Discovery BoxDeuteronomy 15:1-3 
Context15:1 At the end of every seven years you must declare a cancellation 1 of debts. 15:2 This is the nature of the cancellation: Every creditor must remit what he has loaned to another person; 2 he must not force payment from his fellow Israelite, 3 for it is to be recognized as “the Lord’s cancellation of debts.” 15:3 You may exact payment from a foreigner, but whatever your fellow Israelite 4 owes you, you must remit.
Deuteronomy 15:7-9
Context15:7 If a fellow Israelite 5 from one of your villages 6 in the land that the Lord your God is giving you should be poor, you must not harden your heart or be insensitive 7 to his impoverished condition. 8 15:8 Instead, you must be sure to open your hand to him and generously lend 9 him whatever he needs. 10 15:9 Be careful lest you entertain the wicked thought that the seventh year, the year of cancellation of debts, has almost arrived, and your attitude 11 be wrong toward your impoverished fellow Israelite 12 and you do not lend 13 him anything; he will cry out to the Lord against you and you will be regarded as having sinned. 14
1 tn The Hebrew term שְׁמִטָּת (shÿmittat), a derivative of the verb שָׁמַט (shamat, “to release; to relinquish”), refers to the cancellation of the debt and even pledges for the debt of a borrower by his creditor. This could be a full and final remission or, more likely, one for the seventh year only. See R. Wakely, NIDOTTE 4:155-60. Here the words “of debts” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied. Cf. NAB “a relaxation of debts”; NASB, NRSV “a remission of debts.”
2 tn Heb “his neighbor,” used idiomatically to refer to another person.
3 tn Heb “his neighbor and his brother.” The words “his brother” may be a scribal gloss identifying “his neighbor” (on this idiom, see the preceding note) as a fellow Israelite (cf. v. 3). In this case the conjunction before “his brother” does not introduce a second category, but rather has the force of “that is.”
4 tn Heb “your brother.”
5 tn Heb “one of your brothers” (so NASB); NAB “one of your kinsmen”; NRSV “a member of your community.” See the note at v. 2.
6 tn Heb “gates.”
7 tn Heb “withdraw your hand.” Cf. NIV “hardhearted or tightfisted” (NRSV and NLT similar).
8 tn Heb “from your needy brother.”
9 tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute before both verbs. The translation indicates the emphasis with the words “be sure to” and “generously,” respectively.
10 tn Heb “whatever his need that he needs for himself.” This redundant expression has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.
11 tn Heb “your eye.”
12 tn Heb “your needy brother.”
13 tn Heb “give” (likewise in v. 10).
14 tn Heb “it will be a sin to you.”
