Deuteronomy 15:14

14 Instead, provide for them fully from your flock, food, and wine. You must give to them from that with which the LORD your God has blessed you.

Deuteronomy 15:14 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 15:14

Thou shalt furnish him liberally
Not only to supply his present wants, but for his future use, and to set him up in the world: "loading thou shall load him" F8, so some render the words; give him as much as he can carry, and well stand up under; the word used has the signification of chains wore about the neck for honour or ornament, and so may signify he should be very honourably dismissed, with plain marks of honour and respect; and the order is, to supply him

out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress;
with sheep or lambs out of the flock, with corn out of the floor, wheat, or barley, or both, and wine out of the winepress; which take in all the necessaries and comforts of life: of that

wherewith the Lord thy God hath blessed thee thou shall give unto him;
be it what it will, and in proportion to it, as of money as well as goods; it is asked, how much shall be given to him? not less than the value of thirty shekels, whether of one kind or whether of many kinds, according to the thirty shekels for the price of a servant, ( Exodus 21:32 ) {i}. All this may be an emblem both of the servitude the people of God are in to sin, Satan, and the law, while in a state of nature; and of their freedom from it by Christ, and of the sufficiency and fulness of food and raiment, and large measures of divine grace; even all things richly to enjoy, all things pertaining to life and godliness, which are given to them when brought out of that state; who otherwise come out of it destitute of all good things, having neither food nor clothes, nor money to buy either, but have all from Christ freely and fully.


FOOTNOTES:

F8 (qynet qyneh) "onerando oneratis", Munster, Pagninus, Vatablus.
F9 Maimon. Hilchot Obedim, c. 3. sect. 14.

Deuteronomy 15:14 In-Context

12 If any of your fellow Hebrews, male or female, sell themselves into your service, they can work for you for six years, but in the seventh year you must set them free from your service.
13 Furthermore, when you set them free from your service, you must not let them go empty-handed.
14 Instead, provide for them fully from your flock, food, and wine. You must give to them from that with which the LORD your God has blessed you.
15 Remember how each of you were slaves in Egypt and how the LORD your God saved you. That's why I am commanding you to do this right now. (
16 Now if your male servant says to you: "I don't want to leave your service" because he loves you and your family and because life is good for him in your service,
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