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Slavery In The Bible

Quick Look: This article addresses the often uncomfortable perceptions about Biblical laws concerning slavery and highlights key aspects of Biblical slavery, emphasizing that it was not racially motivated, kidnapping was prohibited, slaves had rights, and women were not exploited as sex slaves. Furthermore, the economic framework in Biblical times made large-scale slavery impractical. We explore the reasons why slavery existed, arguing that it served as a form of debt repayment or punishment for crimes and was allowed during warfare. The New Testament's lack of explicit condemnation for slavery is also examined, suggesting that Christianity sought to change human hearts before societal structures. Ultimately, the article stresses that true freedom is found through spiritual liberation from sin, available through Jesus Christ. Read the article below for detailed information.

Slavery in the Bible is a subject that will come up as we look at Biblical Law and its applications in today's society. Many Christians are embarrassed by these laws, and they furnish the hypocritical humanist of today [who willfully forget that the founders and promoters of their precious "evolution" idea were for slavery and murder and were extreme racists, believing Africans and Jews were at the bottom of the evolutionary ladder] with material for laughter at and criticism of Christian religion.

As we take an honest look at slavery in the Bible, we do discover that slavery is regulated in the Old Testament. Bible writers do not condemn slavery directly, even in the New Testament. Yet it was through the work of dedicated Christians like William Wilberforce and John Newton [a former slave ship captain] that slavery was peacefully abolished in the vast British Empire.

Note: In this article, we discuss the laws of slavery God gave in the Bible and their intentions, not whether the Hebrews or anyone else obeyed them properly. Several times, the Bible records that the Israelites were judged for violating these laws. Our question is: What was God's purpose in regulating slavery instead of abolishing it?

Israelite man working in grain field, slavery in the Bible

Part of the problem is that we misunderstand the Biblical concept of slavery. We equate it with African slavery in North America and other parts of the world. So let's look at some things that the slavery laws in the Bible were not.

1. Slavery in the Bible was not racial. The slavery we think of today is usually ethnic- or gender-based. In the Bible, anyone could become a slave, including the Hebrews themselves [Ex. 21:2]. The Bible views men and women as created in the image of God and equally valuable before Him. No ethnic group is considered inferior. We are all one human race. Contrast this with the founders of evolution, who viewed Jews and Africans as being on the bottom of the evolutionary scale. Some Australian aborigines were hunted and murdered, and their skulls were sent to Western museums as evidence of the "missing link."

2. People could not be kidnapped and sold into slavery. The slavery we usually think of today was made possible by mass kidnappings. Kidnapping was a capital crime in Scripture [Ex. 21:16], and a woman was explicitly protected from being sold into a foreign nation [Ex. 21:8]. The slavery we think of today would not have been possible under Biblical law, as there were extremely limited ways of acquiring slaves.

3. With slavery in the Bible, slaves had legal rights. In slavery, as it was practiced outside of God's law, a slave had no rights. Their master was their highest law. This, in effect, makes man god - an idea that Scripture always opposes. While being a slave was not an easy life, the law worked to protect the slaves from abuse. If the owner, in punishing a slave, knocked out a tooth, for example, the slave went free, and the owner lost his "investment [Ex. 21:27]. This was good motivation not to be too severe in punishment and is in contrast to slavery where the master could brutalize and rape his slaves at will.

4. Contrary to humanist ignorance, women were not used as "sex slaves" in slavery in the Bible. The word "sells" is sometimes confusing for those who do not understand the big picture [and specific laws ALWAYS have to be understood in context of the law in general]. A bridegroom [or his father] paid a bride price to the bride's father. Two significant reasons for this were a] to ensure that the bridegroom could financially support his new bride, and b] to provide "life Insurance" for the bride in case her husband died or divorced her. As this relates to Ex. 21:7-12, the context shows the man in question was paying a bride price [which did require the bride's consent] either for himself or his son. If he changed his mind before the marriage, he had to allow her father to redeem her. i.e. return the bride price and receive his daughter back. He could not "sell" her to anyone else - let alone make a "sex slave" of her. If he married her, she became his wife with all the rights and privileges thereof. If she was to marry his son, he was responsible for looking after her as a Godly father.

