The Ten Commandments were what one may call the substantive
law; but having enacted them, God proceeded to give a number of by-laws or
ordinances also as follows:
1 If you should buy a Hebrew servant, he shall
serve you for 6 years; and in the seventh year he shall be set free. If he came
in by himself, he shall go out by himself; if he was married, his wife shall go
out with him. If the wife was given to him by the master, and she has children,
the wife and children shall belong to the master; and he shall go out by
himself. If, however, the servant when he was entitled to his freedom shall
plainly say, I love my master, I love my wife and my children, then the master
shall take him before the judges; and in their presence he shall bore his ear
with an awl and he shall forever thereafter serve his master.
2 If a man shall sell his daughter to be a
maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do. If she pleases not her master who has
betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her to be redeemed; but he cannot
sell her to a foreign nation as he would have been guilty of deceitfully
dealing with her. If he had betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her
after the manner of daughters. If he takes himself another wife, then she shall
be entitled to the same measure of food and clothing and duties, as if he had
duly married her. And if he neglects to provide these three basic things, she
shall be entitled to go out freely, without money.
We note
here, especially because many criticize the Bible, or seek to justify slavery
by saying it was permitted in the Bible; but this is not the case. Indentured service was paid and remunerated
service, and beside it was voluntary.
People offered and still do offer their personal service to those who could
afford to pay for them. What we have seen so far, therefore, is servitude more
often than not free and voluntary, not forced enslavement. More
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