命。 ⁷ 在耶和华你神所赐你的地上，无论哪一座城里，你弟兄中若有一个穷人，你不可忍着心、攥着手，不帮补你穷乏的弟兄； ⁸ 总要向他松开手，照他所缺乏的借给他，补他的不足。 ⁹ 你要谨慎，不可心里起恶念，说：第七年的豁免年快到了；你便恶眼看你穷乏的弟兄，什么都不给他；他若呼求耶和华攻击你，你就有了罪。 ¹⁰ 你总要给他，给他的时候心里不可愁烦；因耶和华你的神必在你这一切所行的，并你手所办的事上，赐福与你。 ¹¹ 原来那地上的穷人永不断绝；所以我吩咐你说：总要向你地上困苦穷乏的弟兄松开手。
此处有，I. 一条为贫穷负债者得宽免的律法——我们可设想他们乃是无法偿还的。每逢第七年乃是豁免之年，那一年地要歇息不再耕种，仆人也要脱离服事；在诸般恩典的举措中，有一项就是：凡借了钱而在期前无力偿还的，这一年当得豁免；他们日后若能力所能及，良心上仍当偿还，但自此以后债主不得依法追讨。许多好的注释家认为此律法只是禁止在豁免之年追讨债务，因为那年既无收成，便不能指望人偿债，但此后仍可起诉追讨：所以豁免并非取消债务，不过是暂时中止程序而已。但另有人认为这是永远豁免债务，这似乎更为可能，只是在明言或暗示的某些限制之下。此处假设（申15:3）负债者是以色列人（外人不能享受此法之利），且他本是贫穷的（申15:4），他借债并非为贸易或购置，而是为养家糊口，如今若偿还便必致自己陷入贫困，而不得不往他乡求济——这或会成为他背叛神的试探。律法不是说债主在负债者本人或他的朋友替他有能力偿还时也不可收债；而是说不可借着法律程序追讨。制定此律的理由是：1. 为尊荣安息年：『因为耶和华的豁免已经宣告了』，申15:2。那是他们的地归给神的一年，正如每周的安息日是他们自己、仆人、牲畜归给神的日子；神要他们因地的歇息、也因债务的豁免，学习倚靠祂的照管。这豁免之年预表了福音的恩典，其中宣告了『神悦纳人的禧年』，我们藉此得着债务的豁免——就是罪的赦免；我们也蒙教导要饶恕人的亏欠，正如我们已蒙神饶恕、并盼望继续蒙饶恕一样。2. 为防止以色列人陷入极度的贫困：所以页边注解作（申15:4）『免得你们中间有穷人』——没有悲惨可怜、令人诟病的穷人，以致羞辱他们的国家和宗教，他们本当维护其声誉。3. 此处有神的保证，借着神圣的应许——他们因贫穷负债者所失的，神必在赐福他们一切所有和所作的事上补还给他们，申15:4-6。他们当尽自己的本分，神就必赐福使他们大得增多，以致他们若慷慨豁免坏账，那些损失到了年终也不会从他们的本钱上看出少了什么。不仅『耶和华必赐福与你』（申15:4），更是『耶和华已经赐福与你』，申15:6。倘若神已经赐我们丰盛，使我们不仅有足够的，还有盈余的，我们却仍向贫穷的弟兄严苛勒索，那就无可推诿了；因为我们的丰盛当成为他们缺乏的供给，使两极之间至少不至有那样悬殊的不均，林后8:14。他们也当记得，他们的地是神所赐的，他们一切的增加都是神赐福的结果，所以他们有本分照神的安排与指引来使用并处置自己的产业。最后，他们若肯豁免借给穷弟兄的那一点小款，神应许他们必能借巨款给他们富有的邻舍——『甚至借给许多国民』（申15:6），并因这些借贷而致富。如此列国便要臣服他们、依赖他们，正如『欠债的是债主的仆人』，箴22:7。能借给人而不需要向人借贷，我们当看为极大的怜悯，也是我们当以手中所有的行善的充足理由，免得我们惹动神使天平翻转。
II. 此处有一条为贫穷借债者设的律法，使他们不致因前一条律法受害。人会这样推论：『若是债主与负债者之间如此——债若不在豁免年之前清偿就要丧失——倒不如不借。』『不，』这一分支的律法说，『你不可这样想。』1. 此处假定他们中间必有穷人，会有借贷的需要（申15:7），也必永不断绝有这般慈善的对象（申15:11）：『那地上的穷人永不断绝』——虽然不是沦到极度贫困的那种，却总会有落后、需要借贷的人；此处所说的就是这样的穷人，这样的人我们常常有同在，所以慈善的心肠不难找到慈善的机会。2. 在这样的情形下，此处吩咐我们或借或给，要照我们的力量和事情的急需：『你不可忍着心，攥着手』，申15:7。