Deuteronomy 15:12-15

The context

Deuteronomy presents itself as Moses' address to Israel on the plains of Moab before entry into the land. Chapter fifteen opens with the release of debts in the seventh year, then applies the same pattern to Hebrew servants, who are to be sent out with provisions rather than empty-handed.

What it establishes

It establishes a regulated release with a demand for generosity, and it grounds the command in memory: Israel was a slave in Egypt and was redeemed. The motive is recollection of having been on the receiving end.

What it does not establish

It does not abolish slavery. The passage assumes the institution and limits its duration for Hebrew servants, without addressing the status of foreign slaves or the underlying legitimacy of owning people. Reading it as an emancipation charter exceeds what the text says.

Short note, first pass, October 2026. Corrections welcome.

Cited in these answers

• So you believe in a book full of contradictions, one that endorses slavery, incest, murder, drowning babies, genocide and stoning homosexuals?

Part of Scripture, Opened — the exegetical layer behind every citation on this site. Scripture quotations are from the ESV.