I. Content and Context
The text of Deuteronomy 15:1-11 presents the biblical reader scholar with an account of the Šěmittāh law. This title is given to the legal codes found within the context of the first eleven verses of Deuteronomy due to the fact that the Hebrew verb Šěmittāh (shemitah) is allotted a place of primacy within the text. This verb literally translated means “dropping,” and this is exactly the idea presented with Deuteronomy 15:1-11.[1] Essentially the verses found within this chapter of Deuteronomy provide a discourse on the remission of debts (or “debt release/relief”). The text indicates that every seventh year, creditors, meaning here anyone who holds a debt “against a neighbor…who is a member of the community,”[2] are to remit their claims of debt against their fellow Israelites. The sole rationale given for this command, or law is that the “Lord’s remission has been proclaimed.” In other words, those individuals who have made financial provisions for other members of the Israelite community must annul (or at least suspend) the debt that is owed to them because the Lord has told them to do so.
Not every indebted individual is guaranteed relief via application of this law. A clear distinction is made between members of the community of Israel
Deuteronomy 15:4 becomes a site of interruption apropos the recitation of the law. The tone of the narrative switches from command to promise. The biblical passage which includes Dueteronomy 15:4-6 includes a number of promises for the community of Israel Israel Israel
Within the final portion of the Šěmittāh law text, which begins in Deuteronomy 15:7 and extends to verse eleven, one finds a divine admonishment. Here the author of Deuteronomy is careful to caution the Israelites to be generous with any needy member (or members) of their community which they might encounter. This particular portion of the text also addresses the internal tensions and motivations of the wealthy members of the community of Israel
I. Concerns of the Text
- General Concerns
The text of Deuteronomy 15:1-11 has two fundamental foci. The first of these is the material necessities of the debt laden poor. The second focus is correlative relationship between obedience to divine decree and the divine blessing which is the promised result of such obedience. Due to the fact that the text is concerned with such visceral realities as debt, poverty and the coexistence of these states with material affluence, the text is permeated with social, religious and personal elements. Though there is no central character (i.e. no particular poor person is named as the focus of the text) the general applicability of the situation addressed indicates that a number of existential aspects relating to the human condition are at issue as well.
The concern for the poor that is expressed within the Deuteronomic text expresses a key theological principle. It shows that God is concerned with individual members of Israelite society as well as the Israelite community as a whole. This concern for debt laden individuals also expresses a divine concern for the marginalized members of the social order. The theological scholar Raymond Brown makes this point in his book The Message of Deuteronomy: Not By Bread Alone. Within this book Brown states that since throughout Deuteronomy frequent reference is made to the “well-being of the whole community,” one might expect the individual members of the population of Israel
The second major theme in the passage of Deuteronomy 15:1-11 is of a theological nature. Throughout this portion of the biblical text one finds a recurrence or repetition of the divine promise that godly beatitude would accompany obedience to the covenant. The promise of divine blessing in return for covenant obedience found in Deuteronomy 15:5 appears to be an echo of Deuteronomy 6:3, Deuteronomy 7:12-16 and Deuteronomy 8:1. Within each one of these passages the Deuteronomic narrative indicates that there is a direct correlation between the Lord’s blessing and the Israelites’ observance of divine law. The author David F. Payne makes an interesting observation apropos the correlation between the abundance of divine blessing and a diligent observance of the law. Within the text of his book Deuteronomy, Payne states that “[i]t is one thing to make a law enforcing the cancellation of debts at a specific time; it is quite impossible though to force richer citizens to make loans, and we can see that the passage is an appeal, a plea for generosity.”[5] The solution to this problematic situation, according to Payne, is the covenant. Though one might not be able to coerce the affluent citizens of society to give loans to the impoverished, one could strongly encourage it by making it one of the conditions for divine favor. “The basis is the covenant; the covenant bound Israelites together in unity as the people of God. Israelites therefore had moral obligations towards each other; and if moreover as a nation they fulfilled their obligations towards God, then his blessing could eliminate poverty.”[6]
B. Specific Concerns
Deuteronomy 15:1-11 provides the affluent, particularly creditors, with direct and clear instruction regarding the application of the Šěmittāh legal codex. This was briefly discussed in the initial section of this essay. The biblical text indicates that every seventh year, creditors are to remit their claims of debt against their fellow Israelites. Again, the rationale given for this is simply because the Lord has commanded it; however, the divine interest in the well-being of the poor and debt impoverished fits well within the theological spectrum of Deuteronomy, as well as the Pentateuch as a whole. Even though this part of the Deuteronomic legal code is presented simply as divine decree, a contextual examination of Deuteronomy 15 and its emphasis on the treatment of the poor reveals a broader theological focus.