手若攥着，便是心硬了的记号；因为『云若满了一阵雨，就必倾倒在地上』，传11:3。怜悯的心肠必生发慷慨的施与，雅2:15,16。你不可仅仅伸手递给他一点什么，而要『向他松开手』，『照他所缺乏的借给他』，申15:8。有时审慎的借贷与施舍同样慈善，因为这促使借债者勤勉诚实，并可能为他开一条自立之路。有时慈善的对象一出现，我们就受试探以为：给或不给、给多或给少，全由我们选择；其实这是明文的诫命（申15:11）：『我吩咐你』——不仅给，且要『松开手』，慷慨地给。3. 此处又对一项可能因前述豁免债务之律法而起的异议提出警告（申15:9）：『你要谨慎，不可心里起恶念』——就是贪婪刻薄的恶念——『说：第七年的豁免年快到了，所以我所借的到那时必失，便不借了』；免得你所拒绝借贷的穷弟兄向神控告你，那在你便是罪，是大罪。注意：（1）律法是属灵的，它约束人心里的意念。我们若以为意念不受神的鉴察与禁止，便是误解了。（2）那从神良善的律法中生出恶念来的，实在是恶极了的心——正如那些人，因为神已吩咐他们宽恕的慈善，便拒绝了施舍的慈善。（3）我们当谨防一切会使我们偏离本分或在本分上灰心的隐秘暗示。要避免犯罪的行为，就必须从心思中除去犯罪的意念。（4）当我们有慈善借贷的机会时，若不能信靠借债者，就当信靠神，借出去，不指望在今世得还，却盼望在义人复活时得着报答，路6:35,14:14。（5）穷人的哀声若向我们发出，那是可怕的事，因为神侧耳听那哀声，并因怜悯他们，必向那苦待他们的人算账。（6）我们所以为的谨慎，常常成为我们的罪；那人因豁免年近而拒绝借贷，自以为行事明智，以为人必『夸奖他为自己谋算得好』，诗49:18。但此处告诉他，他行了恶，神要定他的罪，以为他向弟兄行了恶；我们确知『神的审判是照着真理』，祂所称为罪的，若不悔改，必成为我们的灭亡。
III. 此处吩咐我们：凡慈善中所施的，都当甘心乐意地给：『你给他的时候心里不可愁烦』，申15:10。不可在如此美善的事上舍不得花钱，也不可看作损失；不可吝于向弟兄施恩；也不可因恐怕自己将缺乏而怀疑神的照管——倒要相反，想到你正以你的财物尊荣神、行善、使弟兄得安逸，并为自己将来积存美好的稳妥，便当以此为快乐和心中的满足。你所作的，要甘心去作，因为神『乐意赐给那乐意施舍的人』，林后9:7。
IV. 此处又应许今世之报答：『因耶和华你的神必赐福与你。』贪婪的人说：『施舍叫我们败家。』不，甘心乐意的施舍必使我们富足，必『使你的仓房充满丰盈』（箴3:10），并使心得着真正的安慰，赛58:10,11。
¹² 你弟兄中，若有一个希伯来男人或希伯来女人被卖给你，服事你六年；到第七年就要任他自由出去。 ¹³ 你任他自由的时候，不可使他空手而去； ¹⁴ 要从羊群、禾场、酒榨之中，多多地供给他；耶和华你的神怎样赐福与你，你也要照样给他。 ¹⁵ 要记念你在埃及地作过奴仆，耶和华你的神救赎了你；因此我今日吩咐你这件事。 ¹⁶ 他若对你说：『我不愿意离开你』；因他爱你和你的家，且因他在你那里很好， ¹⁷ 你就要拿锥子将他的耳朵在门上刺透，他便永远服事你；你待婢女也要这样。 ¹⁸ 你任他自由的时候，不可看为难；因他服事你六年，较比雇工的工价加倍有利益；耶和华你的神必在你一切所行的事上赐福与你。
此处有，I. 重申先前所赐关于希伯来仆人的律法——他们或因自卖为仆，或因父母极穷而被卖，或因犯罪而被法庭所卖。律法是：1. 他们只当服事六年，第七年当自由出去，申15:12。比较出21:2。若禧年在他们服事期满之前来到，那便是他们的释放。神的以色列本是自由的民，不可被迫永久为奴；属灵的以色列也是如此蒙召得以自由。2. 若六年服事期满，他们不愿出去，宁愿继续服役——因责任较少（虽然劳苦较多），便可在此情形下，藉着『在门上刺透耳朵』，使自己负有终身服事之义务——就是一生之久，申15:16,17。比较出21:6。有人若因此自贬身价——被人看为卑劣奴颜、缺乏对自由之尊荣与快乐的正当感觉——但我们也可设想，在另一些人眼中他却得了声誉，被视为安静知足、谦卑勤勉、有爱心、不喜变更的人。
