Deuteronomy 15:2 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Ver. 2. Every creditor that lendeth—shall release— This cannot well be meant of money lent to those who were well able to pay; for nothing could have been more absurd than to have extinguished debts whereby the borrower was enriched: but it must be meant of money lent to an Israelite who was in poor circumstances, as appears from ver. 4. Le Clerc, with others, seems to understand the precept thus: that they were only to forbear to demand it this year; for, as there was no sowing or produce of the land every seventh year, Hebrew debtors, unless they were very rich, could not have paid their debts that year without great inconvenience: and indeed the Hebrew word does not import an absolute remission, but an intermission only. However, with respect to the indigent and necessitous, more seems to be designed, namely, that they should have an entire acquittance of their debts; though, if afterwards they grew rich, they were bound in good conscience to pay. Accordingly, most of the rabbis hold the release to be perpetual, though they have their limitations for some debts and debtors; for instance, if a man lent his neighbour money, setting him an appointed time to repay, as of ten years, he was not released from the debt in the seventh: if he conditioned with him not to release that particular debt in the seventh year, the obligation remained. The words, because it is called the Lord's release, are rendered by Dr. Waterland, because the Lord's release hath been or is proclaimed, with which Houbigant agrees: postquam remissio domini fuerit promulgata.