Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Deuteronomy 15:18
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.
18. It shall not be hard in thine eye ] See on Deu 15:9. How well this legislator knew the hearts of his people may be seen from Jer 34:8 ff.
for to the double of the hire of an hireling hath he served thee ] Jewish commentators inferred from this that the hired servant served only for three years! (Cornelius a Lapide in loco). Calvin thinks that it means that a slave under compulsion worked twice as hard which is contrary to experience. Rather, the cost of keeping a slave was only half of the current wage for a free servant.
and the Lord thy God shall bless thee ] See Deu 15:10.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
He hath been worth a double-hired servant to thee; or, he deserves double wages to an hired servant, because he served thee upon better terms, both without wages, which hired servants require, and for a longer time, even for six years, as it here follows, whereas servants were ordinarily hired but from year to year, Lev 25:53, or at most but for three years, as they gather from this place and Isa 16:14.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
18. he hath been worth a doublehired servant to theethat is, he is entitled to double wagesbecause his service was more advantageous to you, being both withoutwages and for a length of time, whereas hired servants were engagedyearly (Le 25:53), or at mostfor three years (Isa 16:14).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
It shall not seem hard to thee when thou sendest him away free from thee,…. He should not grudge him his liberty, nor what he gives to him when he dismisses him:
for he hath been worth a double hired servant to thee in serving thee six years; since a hired servant a man is obliged to pay him wages for his work, besides his food, whereas a bondservant received no wages. Aben Ezra remarks, that this proves that a man might not hire himself for more than three years; or however, whereas a hired servant was sometimes hired for so many years, and this is the longest time of any we read of, a servant serving his master six years, his service must be worth double the service of an hired servant, which at most was but three years:
and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thou doest; thus well using thy servants, whether menservants or maidservants.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
If, on the other hand, the servant (or maid) wished to be set free, the master was not to think it hard; “ for the double of the wages of a day-labourer he has earned for thee for six years,” i.e., not “twice the time of a day-labourer, so that he had really deserved twice the wages” ( Vatablius, Ad. Osiander, J. Gerhard), for it cannot be proved from Isa 16:14, that a day-labourer generally hired himself out for three years; nor yet, “he has been obliged to work much harder than a day-labourer, very often by night as well as day” ( Clericus, J. H. Michaelis, Rosenmller, Baumgarten); but simply, “he has earned and produced so much, that if you had been obliged to keep a day-labourer in his place, it would have cost you twice as much” ( Schultz, Knobel).
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
18. It shall not seem hard unto thee. I have lately observed how difficult and inconvenient to the Jews was the observance of this law; wherefore it is not without reason that God reproves their mean and niggardly pride, if they enfranchised their slaves grudgingly. And, indeed, He first urges them to obey on the score of justice, and then from the hope of remuneration. For He reminds them that for six years the slave had earned double the wages of a hireling, either because his life was more laborious, inasmuch as heavier tasks are required from slaves than from free-men, who are paid for their work; or because he had completed twice as long a period as hirelings were wont to be engaged for. For the Jewish (commentators) (149) infer from this passage, that three years was the term prescribed for hired servants; and thus they suppose the six years were counted. But since this is a mere conjecture, I know not whether my opinion is not more suitable, that for six years their labors had been twice as profitable as would have been those of a free-man who is not under the compulsion of a slave.
(149) “The Chaldee, Vatablus, and other more recent commentators translate it, Since he has served thee for six years for double the wages of a hireling; which the Hebrews thus explain, that the wages of a slave of six years’ standing are called double, because hirelings amongst the Hebrew’s only engaged themselves for three years, whereas the slave served for sir years; therefore he served twice as long, and earned twice as much.” — Corn. a Lapide in loco.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
Ver. 18. For he hath been worth a double-hired servant to thee A slave might well be thought worth a double-hired servant, because he was bought for a little, served for nothing, and more labour is commonly exacted from such a one, than from a hired servant. See Calmet.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Deu 15:18
18It shall not seem hard to you when you set him free, for he has given you six years with double the service of a hired man; so the LORD your God will bless you in whatever you do.