II. 此处又对此律法作了补充，要求他们在释放仆人离开服事时，当把些许本钱放在仆人手中，使他可以自立，申15:13,14。可假定他们自己一无所有，他们的亲友也几乎无可帮助——否则他们早已在被依法释放之前赎出来了；他们服事并无工资，劳碌所得全归主人，所以他们的自由对他们益处不多，因为他们一无所有可以开始度日；所以此处吩咐主人要从粮食和牲畜中慷慨地供给他们。并未规定确定的数量：那是留待主人的慷慨，大概会顾及仆人的功劳和需要；但犹太作者说：『他不可少于三十舍客勒银子的价值，但可以随意多给。』女仆虽然不愿留下时不必刺耳，但若出去得自由，也当得赏赐；因为这话正是指此而言：『你待婢女也要这样』，申15:17。这些理由取自感恩之律。他们当如此行，1. 为向神感恩——神不仅领他们出了埃及（申15:15），更使他们大得埃及的财物丰富而出。他们既不是空手从为奴之家出来，就不可空手打发仆人出去。神对我们温柔的眷顾和恩慈，使我们也有义务去顾念并恩待那些倚靠我们的人。如此我们当『照所领的恩惠回报』。2. 为向仆人感恩，申15:18。『不要舍不得从你的丰盛中给他一点，因为他服事你六年，较比雇工的工价加倍有利益。雇工的日子最多不过三年（赛16:14），但他服事你六年，并且不像雇工那样——毫无工资。』主人和地主当想自己何等需要仆人和佃户，又从他们得着何等的方便和利益，所以不仅当公义，更当恩待他们。在这些理由之外，又加上本章先前所有的（申15:4,6,10）：『耶和华你的神必赐福与你。』我们若在家人关系上尽本分、对得起良心，就可指望家庭之福——家庭昌盛的源头。
¹⁹ 你牛群羊群中，凡头生的公的，都要分别为圣归耶和华你的神。牛群中头生的，不可用它耕地；羊群中头生的，不可剪毛。 ²⁰ 你和你的家属，年年要在耶和华所选择的地方，在耶和华你神面前吃。 ²¹ 这头生的若有什么残疾——瘸腿的、瞎眼的、有什么恶病的——就不可献给耶和华你的神。 ²² 你可以在城里吃；洁净人与不洁净人都可以吃，就如吃羚羊与鹿一般。 ²³ 只是不可吃它的血；要倒在地上，如同倒水一样。
此处有，1. 重申关于牲畜头生的律法：凡公的，都当『分别为圣归耶和华』（申15:19），为记念并感谢神保全了以色列人的长子——当灭命的天使击杀埃及人长子（人与牲畜）之时（出13:2,15）；在第八日当献给神（出22:30），并要在祭司与祭坛之间均分，民18:17,18。2. 对那律法的补充，进一步加以说明，指示他们对头生的当怎样行：（1）凡母的：『你牛群中母的头生不可用来作工，羊群中母的头生也不可剪毛』（申15:19）——博学的帕特里克主教如此理解。母的头生虽不如公的那样完全分别为圣归神，也不像公的那样早在第八日就献上，却不可像别的牲畜一样被主人据为己用，而当作为平安祭献给神，或在年终的宗教筵席上使用，申15:20。『你当在耶和华你神面前吃』，正如申12:18 所指示。（2）但有残疾的、有恶病的又当怎样呢？申15:21。无论公母，都不可带到圣所附近，既不可作祭物，也不可作圣筵之用，因为它既不足以尊荣神，也不足以预表基督——基督乃是『无瑕疵的羔羊』；然而也不可留着饲养，当宰杀在自己的家中作寻常食物吃（申15:22），只是务必『不可带着血吃』，申15:23。这一告诫屡次重申，正说明百姓何等需要它，神又何等看重它。我们如今不在这一轭之下，这是何等的怜悯！我们的饮食不再像他们那样受限制；头生的牛羊与后来所生的，在我们并不分别。所以我们当切实体会这律法的福音意义，将自己和我们时间与力量的初熟果子献给神，作为祂所造之物的初熟果子，并将我们一切的安慰与享受都用于赞美祂，并在祂律法的指引之下使用——因为我们所有的都是祂的恩赐。
영문 원문
The Year of Release (1451 BC)
¹ At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release.
