Exodus 21:7, “If a man sells his daughter as a female slave, she is not to go free as the male slaves do.”
When a daughter was placed into slavery by her father, it was often to pay a debt combined with a way for her to find a husband. Of course, in modern times, this sounds odd. But the fact is in the Old Testament context, marriage was a very important institution. Daughters were expected to marry early and produce children. If they did not marry, they were sometimes considered cursed, and this was shameful for the family and the father’s reputation. Love was sometimes a deciding factor in marriage. But, most often, marriages were arranged. Such is the case with a female slave. This is why the text says they are not to go free as a male slave does because she has more rights than a male in this case. Consider the rest of the text.
Exodus 21:7–11, “If a man sells his daughter as a female slave, she is not to go free as the male slaves do. 8 “If she is displeasing in the eyes of her master who designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He does not have authority to sell her to a foreign people because of his unfairness to her. 9 “If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her according to the custom of daughters. 10 “If he takes to himself another woman, he may not reduce her food, her clothing, or her conjugal rights. 11 “If he will not do these three things for her, then she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money.”
We see from the following verses that she could be redeemed (v. 8), could not be sold to foreign people (v. 8), and could marry the master’s son (v. 9). But if she did not marry the son, her food and clothing could not then be reduced (v. 10). And, if these conditions were not met, she was to go free. No such requirements were made of a male slave.
“Provision for a woman in one’s charge throughout the ancient Near East consisted of food, clothing, and oil. The third in the series here (NIV: “marital rights”) is an attempt to translate a word that occurs only here in the Old Testament. The frequent occurrence of “oil” in that position in numerous ancient Near Eastern documents has led some to suspect that the word in the Hebrew text might also be an obscure term for oil (compare Hos 2:7; Eccles 9:7–9).”
(Matthews, Victor Harold, Mark W. Chavalas, and John H. Walton. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament. Electronic ed. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000.
Conclusion
The reason a female slave was treated differently than a male slave in the context of Exodus 21:7, is due to the issue of marriage. Women were to be married early and produce children as was the Jewish custom based on God telling Adam and Eve to multiply and fill the earth (Genesis 1:22). Women who are not married were often considered cursed and could bring shame to the family. In addition, daughters who were placed into slavery were sometimes expected to marry a member of that household in which she served. This was yet another way for a father to find a husband for his daughter in the Ancient Near East culture. In the context, the female ‘slave’ could be redeemed (v. 8), could not be sold to foreign people (v. 8), and could marry the master’s son (v. 9). But if she did not marry the son, her food and clothing could not then be reduced (v. 10). And, if these conditions were not met, she was to go free. No such requirements were made of a male slave.
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