Comments on: Bible View of Slavery

By: jrod

jrod — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 20:24:49 +0000

It’s horrifyingly brilliant how the same people who couldn’t explain the reason for their own morality if you put a gun to their head, can with utter simplicity critique the supposed immorality of ancient near eastern practices. Let’s take a few chapters out of thousands and stand confidently and say: this is what Christianity is!
If you did that with anything else, any other religion, pasttime or hobby, you’d look like an idiot.

Soccer is just about running around.
Islam is just about killing Jews.
Literature is just about Shakespeare.
Judaism is just about killing sheep.
Golf is all about Tiger Woods’ sex life.

It’s amazing how the “bible condones slavery” crowd doesn’t bother to quote Philemon, or the other verses that show the equality of ALL people under God, including those under slavery. Yes, slavery exists, and Jesus didn’t come and make everything bad disappear according to your timetable, your delicate sensibilities and your incredible sense of finely tuned morality.
And why exactly does no one see that Moses KILLED a slaveowner, and God decided that that was the person to be the leader of Israel?

By: Dan Backens

Dan Backens — Sun, 23 May 2010 03:06:21 +0000

Taco Salad, if that is indeed your name, you have not understood the type of slavery we are discussing in Exodus. It is not man-stealing. That is covered in v16, and is punishable by death, regardless of how you treat the person you have stolen. That is what happened here in America and should have been dealt with as such. There were those, and still are, who will twist the scriptures as they see fit for their own lusts.

But here we are discussing how to deal with a slave owner who goes too far with discipline. It does not allow for cruelty and violence, but rather established a punishment for such behavior, knowing the nature of men. And Troy, if the slave does not recover, the owner is absolutely punished, even if you cannot understand it. Do not try to apply these verses to today in American. There is no appropriate context.

If you were to keep reading, I know that is harder than just taking things out of context, you would find out that if a slave owner was responsible for the loss of a slave’s eye, or even a tooth, the slave was released from the remainder his debt. No slave owner wants to lose his investment like that. Remember this is about an economic arrangement, not man-stealing.

By: Troy

Troy — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 04:15:12 +0000

Actually Taco, you are DEAD WRONG my friend. The bible does NOT say you can beat your slave as long as he regains consciousness within 2-3 days. That is ridiculous, and shows your lack of knowledge of the bible. What it ACTUALLY says if you had taken the time is that god says it is ok to beat your slave as long as they do not die within 2-3 days. So if they die after 4 days of agony and suffering then god is perfectly ok with it since god views the slave as property (I was being sarcastic Taco..I am with you brother. To say the bible is flawed morally is framing the issue politely).

And for you that believe I am quoting out of context..here’s the context…

When you buy a male Hebrew slave, he shall serve for six years, but in the seventh he shall go out a free person, without debt. If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him. If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master’s and he shall go out alone. But if the slave declares, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out a free person’, then his master shall bring him before God. He shall be brought to the door or the doorpost; and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him for life.

When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do. If she does not please her master, who designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed; he shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has dealt unfairly with her. If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter. If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish the food, clothing, or marital rights of the first wife. And if he does not do these three things for her, she shall go out without debt, without payment of money.

Whoever strikes a person mortally shall be put to death. If it was not premeditated, but came about by an act of God, then I will appoint for you a place to which the killer may flee. But if someone wilfully attacks and kills another by treachery, you shall take the killer from my altar for execution.

Whoever strikes father or mother shall be put to death.

Whoever kidnaps a person, whether that person has been sold or is still held in possession, shall be put to death. Whoever curses father or mother shall be put to death.

When individuals quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or fist so that the injured party, though not dead, is confined to bed, but recovers and walks around outside with the help of a staff, then the assailant shall be free of liability, except to pay for the loss of time, and to arrange for full recovery.

When a slave-owner strikes a male or female slave with a rod and the slave dies immediately, the owner shall be punished. But if the slave survives for a day or two, there is no punishment; for the slave is the owner’s property. [Exodus, chapter 21]

By: Taco Salad

Taco Salad — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 21:44:18 +0000

Exodus 21:20-21

Yes, I am sure that a verse clearly stating that you can beat your slave as long as he regains consciousness within 2-3 days is taken out of context. Are you out of your mind? The bible is clearly condoning violence and bigotry.

