Deuteronomy 15:1 · Bible study
Deuteronomy 15:1 Commentary: Study, The Year of Release
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore the meaning of the 'shemittah', the debt release in the sabbatical year. Analysis of the Hebrew text and the debate over cancellation vs. suspension.
Research Summary
- Meaning: In the seventh year, Israelites were to release fellow Israelites from the obligation to repay loans, either permanently (some traditions) or temporarily (Keil, Calvin).
- Key words: שְׁמִטָּה (shemittah, “release,” from shamat, “to let drop”); קֵץ (qets, “end” of seven years).
- Main debate: Whether the release was a total cancellation of debt or only a suspension of collection during the sabbatical year.
- Theological theme: God as the true owner of the land; economic justice rooted in the covenant; forgiveness as a community practice.
- Best use: Teaching on stewardship, generosity, the heart of debt, and the social implications of the gospel.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts.
WEB World English Bible 2000
At the end of every seven years, you shall cancel debts.
KJV King James Version 1769
At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
`At the end of seven years thou dost make a release,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
At the end of seven years thou shalt make a release,
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
In the seventh year thou shalt make a remission,
Translations in other languages (10 available)
AL cabo de siete años harás remisión.
Ao fim de sete anos farás remissão.
Tous les sept ans, tu feras relâche.
Alle sieben Jahre sollst du ein Erlaßjahr halten.
Ten einde van zeven jaren zult gij een vrijlating maken.
Alla fine d’ogni settennio celebrerete l’anno di remissione.
Na początku każdego siódmego roku czynić będziesz odpuszczenie.
В седьмой год делай прощение.
「每逢七 年 末一年，你要施行 豁免。
At the end of every seven years there is to be a general forgiveness of debt.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Deuteronomy 15:1
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Most commentators agree that Deuteronomy 15:1 introduces the seventh-year release tied to the sabbatical year (Exodus 23:10-11; Leviticus 25). The central command is a “release” (שְׁמִטָּה, shemittah, from the root shamat, “to let drop”). There is broad agreement that this law applied only to loans made to fellow Israelites, not foreigners, and was designed to protect the poor from perpetual debt. The main point of difference is whether the release meant a total cancellation of the debt or merely a temporary suspension of collection. Keil and Delitzsch argue from the Hebrew root that it means to “let lie,” similar to the land’s fallow period, suggesting a moratorium rather than forgiveness. Calvin also held this view, noting that the law restrained immoderate power. However, Philo and some Talmudists interpreted it as a permanent remission. The core shared conviction is that God’s ownership of the land and His compassion for the poor shape economic life in Israel.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Temporary suspension: The Hebrew root <em>shamat</em> means 'to let lie' or 'let drop,' parallel to letting the land rest; the verb 'press' in v.2 suggests a temporary forbearance rather than forgiveness.
- Permanent cancellation: The word 'release' and the context of Jubilee (Leviticus 25) imply a full remission; some early Jewish sources (Philo, Talmud) interpret it that way.
What is clear: The law required Israelites to stop demanding repayment from fellow Israelites during the seventh year, as a reflection of God’s ownership and compassion for the poor.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of the release | The law required a formal release (shemittah) of debts among Israelites in the seventh year. | Some hold it was a permanent cancellation of the debt (Philo, Talmudists); others argue it was only a temporary suspension of collection, akin to the land lying fallow (Calvin, Keil). |
| Application to foreigners | The release was not required for foreigners; they could be pressed for payment. | Christians differ on whether this boundary applies to believers today. Some see a universal principle of mercy; others restrict it to the covenant community. |
| Relation to the sabbatical year | This law is connected to the sabbatical year (Exodus 23, Leviticus 25). | Debate exists over whether the release began at the start of the seventh year or after its end. Maimonides says after; other commentators say during. |
| Purpose of the law | The law aimed to prevent permanent poverty and maintain equality among God’s people. | Some emphasize the practical economic benefit (land rest); others focus on the spiritual lesson of trusting God’s provision. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Deuteronomy 15:1 is set within the covenant legislation for Israel’s life in the land. The sabbatical year, already commanded in Exodus 23:10-11 and Leviticus 25, served a dual purpose: the land lay fallow, and the people practiced rest. This verse extends that principle to financial relationships. The Hebrew word for “release” is shemittah, from the root shamat, meaning “to let drop” or “to let lie.” In Exodus 23:11, the same root describes letting the land rest so the poor can eat. Here, it applies to loans. The phrase “at the end of every seven years” likely refers to the seventh year itself (Barnes, Cambridge Bible), during which debts were not to be pressed. This law recognized that Israel’s land was a gift from God; all Israelites were tenants of the divine Landowner. Therefore, interpersonal debt could not be absolute. The creditor was not the ultimate owner. The law aimed to maintain a “mediocrity” of wealth (Calvin), preventing a few from amassing power over the many. It was also practical: during the seventh year, there was no agricultural income, so debtors could not pay. This release was one of several institutions, along with the poor tithe, the release of servants, and the Year of Jubilee, that built a safety net for the vulnerable. The surrounding verses (Deut 15:4-11) show that the law expected both generosity from the wealthy and trust in God’s provision. It was a concrete expression of the commandment to love one’s neighbor.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Deuteronomy 15:1. The Hebrew text is consistent across manuscripts. The key interpretive issue lies not in the wording but in the meaning of the term shemittah (release) and whether it implies cancellation or suspension.
Reception History
In early Jewish tradition, the law of release was taken seriously, but its economic impact led to the development of the prosbul by Hillel, allowing debts to be collected after the sabbatical year if they were deposited with a court. The early church saw in this law a shadow of the spiritual forgiveness offered through Christ. Calvin argued that while the civil regulation no longer binds Christians, the principle of mercy in lending remains. In modern times, the verse has been cited in discussions about debt forgiveness, jubilee theology, and economic justice.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The rhythm of release: God institutes a regular cycle (every seventh year) of financial rest to prevent the accumulation of debt that leads to permanent poverty.