That the concerns of the fiscally poor (those who are oppressed by debt) are dealt with in the chapter of Deuteronomy that follows the chapters which deal with idolatry (Chapter 13) and stewardship (Chapter 14) is likely the result of intentional editing. The issues of idolatry, just stewardship and one’s response to the impoverished (particularly those who impoverished as a result of debt) are integrally linked. This reality is essentially what is at issue in Jesus’ admonishment that one cannot “serve God and wealth.”[7] Here Jesus admits the possibility that one could possibly be brought into a relationship with money, or material wealth which obscures ones relationship with God; affluence could be given an equal or superior position in relation to God in one’s consciousness. This would undoubtedly result in an attitudinal shift in relations to one’s fellow human beings. Pablo Richard, the Latin American liberation theologian, provides insight into the essential qualities of idolatry which relate to the situation of oppression that often accompanies debt:
The yoke of power engenders idolatry, and thus corrupts life. Idolatry is a trap, in which oppressive power gains access to a “spiritual” and “transcendent” world that hides and legitimizes oppression. This trap impedes both the oppressor and the oppressed from becoming aware of oppression and simultaneously acts as an obstacle to knowing God.[8]
It should be readily apparent that the possibility of such a pattern of idolatrous hegemony could be introduced into a relationship of debt and obligation. Indeed, all interpersonal bonds that are rooted in debt can potentially degenerate into relationships of brute power, coercion and, ultimately, idolatry. It is easy to see the idolatry of the oppressor. The oppressor is no longer equal to the one he oppresses. To a certain extent he controls the livelihood and well-being of the oppressed. The one who oppresses places himself in a deified position over his fellow man. In another sense the person who oppresses other individuals on the basis of debt, deifies or fetishizes things (money/cash/agricultural wealth). The aforementioned individual places his trust in material wealth and his ability to acquire it and not in God. It is with this in mind that Jesus equates an obsessive interest in monetary affluence and idolatry. Pablo Richard clarifies this point:
It is not just a matter of money, but of being a slave to money. “To serve,” in Greek, is douleuein – that is, “to be a slave,” “to be a servant.” An antagonistic parallel is drawn between “serving God” and “serving money.” Money is a substitute for God and, as such, is an idol. This fetishization of money is also a fetishization of all human, social, and political relationships.[9]
The Šěmittāh law of remittance prohibits the establishment of fiscal relationships based upon perpetual debt obligation and, in so doing, prohibits (or at least was intended to prohibit) the establishment of an idolatrous relationship to wealth within the community of Ancient Israel.
