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how did the israelite 'release' compare to other ancient near eastern debt remission practices in practice?

Adds the setting and its conversation across both testaments.

Deuteronomy 15:1-3

“At the end of every seven years you shall make a release. This is the law of the release: Every creditor shall release that which he has lent to his neighbor. He shall not exact it of his neighbor and his brother, because Yahweh’s release has been proclaimed. Of a foreigner you may exact it, but whatever of yours is with your brother, your hand shall release.”

This passage is from the book of Deuteronomy, presented as Moses' final addresses to the Israelites before they enter the promised land. It outlines laws for how they are to live as God's covenant people, including social and economic regulations intended to foster justice and community.

What does a periodic re-evaluation of economic relationships ask of our individual and communal practices today?

Then — the setting

This passage was addressed to the Israelites as they prepared to settle in Canaan, likely around the 7th-6th century BCE, though the traditions it records are older. It sets out the 'shemitah' or 'release' of debts every seven years. In the broader Ancient Near East (ANE), debt remission was common but typically initiated by royal decree (e.g., Akkadian 'misharum' or Babylonian 'andurarum' edicts) at the beginning of a new king's reign or in times of crisis, designed to stabilize the economy and prevent social upheaval. These ANE practices were generally irregular, top-down interventions. The Israelite law, however, was unique in making this release a regular, legislated, and covenantal obligation for every individual creditor every seven years, rather than a special decree by a king. It also primarily focused on 'brothers' (fellow Israelites), while ANE remissions often applied to a broader populace within the kingdom, but with specific carve-outs for specific types of debt or individuals.

Across the Testaments

The Old Testament law in Deuteronomy establishes a foundational principle of periodic economic reset and compassion for the poor within the covenant community. While the New Testament does not reenact the specific seven-year debt release, it echoes and deepens the underlying theological and ethical concerns. Jesus' teachings (e.g., the Sermon on the Mount) consistently emphasize generosity, forgiveness, and care for the poor and marginalized, reflecting the spirit of these Old Testament economic justice laws. The early Christian community in Acts 2 and 4, by sharing resources and ensuring no one among them was in need, shows an attempt to live out a radical form of communal economic care that arguably goes beyond the Old Testament's regular debt remission to a more continuous practice of mutual aid.

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

Leviticus 25:8-17
Describes the Year of Jubilee, a broader release involving land return and freedom for slaves, occurring every fifty years.
Nehemiah 5:1-13
Records Nehemiah's actions to address severe debt and pledge-slavery among the Jews returning from exile, reflecting the spirit of these laws.
Matthew 6:12
Jesus teaches his disciples to pray, "forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors," linking spiritual and financial forgiveness.

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