Deuteronomy 15
Joshua 15 deals with detailed boundaries for the allotment (land) that the tribe of Judah received in Canaan, along with a list of its key towns. It is also the first tribe mentioned in the land-allotment section of Joshua, and the chapter highlights Judah’s significant role within Israel’s later history.
1verseAt the end of every seven years, you shall cancel debts.
2verseThis is the way it shall be done: every creditor shall release that which he has lent to his neighbor. He shall not require payment from his neighbor and his brother, because the LORD’s release has been proclaimed.
3verseOf a foreigner you may require it; but whatever of yours is with your brother, your hand shall release.
4verseHowever there will be no poor with you (for the LORD will surely bless you in the land which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance to possess)
5verseif only you diligently listen to the LORD your God’s voice, to observe to do all this commandment which I command you today.
6verseFor the LORD your God will bless you, as he promised you. You will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow. You will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you.
7verseIf a poor man, one of your brothers, is with you within any of your gates in your land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your poor brother;
8versebut you shall surely open your hand to him, and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need, which he lacks.
9verseBeware that there not be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, “The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,” and your eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing; and he cry to the LORD against you, and it be sin to you.
10verseYou shall surely give, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because it is for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you put your hand to.
11verseFor the poor will never cease out of the land. Therefore I command you to surely open your hand to your brother, to your needy, and to your poor, in your land.
12verseIf your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you.
13verseWhen you let him go free from you, you shall not let him go empty.
14verseYou shall furnish him liberally out of your flock, out of your threshing floor, and out of your wine press. As the LORD your God has blessed you, you shall give to him.
15verseYou shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you. Therefore I command you this thing today.
16verseIt shall be, if he tells you, “I will not go out from you,” because he loves you and your house, because he is well with you,
17versethen you shall take an awl, and thrust it through his ear to the door, and he shall be your servant forever. Also to your female servant you shall do likewise.
18verseIt shall not seem hard to you when you let him go free from you, for he has been double the value of a hired hand as he served you six years. The LORD your God will bless you in all that you do.
19verseYou shall dedicate all the firstborn males that are born of your herd and of your flock to the LORD your God. You shall do no work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock.
20verseYou shall eat it before the LORD your God year by year in the place which the LORD shall choose, you and your household.
21verseIf it has any defect—is lame or blind, or has any defect whatever, you shall not sacrifice it to the LORD your God.
22verseYou shall eat it within your gates. The unclean and the clean shall eat it alike, as the gazelle and as the deer.
23verseOnly you shall not eat its blood. You shall pour it out on the ground like water.
Structure and Flow
- Verses 1-12: The boundaries of the southern land that Judah received are described in order in the east, south, west, and north directions.
- Verses 13-19: The story in which Caleb receives Hebron and Debir from Joshua is mentioned separately, and in the process, the incident involving his daughter Achsah and Othniel is briefly introduced as well.
- Verses 20-63: A list of the towns that Judah received as its allotment is divided into four regions (the Negev, the lowlands, the hill country, and the wilderness) and listed in detail. It ends with a remark (verse 63) that they could not completely drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem.
Overall Meaning and Reflection
Joshua 15 shows the process of taking possession of the land that God promised, and it also demonstrates how God distributes the land to each tribe in a balanced way. Caleb’s courage and faithfulness, as well as his trust in God’s promise, are also among the important messages of faith. Judah’s territory being given the greatest extent is also connected to the role Judah will play in Israel’s history ahead. In addition, the fact that they could not completely drive out the Jebusites of Jerusalem at the end serves as a reminder of human weakness and the importance of faithful obedience.
Points for Reflection
- God fulfills what He has promised in a concrete way. When we obey in faith, God’s guidance becomes clearly evident.
- As with Caleb, we can examine whether we have the faith to trust God’s promises to the very end and to apply them actively to our lives.
- Just as they left the Jebusites of Jerusalem, we need to check whether we are obeying God’s command to completely conquer the parts of our lives that would cause our faith to waver.
Try Applying It to Yourself
- You should accept the place and mission that God has entrusted to you, and have an attitude of obeying to the very end without fear.
- Check what issues remain unfinished in the place of daily life, or which areas you have not obeyed in a faithful way, and through that, you should work to deepen your relationship with God.
- With determination in the position you’ve been given, even if it is something small, you can strengthen your resolve to be thankful for your portion and follow as God leads.
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