5. The Biblical Free Market system would have made owning large numbers of slaves unprofitable. Slavery in the Bible would have only been a small part of society.

6. A runaway slave from another country could not be returned to their master. They had to be given protection and could live anywhere in Israel they chose. This recognized that slavery as practiced outside the control of God's Law was inhumane.

The Purpose Of Slavery In The Bible

What was the purpose of slavery in the Bible?

There were only three primary ways a person could become a slave.

1. If a Hebrew person got into debt that they could not pay, they could sell themselves as a slave for up to six years. What the person was, in fact, doing was selling his future productivity for a cash price to pay off his creditors. He could buy his freedom whenever he could pay his master what was owed. Until then, he worked off his debt under the supervision of a master who, in theory, would teach him not to get into debt again. If he had not bought his freedom before then, in six years, he went free, and his master gave him gifts to help him begin life again as a free man [Deut. 15:13-14]. In this case, slavery in the Bible was short-term and was to train and motivate a person in self-control and financial management. The master provided training, shelter, food and the necessities of life. The slave provided labour, sometimes hard labour. This type of slavery would have prevented a homeless "problem" while giving struggling people the dignity of work.

Today, many people are slaves to credit cards and other creditors. Their debt extends far beyond six years and sometimes even beyond their ability to repay. Instead of being able to work off their debt in a short period of time, they can lose everything, become homeless and have to depend on welfare... if it is available. I suspect many in such a position would not view this form of Bible slavery as an undue hardship.

2. Another way a person could become a slave was if he was a convicted criminal who was required to make restitution to his victim that was beyond his ability to pay and value of his assets. In that case, he could be sold [but not out of the country] to pay his debt. This kind of slave was not released after six years. They were released whenever their debt was paid off, whether they paid it themselves or someone paid it on their behalf. Again, they were not locked into slavery forever, just until their debt was paid.

Crime rates would dramatically drop if criminals were required to personally make financial restitution to their victims and, if unable to do so, went to some type of "work program" until they paid off the debt.

3. The third major way a person could become a slave was if they were a war captive. This was the only type of slavery in the Bible that was permanent, although the slave still had legal rights. A woman captive could not be used simply as a "sex slave." She could be married, but then she became a wife with all the rights and privileges of a wife. Since, with the one-time exception of Canaan, the Bible allows only a defensive military, such captives would not have been common unless a foreign nation had declared war. This is not a slavery against any one race but against a warring [obviously non-Jewish] nation. This type of slavery was abolished by Christ when He set the captives free [Luke 4:18] and broke down the dividing wall between Jews and Gentiles [Eph. 2:14].

The New Testament View

Why doesn't the New Testament condemn slavery?

The slavery we usually think of, and as practiced in the Greek/Roman world, is certainly not sanctioned by the Biblical laws. Why, then, did the apostles not fight against it? Why does Paul seem to condone it?

Christianity works from the inside out. It recognizes that the heart of man must be changed through the grace of God before lasting social change can take place. To fight against such a deeply entrenched - and ultimately humanist - system when the Gospel was just a seed would have failed to destroy slavery and failed to establish the Kingdom of God. Once the Kingdom of God had a firm footing in the hearts of men, then eyes could turn to changing social systems to reflect inward Christian commitment. It should not have taken 1900 years or so, but it did. [But during this time, Christians were active in social change, including protesting the popular gladiator games and establishing hospitals, schools and much more.] This also shows us that while we are establishing a foothold for the gospel, we have to work within existing systems as much as possible. The Christian way is not one of violence and rebellion but of peaceful change over time.

In some ways, slavery is still legal and with us today. Take the military, for example; a person joins, but they cannot quit anytime they want. They are subject to harsh discipline if they violate military rules. In the case of countries that use the draft, it is not even voluntary enlistment, yet very few seem to object. [This is not to criticize the dedicated men and women in the military, but only to point out some similarities.]

