Observations on the Reading of Deuteronomy 15:1-18

EXEGETICAL ASSIGNMENT #1 – LITERARY ANALYSIS
Name
Subject
Date
Observation Sets
Set One
It appears that the Israelites should cancel debts at the end of the seventh year (Deut 15: 1).
It means one cannot owe another money for more than seven years.
People receive opportunities to redeem themselves irrespective of their social position.
Set Two
People should always remain generous in Israel (Deut 15: 8).
God expects one to demonstrate charity, starting with the immediate family members (Deut 15: 7).
Set Three
The passage mentions releasing of enslaved people (Deut 15: 12).
Releases should leave with possessions to start over and not empty-handed (Deut 15: 13).
Set Four
People should never forget their unfortunate past and use their experiences to treat others better (Deut 15: 15).
Special ceremonies occurred to mark an enslaved person’s willingness to permanently remain at the master’s place (Deut 15: 16).
What Characters, people, or people groups are mentioned in the passage? How are they portrayed?
The passage mentions different characters with unique characteristics. For instance, it talks about God from different perspectives. The first one is that He is a supreme being who oversees the needs of his people. In this context, Deut 15: 6 demonstrates that He endows His people with diverse and plentiful blessings to ensure that they have enough to lend to the needy in society. God also emerges as a law formulator because Deut 15: 5 reveals that He designs the commandments that individuals should comply with to ensure that they do not become needy. As a result, He rewards persons who obey and punishes those who violate the law. The text also mentions Israelites as a chosen group. They appear as the people directly addressed throughout the passage. It also cites a group of the poor in society in Deut 15: 7 as individuals everyone should treat with generosity to ensure that God continues to bless them with abundance. The other group from this passage is the servants, including a Hebrew man or woman. The text portrays them as individuals who labor and assist the Israelites to increase their productivity. However, it indicates that they deserve their freedom by the seventh year with rewards to assist them in starting their life. The various characters and groups have a fundamental role identified throughout the excerpt.
What is/are the genre(s) of this passage? In what verses? What leads you to this conclusion?
Law genre dominates Deut 15: 1-18. For instance, the first verse starts with offering regulations about how the Israelites should behave and treat the poor. The passage outlines diverse expectations with implications when a person violates or not. Moreover, the genre of this passage draws further support from the fact that Deut 15: 7 – 10 demonstrates that God commands the people to show generosity to the unfortunate people in the community. Other law-related aspects affirming the described genre include the order to release individuals serving in the Israelite lands and homes by the seventh year. However, the passage also indicates that if a servant decides to stay rather than leave, the families should embrace them by executing specific act...