The release is here defined in clear terms: the debt of every fellow Israelite is to be canceled.

And this is the manner of the release: simply, “This is what you must do,” or “This is how it is to be done” (Good News Translation, New International Version).

From the second person singular in verse 1 the Hebrew text switches to the third person singular in verse 2, then back to the second singular in the rest of the section. In translation it is recommended that the second singular be kept in verse 2; or else we may follow the Good News Translation, “Each of you….”

Every creditor shall release what he has lent to his neighbor: since a creditor is a person who lends money to someone else, the word itself is redundant; see Good News Translation, “Each of you who has lent money….”

His neighbor: this is a way of speaking of a “fellow-Israelite” (Good News Translation), which should be made clear in translation.

He shall not exact it: this is the negative form of the previous shall release; thus “don’t try to collect the debt,” or “don’t ask him to pay it back.”

His neighbor, his brother: the second term defines more exactly the first one. Some think that it is a later addition to the text. (The Hebrew text as we have it is “his neighbor and his brother,” which seems to indicate additional editorial work. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “his fellow or kinsman.”) The best way to translate this is to say “his fellow-Israelite,” or even “another Israelite.”

The LORD’s release has been proclaimed: this introduces a new element. The LORD’s release means the release required by the LORD; the passive has been proclaimed suggests that there may have been a formal public proclamation of the beginning of the seventh year. But this is only a conjecture, and if the passive form of the verb cannot be used, we may say something like the following: “it is the year the LORD has ordered cancellation of all debts” or “… has ordered you to cancel [or, forgive] all debts.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .