Deuteronomy 15 Summary

Deuteronomy 15 opens with the law of the sabbatical release: every seven years, Israelite creditors must cancel debts owed by fellow Israelites, though debts of foreigners may still be collected. Moses urges the people to be open-handed toward the poor and not to withhold loans as the release year approaches, warning that a stingy refusal would be sin, while cheerful generosity would bring God's blessing. The chapter then addresses Hebrew slaves, requiring that after six years of service they be freed and generously provisioned from the master's flocks, grain, and wine; if a servant voluntarily chooses to remain, his ear is pierced at the door as a sign of permanent attachment. Finally, Moses commands that all firstborn males of herd and flock be consecrated to the LORD, eaten annually at the chosen place of worship, and, if blemished, consumed locally rather than sacrificed, with the blood in either case poured out on the ground.