That the concept of debt remission is related to just stewardship is less obvious. In the modern context stewardship is often associated with frugality and thrift. The cancellation or suspension of debt appears to run contrary to the principles of wise investment and intelligent monetary management. Of course this perspective assumes a market structure based on capitalist exchange; something quite different from the ancient Israelite economy. The problem runs deeper than mere econo-cultural difference. More fundamentally the principle of debt remission is linked to just stewardship with the concept of radical dependency as developed by the biblical scholar Thomas M. Mann.[10] This is a theme found throughout the Pentateuch more generally and, for the purpose of this essay, throughout Deuteronomy more specifically. Debt remission not only gave the debtor relief from his obligation, it also allowed the creditor the opportunity to provide a material witness to his faith that God was ultimately the sources of his wealth, not his own business savvy or the debt obligations which he owned. As Mann discusses in his book Deuteronomy, one of the key tests that the Israelites were to undergo upon there arrival in the promised land of Canaan was the test of abundance. As he points out “material contentment leads easily to spiritual atrophy.”[11] To better understand the point that Mann is making, it is important to look at another passage from Deuteronomy. This passage is found in Deuteronomy 8:17-18:
Do not say to yourself, “My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth.” But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, so that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your ancestors, as he is doing today.[12]
Mann states that when one does not follow this particular scriptural “reminder” the result is often “not only theological amnesia [forgetting that God is the source of all material wealth] but also moral insensitivity – an inability to sympathize with those who have not made it…”[13] The Šěmittāh law allows one to affirm that God is the source of wealth, as well as to show one’s sympathy with those effected by poverty and debt.
The text does not seem to indicate that poverty is inevitable. Raymond Brown affirms the position that poverty “is not remotely necessary in God’s economy.”[14] The two points above simply represent negative formulations of the covenant obligations with regard to the law of debt remittance. If, on the other hand, the wealthy and powerful Israelites held their neighbor in the same regard as the Lord and blessed them with financial assistance, God promised that he would honor his covenant and bless the community of Israel
One of the more difficult elements of this biblical passage is its exclusivity. Deuteronomy 15:1-11 is addressed to the Israelite creditor and defines the creditor’s obligation to the Israelite debtor only. The creditor must provide a remission or dropping of debt for his “neighbor.” With respect to the foreign debtor, however, the Israelite creditor may demand repayment of the full debt obligation even within the time-frame of the seventh year. This is not simply nationalist fervor, xenophobia or racism at work within the Deuteronomic narrative. Rather it appears to be a legal method intended to prevent divisions based upon economic and class matters from arising within the Israelite community. The Israelites were to regard one another as kin. The persistence of debt obligations would have proved detrimental to the cohesive functioning of Ancient Jewish social and religious life. Raymond Brown describes this reality succinctly:
The matter of relationship is supremely important. The creditor must not regard his fellow Israelite as a tiresome debtor, an expensive irritant in his business affairs. Although the debtor owes money he must not be made into an enemy. The unfortunate debtor is a fellow Israelite and, even more, a brother…bound by ties of love and loyalty. Creditor and debtor alike are joint members of God’s family with one Father caring for them all.[16]
II. Hermeneutical Significance
- General Reflections
Modern situations which provide one with an opportunity to apply the theological lessons of the text are myriad. That the text of Deuteronomy 15:1-11 has implications for the contemporary world should be apparent. The central focus of the text is those impoverished by debt, and the descritption of the actions which the affluent members of the community were expected to take with regard to alleviating their suffering during the Sabbatical year. In the wake of the financial crisis of 2008 and 2009 large sectors of the American and European population have become fiscally unhinged and enmeshed in vast quantities of debt. Though this reality is not entirely new for the populations of Third World nations, the aforementioned financial crisis had a highly negative impact that only exacerbated already tenuous economic conditions.
In the interest of familiarity, it is helpful to look at the modern American context following the financial crisis. Large sectors of the population are unemployed and homeless due to the mortgage and banking debacle of 2008.[17] Christian Marazzi has pointed out that in the present situation “companies and indebted consumers are…showing signs of difficulty repaying their debts because the amount of sales (for the companies struggling with the drop of demand) and available incomes (for the domestic economies confronted by inflation)” are falling.[18] Although there have been some indicators that the worst of the economic crisis is over, a large portion of the American population is now persisting in a state of unrelenting impoverishment and degradation. The text of Deuteronomy 15:1-11 could prove to be very useful in addressing the issues of poverty and debt integrally linked with the present economic crisis.