Deu 15:18 It shall not seem hard to you when you set him free This means that one should not be complaining when a slave is set free after six years of service.
NASBdouble the service
NKJVhe has been worth a double hired servant
NRSVworth the wages of hired laborers
TEVat half the cost of hired servants
NJBhe is worth twice what a paid servant would cost you
NET Bibletwice the time of a hired worker
There is some doubt as to the correct translation (literally, for at half the cost of, BDB 1041 CONSTRUCT BDB 969 I). There are three possibilities:
1. a slave was a servant day and night
2. a slave worked free, while a hired man was paid
3. Isa 16:14 lists three years as the period of work for a hired man (as does the Code of Hammurabi), therefore, a slave worked twice as long.
so the LORD your God will bless you in whatever you do Covenant blessing follows covenant obedience, especially when the appropriate loving, forgiving, helping attitude is present!
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Deu 15:19-23
19You shall consecrate to the LORD your God all the firstborn males that are born of your herd and of your flock; you shall not work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock. 20You and your household shall eat it every year before the LORD your God in the place which the LORD chooses. 21But if it has any defect, such as lameness or blindness, or any serious defect, you shall not sacrifice it to the LORD your God. 22You shall eat it within your gates; the unclean and the clean alike may eat it, as a gazelle or a deer. 23Only you shall not eat its blood; you are to pour it out on the ground like water.
Deu 15:19-23 These verses deal with the appropriate use and non-use of the first born of the cattle. This goes back to Exo 13:2, which is the context of the plague of the death angel killing the firstborn of mankind and beast in Egypt and Goshen whose houses were not marked with blood. It was a symbolic way of showing God’s ownership of everything (cf. Exo 13:2; Lev 2:14-16).
Deu 15:19 You shall consecrate. . .all first-born males. . .of your herd or your flock Exodus 13 gives us the Biblical origin, also notice Num 18:15-16. This became a way to supplement the income of the Levites.
Deu 15:20 This goes back to Deu 12:17-19; Deu 14:23. See full note at Deu 12:5.
Deu 15:21 But if it has any defect. . .you shall not sacrifice it to the LORD your God An animal that had a defect (abnormality) of any kind, i.e., blindness, discoloration, sickness, lameness, deformity, etc. could not be sacrificed, but could be eaten with family and friends in a local setting (cf. Deu 12:15-16).
Deu 15:22
NASBthe unclean and the clean alike may eat it
NKJVthe unclean and the clean person alike may eat it
NRSVthe unclean and the clean alike
TEVall of you, whether ritually clean or unclean, may eat them
NJBthe clean and the unclean
In Hebrew this could refer to:
1. those who eat it
2. that which is eaten
Option #1 seems best (LXX).
Deu 15:23 Only you shall not eat its blood Blood was the symbol of life and life belongs to God (cf. Gen 9:4-6; Lev 1:17; Lev 7:26-27; Lev 17:10-16; Lev 19:26; Deu 12:16; Deu 12:23-25; 1Sa 14:32-34). The symbols in the preceding verses show God’s ownership of all creation, especially that which is alive.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.
These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought provoking, not definitive.
1. Is there any historical evidence for the Sabbatical year ever being observed?
2. What is the basic purpose of these laws in chapter 15?
3. What are the possible origins of the term Hebrew?
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
double. Figure of speech Metonymy (of Subject), put for that which is more than one. App-6.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
shall not: Deu 15:10
a double: Isa 16:14, Isa 21:16, Luk 17:7, Luk 17:8
Reciprocal: Exo 21:2 – and in the Lev 25:50 – according to the time Job 7:1 – like the days
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
15:18 It shall not seem hard unto thee, when thou sendest him away free from thee; for he hath been worth a double {g} hired servant [to thee], in serving thee six years: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all that thou doest.
(g) For the hired servant served but three years, and he six.