- The heart of release: It protects the poor and reminds Israel that they themselves were debtors to God, who freed them from Egypt and gave them the land.
- The limit of release: The command applies to “brothers” (fellow Israelites) but not to foreigners, underscoring the particular covenantal responsibility within the community.
Five-point outline
- God owns the land; Israel is tenant.
- The seventh year is a year of trust, no sowing, no harvest, yet God provides.
- Releasing debts is an act of faith and justice, not just charity.
- Warning: do not harden your heart or shut your hand from the poor brother (v.7-9).
- Promise: obedience brings blessing, including freedom from dominating others.
Illustration hooks
- The weight of unpaid loans. Imagine a friend who owes you money and loses his job. For a year, you agree not to ask for payment, trusting your needs will be met another way.
- A sabbatical from financial pressure. The seventh year works like a reset button for relationships strained by debt.
- The difference between a loan and a gift. The law intentionally blurs the line, teaching that lending to a brother should feel more like giving.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does this command still apply to Christians today? If so, how?
- How should we handle lending to fellow believers in a culture of credit and interest?
- What does it mean to “release” someone from a debt when we also need to be wise stewards of our resources?
Leading a Discussion
This passage challenges us to think about money, community and trust in God. The law of release was given to prevent the permanent enslavement of the poor by debt. As we study it, consider how your own financial practices reflect, or contradict, the heart of this command.
Discussion questions
- Read Deuteronomy 15:1-6. What does the word “release” (shemittah) suggest to you? How does the context of the sabbatical year shape its meaning?
- The law distinguishes between a “brother” (fellow Israelite) and a “foreigner” (v.3). Why would God make this distinction? What does it teach about the character of the covenant community?
- How do verses 4-5 (about no poor among you) relate to verse 11 (the poor will never cease)? Are these statements in tension? How might they be reconciled?
- What motives does the law address in the creditor’s heart (see v.7-10)? How can generosity coexist with careful planning?
- How does this law reflect God’s own character, especially His forgiveness and provision?
- In what ways does the year of release foreshadow the forgiveness we have in Christ (compare with Matthew 6:12, “forgive us our debts”)?
- If you were to apply the principle of “release” to a financial relationship today, what would it look like? What obstacles might you face?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 21:2 | “If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free without paying anything. |
| Exodus 23:10 | “For six years you shall sow your land, and shall gather in its increase, |
| Exodus 23:11 | but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the animal of the field shall eat. In the same way, you shall deal with your vineyard and with your olive grove. |
| Leviticus 25:2 | “Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you come into the land which I give you, then the land shall keep a Sabbath to Yahweh. |
| Leviticus 25:4 | but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to Yahweh. You shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard. |
| Deuteronomy 31:10 | Moses commanded them, saying, “At the end of every seven years, in the set time of the year of release, in the feast of booths, |
| Isaiah 61:1 | The Lord Yahweh’s Spirit is on me, because Yahweh has anointed me to preach good news to the humble. He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to those who are bound, |
| Isaiah 61:3 | to provide for those who mourn in Zion, to give to them a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of Yahweh, that he may be glorified. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
11 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke does not provide original commentary here but directs readers to his earlier notes on Exodus and Leviticus for the full explanation of the release. He treats the sabbatical-year law as already thoroughly covered, so this verse is a reference point rather than a fresh teaching.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes clarifies that the release of debts in the sabbatical year was only a temporary suspension for that year, not a permanent cancellation, and applied exclusively to loans made because of poverty. He resolves the apparent contradiction between verses about no poor and always poor by explaining that the release is only required when a poor person is involved.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin argues the remission of debts was only a temporary suspension, not a permanent cancellation, based on the Hebrew word meaning intermission. He notes this law served Israel's unique situation to prevent the rich from oppressing others, but is not binding on Christians today.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator highlights the Hebrew term shemittah, meaning to let drop or lapse, to clarify that the release applies to both land lying fallow and debts being remitted. The seventh-year release is not merely a calendar date but a deliberate letting go of what is owed.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
At the terme of seuen yeeres thou shalt make a freedome.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill clarifies that the release mentioned here applies to debts, not servants, who served a fixed six-year term. He notes a disagreement among Jewish scholars: some say the release takes effect at the start of the seventh year, while Maimonides insists it occurs only after the seven years are complete.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB clarifies that "the end of every seven years" refers to the seventh year itself, the sabbatical year, not the time after it. The release of debts took place during that final year of the cycle, when the land also rested.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch argues that the release required every seventh year was not a full cancellation of debts, as some interpreters claimed, but only a suspension of collection for that year. They base this on the same Hebrew word used for letting the land rest in Exodus, which also means leaving it alone rather than giving it away permanently.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads these laws as a progressive unfolding of the Sabbath-idea: release for debts, freedom for slaves, and consecration of the firstborn all move toward the same rest God intended. The feasts then complete this pattern, turning Sabbath rest into joyful celebration of redemption. For him the whole section is about time itself being sanctified to the Lord.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry stresses that the release of debts every seventh year is called "the Lord's release," meaning God claims it as His own institution. He sees the law as a test of faith: a generous heart must not hold back from lending even when the release year is near, trusting God's blessing over human calculation. For Henry, the command checks both stinginess and unbelief.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley clarifies that the phrase "at the end" refers to the final year of the seven-year cycle, which he identifies as the sabbatical year itself. He equates this year of release with the seventh-year rest commanded elsewhere, tying the timing directly to that established pattern.