Most people are, in fact, slaves without realizing it. Just because they have certain freedoms, they think they are free, while all the time, the majority of their labour is consumed by their civil government. [In ancient Egypt, a 20% tax rate was considered oppressive - Gen. 41:34. And we think we are advanced!] They can be fined, jailed, or have "their" property taken for minor violations of statist law. The civil government even claims priority rights over their children. Yet, especially in Western nations like Canada and the US, they loudly proclaim they are free. At least, in the old days, a slave knew he was a slave. We have lost that knowledge today!

Of course, the central reality of slavery in the Bible is all of mankind's slavery to sin. It is a slavery from which we are helpless to escape. It is only as we come to trust in Jesus as Lord and Saviour that we can experience true freedom. Those who refuse this offer of escape will find themselves trapped in an eternal slavery - much worse than anything that has happened on earth - forever.

For a detailed treatment of this subject, see Dr. Gary North's Tools Of Dominion, pages 111 - 277. You can download your copy of the book free at www.garynorth.com [slavery in the Bible].

Here is an article by another writer to consider: Why Christians Shouldn't Be Embarrassed By Slavery In The Bible.

Slavery In The Bible
Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Does Leviticus 19:20-22 Allow A Man To Rape His Slave Without Serious Consequences?

Answer: No. Rape is never condoned in Biblical Law. We must consider the Biblical and social context of the situation. Major commentators regard this as either a willing act or a seduction. Also, this is not the case of an ordinary slave or servant. This woman and her father had agreed to allow her to marry either the master or his son, and the dowry [bride price] has been paid to the father. If the prospective husband decided against the marriage before the wedding night, it was considered bad faith or deception by the prospective husband. In that case, the father would redeem his daughter by returning the bride price, or she would become a free woman. In this law, the woman [voluntarily or through seduction] and the man had betrayed her future husband. It was a serious offence but not as severe as if she had been a free woman - which could have been a capital offence for both of them. Some versions translate a part of the punishment as "she must be scourged." From the Hebrew, this phase could mean either that both the man and the woman were to be beaten or simply that there had to be an investigation. Keep in mind that this was a first offence. Multiple offenses would have shown that the repentance wasn't genuine and brought capital punishment into play. Biblical Law always works to protect the weak and vulnerable in society. Even though this is not a case of rape, some of the same principles apply that we discussed in Does The Bible Force A Woman To Marry Her Rapist?

Question: Was The Slave/Servant Considered The Master's Property?

Answer: There is no doubt about it, becoming a slave through debt, criminal activities or war [the only ways] gave the "owner" more power than they had over a hired servant. Given this relationship, the slave/servant is sometimes referred to as the "owner's" property because the owner has rights to the slave/servants' labour that the slave/servant has no right to refuse. [Sometimes, a husband is considered to have property rights in his wife, and the wife has property rights in her husband, so the idea of property rights in a person is not necessarily degrading. It is just not a common way that we think of it in Western society.] However, it must be made VERY clear that this in no way gave the "owner" absolute control. Many Biblical Laws work to protect slaves/servants from abuse while recognizing that they had surrendered some of their rights and privileges.

Question: Could Slaves Become Life-Long Slaves?

Answer: People captured in war could be life-long slaves. Criminals could be life-long slaves if the severity of their crime required it and no one redeemed them. Hebrew debt slaves were released after six years of service; however, if they enjoyed their position and the living in their master's house, they could voluntarily become life-long slaves.

Question: What Were The Specific Legal Rights Of Slaves Under Biblical Law?

Answer: Some of the rights of slaves/servants included:

1. The right to have the Sabbath free from work.

2. The right to be set free if injured.

3. The right to purchase their freedom (or have someone else buy it for them) at any time.

4. The right to adequate food, clothing and shelter.

5. Hebrew debt slaves had to be supplied generously with items to start a new life when released after six years.

For more information about Glenn Davis, see our About Glenn page or visit Glenn Davis Books.

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