Lexical Summary mashsheh: Loan, debt Original Word: מַשֶּׁה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance creditor From nashah; a debt -- + creditor. see HEBREW nashah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom nashah Definition a loan NASB Translation creditor* (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [מַשֶּׁה] noun masculine loan; — only construct שָׁמוֺט כָּלֿ בַּעַל מַשֵּׁה יָדוֺ אֲשֶׁר יַשֶּׁה בְּרֵעֵהוּ Deuteronomy 15:2 every possessor of a loan of his hand shall renounce what he lends to his neighbour (compare Dr). Topical Lexicon Semantic Scope The term describes the tangible object or sum a creditor has placed into the hands of another—“the loan” itself—rather than the act of lending or the person who lends. It represents an obligation that remains until the agreed season of settlement or, uniquely in Israel, until the divinely mandated year of remission. Old Testament Usage Deuteronomy 15:2 is its sole appearance, set within Moses’ instructions for the Shemittah: “This is the manner of the release: Every creditor shall release what he has lent to his neighbor. He shall not exact payment from his neighbor or brother, because the LORD’s time of release has been proclaimed” (Deuteronomy 15:2). The word stands at the pivot of the passage, embodying what must be relinquished when the sabbatical clock strikes. While the vocabulary is singular, the theology is woven through Israel’s legislation (Deuteronomy 15:1–11; Leviticus 25; Nehemiah 10:31). Covenantal Ethic The instruction rests on the covenantal character of Yahweh, who delivered Israel from bondage and therefore requires His people to mirror that liberating grace. Releasing a מַשֶּׁה is not optional philanthropy; it is covenant obedience that acknowledges divine ownership of the land (Leviticus 25:23) and, by extension, of economic life. The loan exists only under God’s permission; its release proclaims God’s sovereignty. Social Justice and Compassion The remission of a מַשֶּׁה prevented perpetual servitude and institutional poverty. It curtailed the power of the creditor and preserved the dignity of the debtor, ensuring that temporary misfortune did not calcify into generational oppression. The legislation also fostered a community ethos that valued mutual responsibility over exploitative gain (Deuteronomy 15:7–11). Typological Significance By commanding that the ledger be wiped clean, the law foreshadowed the greater spiritual cancellation accomplished in Christ. Just as the creditor tore up the record of debt, so “He erased the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. He has taken it away, nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14). The מַשֶּׁה becomes a shadow of the gospel: what was owed is forgiven, not because the debt lacked reality, but because a greater authority pronounced release. New Testament Resonance Jesus’ Nazareth manifesto—“He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives” (Luke 4:18)—echoes the Shemittah principle. His parable of the unmerciful servant (Matthew 18:23–35) reheats the Deuteronomic ethic, demanding that those forgiven a far larger obligation extend similar mercy. The Lord’s Prayer petitions, “Forgive us our debts” (Matthew 6:12), borrowing the same economic metaphor to describe sin’s liability. Historical Practice Rabbinic sources suggest later strategies such as the prosbul (attributed to Hillel) to safeguard commercial lending while ostensibly preserving the release. These adaptations underscore the tension between economic practicality and covenant ideal, yet the original command remains a witness to God’s insistence that profit never silence compassion. Ministry Implications 1. Stewardship: Believers are reminded that resources are entrusted, not possessed. Loans, gifts, and investments must be governed by generosity, not domination. Key Theological Themes • Divine Ownership and Human Stewardship Though מַשֶּׁה surfaces only once, it opens a window onto Israel’s economic life, God’s compassionate heart, and the gospel’s debt-forgiving power that culminates in Jesus Christ, calling every generation to practice release in both wallet and heart. Forms and Transliterations מַשֵּׁ֣ה משה maš·šêh mashSheh maššêhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Deuteronomy 15:2 HEB: כָּל־ בַּ֙עַל֙ מַשֵּׁ֣ה יָד֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר INT: every archer creditor able what 1 Occurrence |
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