By: John Thomas

John Thomas — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 09:10:38 +0000

Servants: a. Foreign Bond-servants. The greater number of the servants among Israel were foreigners, who became slaves in one of three ways: (1) as captives of war, Num. 31:26; Deut. 20:14; (2) by purchased of slave-traders, Lev. 25:44; or (3) by birth of parents that were already in slavery, Gen. 17:13. These slaves were, it would seem, seldom set free but enjoyed the protection of the law. If a master smote his servant, so that he died immediately, or maltreated him in such a manner that permanent injury resulted, he was punished for it, Ex. 21:20, 21, 26, 27. Even runaway slaves, coming from other countries to Israel, were not to be returned to their masters, Deut. 23:15,16. Moreover these bond-servants were regarded as an integral part of the family, shared in the Sabbath rest, and took part in the feasts of Israel. The custom of the land even allowed the slaves greater privileges than the law required. Eliezer served as sort of plenipotentiary for Abraham, Gen. 24:1 ff.; Saul asks for the counsel of his boy, 1 Sam. 25:14 ff. It was even possible that a slave should marry the daughter of his master, 1 Chron. 2:34.35; and that he should be his master’s heir, Gen. 15:2 ff. The deepest ground for this humane treatment is found in the fact that the slaves formed a part in the religious community, were circumcised and therefore brethren of the faith.
b. Hebrew Servants. The slavery of Hebrew men and women always resulted from debt. A person who was unable to meet his obligations in any other way, could enter service with or without his family. And a thief that found it impossible to make restitution of what he had stolen, was forced into servitude, Ex. 21:2 ff.; 22:2 ff.; Neh, 5:5. Naturally the position of Hebrew servants was still more favorable than that of foreign slaves. Under no circumstances might they be made bond-servants; they had to be regarded as hired servants, Lev. 24:39 f. Neither could they be sold outside the Holy Land, although it was possible that they should become servants to foreigners living in Palestine. They were even better protected by the law than bond-servants. Their great prerogative was that their servitude terminated, when their debt was paid by themselves or by others, or in the sabbatic year. If the slave was married on entering the service of his master, he could in the year of rest take his family with him; not so, however, in case he entered wedlock during the period of his servitude. If he chose to forego the opportunity of the sabbatic year, either for the love of his family or his attachment to his master, or because, if he went free, he would miss the necessaries of life, – he was taken to the judges and next to the doorpost, where his ear was pierced with an awl in token of permanent service, Ex. 21:2-6. But in case he preferred to go free, his master might not let him go empty-handed, Deut. 15:12-17. An Israelite that was a servant to a foreigner, living in Palestine, could only hope to obtain freedom by being redeemed or in the year of jubilee. This year meant freedom for all Israelite slaves, which seems to be implied in the restoration of each one’s property, though authorities differ on the question, whether those who remained in the sabbatic year also went free in the year of jubilee.

By: Dan Backens

Dan Backens — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:20:44 +0000

Tammy,
That’s a good question. I would suspect the master had treated the servent well and the servant loved his master. That’s a bit different from normal business agreements for most people today. We don’t become part of someone’s household to work for them, at least not in America. Instead, they pay us a wage and we have our own household. In the case of the freed servant that would like to stay with his master, it is the servant that believes it is to his benefit to stay. It will cost the master to provide for the servant, and the servant will work for the master in exchange. The important difference is that it is a willing arrangement, and therefore unlike the slavery that occurred in America’s past. That was man-stealing, which is a capitol offense in the Bible.

The jubilee year erased all debts, including indentured servants, and returned all property to the original family. This was inside of Israel in scope. God wanted His people to consider each other as brothers. This restriction was there to keep it that way over time. It doesn’t mean that’s what really happened in Israel, since they certainly didn’t keep the law.

By: Tammy

Tammy — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:47:35 +0000

Dan,
Thank you for your further explaination of bond servant. I did however wonder why someone that is freed (jubilee year) would purposely chose to stay on as a bond servant. Would this mean to stay on and get paid directly now in stead of paying off a debt?

By: Tammy

Tammy — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:43:10 +0000

I have been doing some research on womens role in the bible and came across a site that had verses that condoned slavery. I will list what they had:

Lev 25:44+45
Ex 21:2-11, 20+21
Eph 6 : 5
1 Tim 6:12
Luke 12:47+48

Now there were other points on the website that took things out of context so I am sure these are as well, but wanted to share them anyway. I am going to read them in context and in the proper version.

By: Craig Hawkins

Craig Hawkins — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:40:20 +0000

Thanks for your response, Carl. I wish you would have cited some examples of slavery condoned.

By: Dan Backens

Dan Backens — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 00:13:05 +0000

Carl, you think John was twisting words? Wasn’t he actually clarifying what the actual words are? He was trying to help guys like you. Bonds servants are quite different from kidnapped people who are force to serve others. Explain how having bond servants is immoral. If I need money, and offer to work for someone in exchange for money, that is not immoral. Have you ever worked for money?

You also say the Bible is morally flawed. That is quite a statement, for which you will be judged one day. What is your basis? List a reference that condones slavery. If it’s all through the Bible as you say, you should be able to find one without too much effort. I’m surprised you neglected such an obvious point in the first place. Perhaps you assumed no one would doubt such a well stated comment. But I do, so be specific.