There are, however, a few challenges that present themselves when one attempts to determine appropriate responses to the financial crisis while reading Deuteronomy 15:1-11. I am referring of course to the apparent exclusivity and sepcificty of the Deutronomic text in question. What is meant by this is simply that the wording of the text appears to render attempts at application out side of the Israelite community erroneous and mistaken. This is because the text addresses only the affluent, Israelite creditor with regard to his relationship to the impoverished Israelite debtor. As the theological scholar Raymond Brown points out, however, this is not entirely the case:
Although the provisions and stipulations of these verses cannot be mechanically transferred from an Israelite agricultural milieu to late twentieth-centruy technological society, it has presuppositions and priorities which are just as important as when they were first given.[19]
Finally, one more important question must be dealt with. Given the stipulations and assumptions of the text of Deuteronomy 15:1-11, one is led to question who is ultimately responsible with regard to the well-being of the poor and impoverished. It should be apparent, from the discussion of the 2008 financial crisis that the issues of debt and poverty are still quite pertinent. For the modern Christian community there is particular Gospel text that may be of some help. The aforementioned text is Matthew 25:40. In this particular biblical passage Jesus states that “just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”[20] Of course this text is addressed to individuals who consider themselves to be members and practitioners of the Christian faith, so it can do little to speak to those outside of the “body of Christ;” however, the implications of its message seem clear. If one does claim allegiance with respect to the Christian faith, then ultimately it is that individual’s responsibility to care for the needs of the poor with which that individual comes into contact.
Work Cited
Bachmann, Mercedes García “Deuteronomy” in Global Bible Commentary, J. Severino Croatto et. al, (Nashville
Brown, Raymond The Message of Deuteronomy: Not By Bread Alone (Downers Grove, Illinois: Inter-Versity Press, 1993)
Lucita, Eduardo “A Crisis in Capitalism,” International Socialist Review no 62 Nov-Dec 2008
Mann, Thomas M. Deuteronomy (Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 1995)
Christian Marazzi, The Violence of Financial Capitalism (Bellinzona , Switzerland
Payne, David F. Deuteronomy (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1985)
Richard, Pablo “Biblical Theology of Confrontation with Idols” in The Idols of Death and the God of Life: A Theology (Pablo Richard et. Al) (Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 1983)
The People’s Bible: New Revised Standard Version with Apocrypha (Minneapolis
[1] Mercedes García Bachmann, “Deuteronomy” in Global Bible Commentary, J. Severino Croatto et. al, (Nashville
[2] The People’s Bible: New Revised Standard Version with Apocrypha (Minneapolis
[3] Raymond Brown, The Message of Deuteronomy: Not By Bread Alone (Downers Grove, Illinois: Inter-Versity Press, 1993), 164.
[4] Raymond Brown, The Message of Deuteronomy, 164.
[5] David F. Payne, Deuteronomy (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1985), 93.
[6] David F. Payne, Deuteronomy, 94.
[7] The People’s Bible, Matthew 6:24
[8] Pablo Richard, “Biblical Theology of Confrontation with Idols” in The Idols of Death and the God of Life: A Theology (Pablo Richard et. Al) (Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 1983), 18.
[9] Pablo Richard, “Biblical Theology of Confrontation with Idols,” 21.
[10] Thomas M. Mann, Deuteronomy (Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 1995), 93-94.
[11] Thomas M. Mann, Deuteronomy, 93.
[12] The People’s Bible, Deuteronomy 8:17-18
[13] Thomas M. Mann, Deuteronomy, 94.
[14] Raymond Brown, The Message of Deuteronomy, 167.
[15] Raymond Brown, The Message of Deuteronomy, 167-168.
[16] Raymond Brown, The Message of Deuteronomy, 166.
[17] Eduardo Lucita, “A Crisis in Capitalism,” International Socialist Review no 62 Nov-Dec 2008: 5.
[18] Christian Marazzi, The Violence of Financial Capitalism (Bellinzona , Switzerland
[19] Raymond Brown, The Message of Deuteronomy, 166.
[20] The People’s Bible: New Revised Standard Version
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