² 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.
³ Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release;
⁴ 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:
⁵ 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.
⁶ For the LORD thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee.
⁷ 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:
⁸ But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.
⁹ Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee.
¹⁰ Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto.
¹¹ For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.
Here is, I. A law for the relief of poor debtors, such (we may suppose) as were insolvent. Every seventh year was a year of release, in which the ground rested from being tilled and servants were discharged from their services; and, among other acts of grace, this was one, that those who had borrowed money, and had not been able to pay it before, should this year be released from it; and though, if they were able, they were afterwards bound in conscience to repay it, yet thenceforth the creditor should never recover it by law. Many good expositors think it only forbids the exacting of the debt in the year of release, because, no harvest being gathered in that year, it could not be expected that men should pay their debts then, but that afterwards it might be sued for and recovered: so that the release did not extinguish the debt, but only stayed the process for a time. But others think it was a release of the debt for ever, and this seems more probable, yet under certain limitations expressed or implied. It is supposed (De 15:3) that the debtor was an Israelite (an alien could not take the benefit of this law) and that he was poor (De 15:4), that he did not borrow for trade or purchase, but for the subsistence of his family, and that now he could not pay it without reducing himself to poverty and coming under a necessity of seeking relief in other countries, which might be his temptation to revolt from God. The law is not that the creditor shall not receive the debt if the debtor, or his friends for him, can pay it; but he shall not exact it by a legal process. The reasons of this law are, 1. To put an honour upon the sabbatical year: Because it is called the Lord's release, De 15:2. That was God's year for their land, as the weekly sabbath was God's day for themselves, their servants, and cattle; and, as by the resting of their ground, so by the release of their debts, God would teach them to depend upon his providence. This year of release typified the grace of the gospel, in which is proclaimed the acceptable year of the Lord, and by which we obtain the release of our debts, that is, the pardon of our sins, and we are taught to forgive injuries, as we are and hope to be forgiven of God. 2. It was to prevent the falling of any Israelite into extreme poverty: so the margin reads (De 15:4), To the end there shall be no poor among you, none miserably and scandalously poor, to the reproach of their nation and religion, the reputation of which they ought to preserve. 3. God's security is here given by a divine promise that, whatever they lost by their poor debtors, it should be made up to them in the blessing of God upon all they had and did, De 15:4-6. Let them take care to do their duty, and then God would bless them with such great increase that what they might lose by bad debts, if they generously remitted them, should not be missed out of their stock at the year's end. Not only, the Lord shall bless thee (De 15:4), but he doth bless thee, De 15:6. It is altogether inexcusable if, though God had given us abundance, so that we have not only enough but to spare, yet we are rigorous and server in our demands from our poor brethren; for our abundance should be the supply of their wants, that at least there may not be such an inequality as is between two extremes, 2Co 8:14. They must also consider that their land was God's gift to them, that all their increase was the fruit of God's blessing upon them, and therefore they were bound in duty to him to use and dispose of their estates as he should order and direct them. And, lastly, If they would remit what little sums they had lent to their poor brethren, it is promised that they should be able to lend great sums to their rich neighbours, even to many nations (De 15:6), and should be enriched by those loans. Thus the nations should become subject to them, and dependent on them, as the borrower is servant to the lender, Pr 22:7. To be able to lend, and not to have need to borrow, we must look upon as a great mercy, and a good reason why we should do good with what we have, lest we provoke God to turn the scales.
