Jubilee Debt Cancellation and Luke’s Gospel

Abstract

This study questions the argument that references to debt in Luke’s gospel (particularly Luke 6:34–36; 7:36–50; 11:2–4; and 16:1–9) should be viewed in relation to the biblical Jubilee. After a survey of Jubilee debt cancellation in the Old Testament and Second Temple literature, it is concluded that debt cancellation and the Jubilee were usually understood to be separate concepts. It is then argued that this is consistent with how debt texts in Luke’s gospel are presented; there are no words or syntactical patterns which suggest reliance on Jubilee traditions. Finally, it is argued that the concept of debt in Luke’s gospel served a variety of purposes, none of which need to be viewed in reference to the Jubilee.