John Gill Commentary Deuteronomy 15

At the end of every seven years you shall make a release .
] Not of servants, for they were not to be dismissed from their service until they had served six years, as is directed to in a following law; for if they were to be set free whenever a sabbatical year came, they might be discharged when they had not served more than a year, or than half a year, or than a month or two. Indeed when the year of jubilee intervened, they were released be it at what time it would; but not in a sabbatical year, which was a year of release of debts, as the following verses show, as well as there was, then a rest of the land from tillage, (Leviticus 25:2–4) .

Now this was done at the end or extremity of every seventh year; not at the latter end or extremity of it, for if the debt of a poor man might be exacted of him in the year, and until the end of it, it would not in this respect have been a sabbatical year, or a year of rest and quiet; but this was done at the first extremity of it, at the beginning of it, as Aben Ezra and Ben Melech observe; though Maimonides ^F2 asserts it to be after the seven years were ended; for he says,``the seventh year releaseth not monies but at the end of it,'' according to (Deuteronomy 15:1) that as in (Deuteronomy 31:10) after seven years is meant, so the release of monies is after seven years.

FOOTNOTES:

• F2: Hilchot Shemittah & Yobel, c. 9. sect. 4.

And this is the manner of the release
Or the rules to be observed in making it:

every creditor that lends anything to his neighbour shall release it ;
that is, forgive the debt, or free the debtor from any obligation to payment. Some think this was only a release of debts for this year, in which there was no ploughing nor sowing, and so a poor man could not be in any circumstances to pay his debts, but might be exacted afterwards; but it rather seems to be a full release, so as the payment of them might not be demanded, neither this year nor afterwards; indeed, if a person afterwards should be in a capacity to pay his debts, he would be obliged, in conscience, duty, and honour, to pay them, though no reserve was made in this law, which nowhere appears:

he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother :
he might receive it, if payment was offered, but he might not demand it, or sue for it; or give his neighbour or brother, whether in a natural or religious sense, any trouble about it:

``his brother, an Israelite;'' one of the same nation and religion with him, though he might not be related in the bonds of consanguinity:

because it is called the Lord's release ;
appointed and commanded by him, and was for his honour and glory, as a God gracious and merciful to the poor, and beneficent to those creditors; and which was proclaimed in his name, by the civil magistrate, according to his order; so the Targum of Jonathan,

``because the house of judgment, or the sanhedrim, proclaimed it a release before the Lord.''

Now this was typical of a release of debts, or of forgiveness of sins, which is an act of God's grace through Christ, and for his sake. Sins are called debts, not what men owe to God, for then it would be right to commit them, and they might be committed with impunity, yea, with praise, since it would be doing what is fit and right, and well pleasing to God; but men are debtors to fulfil the law, and in case of failure, or a breach of it, are bound to the debt of punishment; and these debts are very numerous, and men are incapable of paying them: and by a release of these is meant not a liberty of sinning, nor a freedom from the being or bondage of sin, but from the guilt of it, and from obligation to punishment for it; and is properly the forgiveness of sin, which is expressed by various phrases, as a non-imputation, a non-remembrance, a covering, blotting out, and removing of sin, and here typically a release of debts; see (Matthew 6:12) , and God only can make it; he is the creditor, sin is committed against him, and he only can forgive it, which he does freely, fully, and at once, see (Luke 7:41Luke 7:42) .

Of a foreigner you may exact it again
Either on the seventh year, or after it:

but that which is yours with your brother, your hand shall release ;
a debt that lies between them, where the one is the creditor, and the other debtor, the creditor shall freely and fully forgive the debtor.

So those only are released or forgiven by the Lord who are his own, whom he has reserved for himself, or chosen to everlasting life; who are interested in the covenant of his grace, one article in which is the forgiveness of sins; and who are redeemed by the blood of Christ, a branch of which redemption is remission of sin; and who are called by grace, and believe in Christ, to whom pardon of sins is promised;

but those who are foreigners and strangers, and are not the Lord's chosen, redeemed, and called people, have no share in this blessing of grace; nor such who are rich in their own esteem, and need nothing;

but those who are poor and unable to pay their debts, and are sensible of their spiritual poverty, and apply to the Lord for the forgiveness of their sins.

Save when there shall be no poor among you
Then such a law could not take place, there would be no debts to be released; for this was never designed to screen rich persons from the payment of their just debts, or whoever were in a capacity of so doing, only such as were really poor, and unable to pay; and it supposes that this might sometimes be the case, that there were none poor in Israel, or needed the benefit of such a law; and, according to the Targum of Jonathan, it is suggested there would be none, if they were observant of the commands of God: and some take it for a promise, rendering the words "nevertheless" ^F3 , notwithstanding such a law,

there shall be no poor among you ;
but then it must be understood conditionally: others interpret this as the end to be answered by this law, "to the end ^F4 there may be no poor among you"; by observing this law, all debts being released once in seven years, it would prevent persons falling into distress and poverty, to such a degree as to be in want, and become beggars; and Julian the emperor observes, that none of the Jews begged ^F5 , which he attributes to the care that was taken of their poor:

for the Lord shall greatly bless you in the land which the Lord your
God gives you for an inheritance to possess it ;
which is either a reason why there would be no poor, should they observe the commandments of the Lord; or a reason why they should release the debts of the poor because they were so greatly blessed with a fruitful land, which brought them such an increase, as enabled them to free their poor debtors, when in circumstances unable to pay them.

FOOTNOTES:

• F3: (yk opa) "veruntamen", Munster.
• F4: "To the end that there be not", Ainsworth; so the margin of the Bible.
• F5: Opera, par. 2. Ep. 49. p. 204.

Ver. 5 Only if you carefully hearken to the voice of the Lord your God ,
&c.] In his word, and by his prophets; this being the case, there would be no more poor among them, or however they would be so blessed of God, that they would be capable of releasing the debts of the poor, without hurting themselves and their families:

to observe to do all these commandments which I command you this day ;
a phrase often used to put them in mind of the commands of God, and the necessity of keeping them, their temporal happiness depending thereon.