II. Here is a law in favour of poor borrowers, that they might not suffer damage by the former law. Men would be apt to argue, If the case of a man be so with his debtor that if the debt be not paid before the year of release it shall be lost, it were better not to lend. "No," says this branch of the statute, "thou shalt not think such a thought." 1. It is taken for granted that there would be poor among them, who would have occasion to borrow (De 15:7), and that there would never cease to be some such objects of charity (De 15:7), and that there would never cease to be some such objects of charity (De 15:11): The poor shall never cease out of thy land, though not such as were reduced to extreme poverty, yet such as would be behind-hand, and would have occasion to borrow; of such poor he here speaks, and such we have always with us, so that a charitable disposition may soon find a charitable occasion. 2. In such a case we are here commanded to lend or give, according to our ability and the necessity of the case: Thou shalt not harden thy heart, nor shut thy hand, De 15:7. If the hand be shut, it is a sign the heart is hardened; for, if the clouds were full of rain, they would empty themselves, Ec 11:3. Bowels of compassion would produce liberal distributions, Jam 2:15,16. Thou shalt not only stretch out thy hand to him to reach him something, but thou shalt open thy hand wide unto him, to lend him sufficient, De 15:8. Sometimes there is as much charity in prudent lending as in giving, as it obliges the borrower to industry and honesty and may put him into a way of helping himself. We are sometimes tempted to think, when an object of charity presents itself, we may choose whether we will give any thing or nothing, little or much; whereas it is here an express precept (De 15:11), I command thee, not only to give, but to open thy hand wide, to give liberally. 3. Here is a caveat against that objection which might arise against charitable lending from the foregoing law for the release of debts (De 15:9): Beware that there be not a thought, a covetous ill-natured thought, in thy Belial heart, "The year of release is at hand, and therefore I will not lend what I must then be sure to lose;" lest thy poor brother, whom thou refusest to lend to, complain to God, and it will be a sin, a great sin, to thee. Note, (1.) The law is spiritual and lays a restraint upon the thoughts of the heart. We mistake if we think thoughts are free from the divine cognizance and check. (2.) That is a wicked heart indeed that raises evil thoughts from the good law of God, as theirs did who, because God had obliged them to the charity of forgiving, denied the charity of giving. (3.) We must carefully watch against all those secret suggestions which would divert us from our duty or discourage us in it. Those that would keep from the act of sin must keep out of their minds the very thought of sin. (4.) When we have an occasion of charitable lending, if we cannot trust the borrower, we must trust God, and lend, hoping for nothing again in this world, but expecting it will be recompensed in the resurrection of the just, Lu 6:35,14:14. (5.) It is a dreadful thing to have the cry of the poor against us, for God has his ear open to that cry, and, in compassion to them, will be sue to reckon with those that deal hardly with them. (6.) That which we think is our prudence often proves sin to us; he that refused to lend because the year of release was at hand thought he did wisely, and that men would praise him as doing well for himself, Ps 49:18. But he is here told that he did wickedly, and that God would condemn him as doing ill to his brother; and we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth, and that what he says is sin to us will certainly be ruin to us if it be not repented of.
III. Here is a command to give cheerfully whatever we give in charity: "Thy heart shall not be grieved when thou givest, De 15:10. Be not loth to part with thy money on so good an account, nor think it lost; grudge not a kindness to they brother; and distrust not the providence of God, as if thou shouldest want that thyself which thou givest in charity; but, on the contrary, let it be a pleasure and a satisfaction of soul to thee to think that thou art honouring God with thy substance, doing good, making thy brother easy, and laying up for thyself a good security for the time to come. What thou doest do freely, for God loves a cheerful giver," 2Co 9:7.
IV. Here is a promise of a recompence in this life: "For this thing the Lord thy God shall bless thee." Covetous people say "Giving undoes us;" no, giving cheerfully in charity will enrich us, it will fill the barns with plenty (Pr 3:10) and the soul with true comfort, Isa 58:10,11.
¹² And if thy brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee.
¹³ And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty:
¹⁴ 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.
¹⁵ And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing to day.
¹⁶ 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;
¹⁷ Then thou shalt take an awl, 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.
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.
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, De 15:12. Compare Ex 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 people, and must not be compelled to perpetual slavery; thus are God's spiritual Israel called unto liberty. 2. That if, when their six years' service had expired, they had no mind to go out free, but would rather continue in service, as having less care, though taking more pains, than their masters, in this case they must lay themselves under an obligation to serve for ever, that is, for life, by having their ears bored to the door-posts, De 15:16,17. Compare Ex 21:6. If hereby a man disgraced himself with some, as of a mean and servile spirit, that had not a due sense of the honour and pleasure of liberty, yet, we may suppose, with others he got reputation, as of a quiet contented spirit, humble, and diligent, and loving, and not given to change.
