Deuteronomy 15:13
New International Version
And when you release them, do not send them away empty-handed.

New Living Translation
“When you release a male servant, do not send him away empty-handed.

English Standard Version
And when you let him go free from you, you shall not let him go empty-handed.

Berean Standard Bible
And when you release him, do not send him away empty-handed.

King James Bible
And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty:

New King James Version
And when you send him away free from you, you shall not let him go away empty-handed;

New American Standard Bible
And when you set him free, you shall not send him away empty-handed.

NASB 1995
“When you set him free, you shall not send him away empty-handed.

NASB 1977
“And when you set him free, you shall not send him away empty-handed.

Legacy Standard Bible
When you let him go to be free from you, you shall not let him go empty-handed.

Amplified Bible
When you set him free, you shall not let him go away empty-handed.

Christian Standard Bible
When you set him free, do not send him away empty-handed.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When you set him free, do not send him away empty-handed.

American Standard Version
And when thou lettest him go free from thee, thou shalt not let him go empty:

Contemporary English Version
And don't just tell them they are free to leave--

English Revised Version
And when thou lettest him go free from thee, thou shalt not let him go empty:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But when you let them go, don't send them away empty-handed.

Good News Translation
When you set them free, do not send them away empty-handed.

International Standard Version
But when you set them free, don't send them away empty-handed.

Majority Standard Bible
And when you release him, do not send him away empty-handed.

NET Bible
If you set them free, you must not send them away empty-handed.

New Heart English Bible
When you let him go free from you, you shall not let him go empty:

Webster's Bible Translation
And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him depart empty:

World English Bible
When you let him go free from you, you shall not let him go empty.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And when you send him away free from you, you do not send him away empty;

Young's Literal Translation
And when thou dost send him away free from thee, thou dost not send him away empty;

Smith's Literal Translation
And when thou shalt send him away free from thee, thou shalt not send him away empty.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And when thou sendest him out free, thou shalt not let him go away empty:

Catholic Public Domain Version
And when you grant his freedom, you shall by no means permit him to go away empty.

New American Bible
When you release a male from your service, as a free person, you shall not send him away empty-handed,

New Revised Standard Version
And when you send a male slave out from you a free person, you shall not send him out empty-handed.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And when you let him go free from you, you shall not let him go away empty-handed;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And when you have released him as a son of freedom from your presence, you shall not release him with nothing:
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And when thou lettest him go free from thee, thou shalt not let him go empty;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And when thou shalt send him out free from thee, thou shalt not send him out empty.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Release of Hebrew Servants
12If a fellow Hebrew, a man or a woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you must set him free. 13And when you release him, do not send him away empty-handed. 14You are to furnish him liberally from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress. You shall give to him as the LORD your God has blessed you.…

Cross References
Exodus 21:2
If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free without paying anything.

Leviticus 25:39-41
If a countryman among you becomes destitute and sells himself to you, then you must not force him into slave labor. / Let him stay with you as a hired worker or temporary resident; he is to work for you until the Year of Jubilee. / Then he and his children are to be released, and he may return to his clan and to the property of his fathers.

Jeremiah 34:14
Every seventh year, each of you must free his Hebrew brother who has sold himself to you. He may serve you six years, but then you must let him go free. But your fathers did not listen or incline their ear.

Nehemiah 5:5-13
We and our children are just like our countrymen and their children, yet we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters are already enslaved, but we are powerless to redeem them because our fields and vineyards belong to others.” / When I heard their outcry and these complaints, I became extremely angry, / and after serious thought I rebuked the nobles and officials, saying, “You are exacting usury from your own brothers!” So I called a large assembly against them ...

1 Samuel 2:5
The well-fed hire themselves out for food, but the starving hunger no more. The barren woman gives birth to seven, but she who has many sons pines away.

2 Kings 4:1-7
Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant, my husband, is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. And now his creditor is coming to take my two children as his slaves!” / “How can I help you?” asked Elisha. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?” She answered, “Your servant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.” / “Go,” said Elisha, “borrow empty jars from all your neighbors. Do not gather just a few. ...

Isaiah 58:6
Isn’t this the fast that I have chosen: to break the chains of wickedness, to untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and tear off every yoke?

Job 24:10
Without clothing, they wander about naked. They carry the sheaves, but still go hungry.

Proverbs 22:7
The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.

Amos 2:6
This is what the LORD says: “For three transgressions of Israel, even four, I will not revoke My judgment, because they sell the righteous for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals.

Matthew 18:27
His master had compassion on him, forgave his debt, and released him.

Luke 4:18
“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed,

Luke 7:42
When they were unable to repay him, he forgave both of them. Which one, then, will love him more?”

Luke 15:22
But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.

Romans 6:18
You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.


Treasury of Scripture

And when you send him out free from you, you shall not let him go away empty:

Exodus 21:2-11
If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing…

Deuteronomy 15:14
Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress: of that wherewith the LORD thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him.

Genesis 31:42
Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.

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Deuteronomy 15
1. The seventh year a year of release for the poor
7. one must be generous in lending or giving
12. A Hebrew servant, except by choice, must be freed in the seventh year
19. All firstborn males of the cattle are to be sanctified unto the Lord.














And when you release him
This phrase refers to the practice of releasing Hebrew servants in the seventh year, as outlined in the Mosaic Law. The Hebrew word for "release" is "שָׁלַח" (shalach), which conveys the idea of sending forth or setting free. This practice underscores the value of freedom and the dignity of every individual, reflecting God's desire for His people to live in liberty. Historically, this release was a reminder of Israel's own deliverance from slavery in Egypt, emphasizing that they were to treat others with the same grace and mercy they had received.

do not send him away
The directive here is not merely about the act of release but also about the manner in which it is done. The Hebrew word "שָׁלַח" (shalach) is used again, but with a different nuance, emphasizing the responsibility of the master to ensure the servant's well-being upon departure. This reflects a broader biblical principle of stewardship and care for others, highlighting the importance of community and mutual support within the covenant people of God.

empty-handed
The term "רֵיקָם" (reyqam) in Hebrew means "empty" or "without provision." This instruction is a call to generosity and justice, ensuring that the released servant is equipped to start anew. It reflects God's heart for provision and care, ensuring that no one is left destitute or without means to sustain themselves. This principle is echoed throughout Scripture, where God's people are encouraged to care for the poor and needy, reflecting His character of compassion and provision. Historically, this practice would have helped prevent cycles of poverty and dependence, promoting a society where everyone had the opportunity to thrive.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And when
וְכִֽי־ (wə·ḵî-)
Conjunctive waw | Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

you release him,
תְשַׁלְּחֶ֥נּוּ (ṯə·šal·lə·ḥen·nū)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

do not
לֹ֥א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

send him away
תְשַׁלְּחֶ֖נּוּ (ṯə·šal·lə·ḥen·nū)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

empty-handed.
רֵיקָֽם׃ (rê·qām)
Adverb
Strong's 7387: Emptily, ineffectually, undeservedly


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OT Law: Deuteronomy 15:13 When you let him go free (Deut. De Du)
Deuteronomy 15:12
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