that each man should set free his male servant and each man his female servant, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman; so that no one should keep them, a Jew his brother, in bondage.The Jews had been commanded that indentured servitude was permitted, but only for a limited time. They could sell themselves to a fellow Jew for 7 years go repay a debt. However, after that 7 years, the master had to release them.
It appears the Jews had not been following this time limit, so God is forcing the issue. The Jews have let greed or apathy cloud their judgment, and ignored His instructions on dealing with debt. As a result of this (among other things), they are being besieged by the Babylonians, and are about to lose everything. God is giving them a chance to get at least some things right, before their punishment.
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