II. Here is an addition to this law, requiring them to put some small stock into their servants' hands to set up with for themselves, when they sent them out of their service, De 15:13,14. It was to be supposed that they had nothing of their own, and that their friends had little or nothing for them, else they else they would have been redeemed before they were discharged by law; they had no wages for their service, and all they got by their labour was their masters', so that their liberty would do them little good, having nothing to begin the world with; therefore their masters are here commanded to furnish them liberally with corn and cattle. No certain measure is prescribed: that is left to the generosity of the master, who probably would have respect to the servant's merit and necessity; but the Jewish writers say, "He could not give less than the value of thirty shekels of silver, but as much more as he pleased" The maid-servants, though they were not to have their ears bored if they were disposed to stay, yet, if they went out free, they were to have a gratuity given them; for to this those words refer, Unto thy maid-servant thou shalt do likewise, De 15:17. The reasons for this are taken from the law of gratitude. They must do it, 1. In gratitude to God, who had not only brought them out of Egypt (De 15:15), but brought them out greatly enriched with the spoils of the Egyptians. Let them not send their servants out empty, for they were not sent empty out of the house of bondage. God's tender care of us and kindness to us oblige us to be careful of, and kind to, those that have a dependence upon us. Thus we must render according to the benefit done unto us. 2. In gratitude to their servants, De 15:18. "Grudge not to give him a little out of thy abundance, for he has been worth a double hired servant unto thee. The days of the hireling at most were but three years (Isa 16:14), but he has served thee six years, and, unlike the hired servant, without any wages." Masters and landlords ought to consider what need they have of, and what ease and advantage they have by, their servants and tenants, and should not only be just but kind to them. To these reasons it is added, as before in this chapter (De 15:4,6,10), The Lord thy God shall bless thee. Then we may expect family blessings, the springs of family-prosperity, when we make conscience of our duty to our family-relations.
¹⁹ 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.
²⁰ Thou shalt eat it before the LORD thy God year by year in the place which the LORD shall choose, thou and thy household.
²¹ And if there be any blemish therein, as if it be lame, or blind, or have any ill blemish, thou shalt not sacrifice it unto the LORD thy God.
²² Thou shalt eat it within thy gates: the unclean and the clean person shall eat it alike, as the roebuck, and as the hart.
²³ Only thou shalt not eat the blood thereof; thou shalt pour it upon the ground as water.
Here is, 1. A repetition of the law concerning the firstlings of their cattle, that, if they were males, they were to be sanctified to the Lord (De 15:19), in remembrance of, and in thankfulness for, the sparing of the first-born of Israel, when the first-born of the Egyptians, both of man and beast, were slain by the destroying angel (Ex 13:2,15); on the eighth day it was to be given to God (Ex 22:30), and to be divided between the priest and the altar, Nu 18:17,18. 2. An addition to that law, for the further explication of it, directing them what to do with the firstlings, (1.) That were females: "Thou shalt do no work with the female firstlings of the cow, nor shear those of the sheep" (De 15:19); of them the learned bishop Patrick understands it. Though the female firstlings were not so entirely sanctified to God as the males, nor so early as at eight days old, yet they were not to be converted by the owners to their own use as the other cattle, but must be offered to God as peace-offerings, or used in a religious feast, at the year's end, De 15:20. Thou shalt eat it before the Lord thy God, as directed De 12:18. (2.) But what must they do with that which was blemished, ill-blemished? De 15:21. Were it male or female, it must not be brought near the sanctuary, nor used either for sacrifice or for holy feasting, for it would not be fit to honour God with, nor to typify Christ, who is a Lamb without blemish; yet it must not be reared, but killed and eaten at their own houses as common food (De 15:22), only they must be sure not to eat it with the blood, De 15:23. The frequent repetition of this caution intimates what need the people had of it, and what stress God laid upon it. What a mercy it is that we are not under this yoke! We are not dieted as they were; we make no difference between a first calf, or lamb, and the rest that follow. Let us therefore realize the gospel meaning of this law, devoting ourselves and the first of our time and strength to God, as a kind of first-fruits of his creatures, and using all our comforts and enjoyments to his praise and under the direction of his law, as we have them all by his gift.
摩西在本章中颁布吩咐：I. 关于每第七年豁免债项之事（申15:1-6），并告诫此事不应成为慷慨借贷的妨碍，申15:7-11。II. 关于仆人服事七年后得释放之事，申15:12-18。III. 关于将头生的牲畜分别为圣归于神之事，申15:19-23等。