Biblical slavery is not the monolithic type of chattel slavery practiced in western civilization in the past few centuries. I have listed scripture verses on slavery and arranged them by topic.
- Slavery and Servanthood
- Female servants (Gen. 12:16; Exod. 20:10)
- Generic servants (Gen. 14:15)
- Male-servants (Gen. 12:16; 14:14; 17:27
- Becoming a slave
- By being born into it (Gen. 17:13)
- By being bought with money (Gen. 17:13, 23; Exod. 21:2; Ecc. 2:7; Esther 7:4)
- A person could sell himself into slavery (Lev. 25:39; Deut. 15:12)
- A slave could voluntarily decide to stay as a slave (Deut. 15:16-17).
- Slaves could be bought from the nations around Israel (Lev. 25:44-46; Ecc. 2:7)
- People taken in a time of war could be slaves (Gen. 14:20-21; Num. 31:9-11, 32-35; Deut. 20:11-14; 21:10-14; 2 Chron. 28:8)
- Placed into slavery to pay off a theft in order to make restitution (Exod. 22:2-3)
- Leaving slavery
- When a slave was freed, he was to receive gifts that enabled him to survive economically (Deut. 15:14).
- A slave could become free after six years of service (Exod. 21:2; Deut. 15:12),
- A slave could become free in the year of Jubilee (Lev. 25:10, 13)
- A slave could become free by marriage of the master’s son or if refused was then set free (Exod. 21:7-11),
- A slave could become free due to injury (Exod. 21:26-27)
- A slave could become free by purchasing his own freedom (Lev. 25:47).
- An escaped slave was not to be returned as was property (Deut. 23:15–16)
- Social rights and responsibilities
- The slave was required to participate in religious observances (Gen. 17:13; Exod. 12:44; Lev. 22:11).
- The slave was a member of the master’s household (Lev. 22:11).
- Slaves could go to war (Gen. 14:14)
- Slaves could inherit property (Gen. 15:2-3)
- Slaves could be in control of entire households (Gen. 24:2)
- Slaves were sometimes trusted advisors (1 Sam. 9:5-10)
- The slave was required to rest on the Sabbath (Exod. 20:10; Deut. 5:14).
- A slave could inherit property (Gen. 15:3).
- Treatment of slaves
- Not with severity (Lev. 25:43, 53)
- A master who punished his slave who then died, was to be punished himself possibly with death (Exod. 21:20).
- Other
- Slaves were considered as a form property (Lev 25:46; Ex 21:32; Lev 25:39-42) but not in the strictest sense since escaped slaves were not to be returned as was property (Deut. 23:15–16)
- Foreign-born slaves could he held permanently (Lev. 25:46)
- Fellow Israelites slaves were not to be regarded as property (Lev. 25:39–40)
- Fellow Israelites slaves were not to be treated harshly (Deut. 24:16-18; Lev. 25:43)
- Kidnapping someone to make them a slave was prohibited (Amos 1:6)
- Kidnapping someone to make them a slave was and was punishable by death (Deut. 24:7; Exod. 21:16)
The following paragraph is for cutting and pasting. It is the summation of the above outline arrange in a single paragraph form.
There were male and female servants/slaves (Gen. 12:16; 14:14-15; 17:27; Exod. 20:10). A person could become a slave by being born into it (Gen. 17:13), bought with money (Gen. 17:13, 23; Exod. 21:2; Ecc. 2:7; Esther 7:4), selling one’s self into slavery (Lev. 25:39; Deut. 15:12). Slaves could be bought from the nations around Israel (Lev. 25:44-46; Ecc. 2:7) and taken in a time of war (Gen. 14:20-21; Num. 31:9-11, 32-35; Deut. 20:11-14; 21:10-14; 2 Chron. 28:8). A slave could voluntarily decide to stay as a slave (Deut. 15:16-17). When a slave was freed, he was to receive gifts that enabled him to survive economically (Deut. 15:14). A Hebrew slave could become free after six years of service (Exod. 21:2; Deut. 15:12), released during the year of Jubilee (Lev. 25:10, 13), by marriage of the master’s son or if refused was then set free (Exod. 21:7-11), due to injury (Exod. 21:26-27), and by purchasing his own freedom (Lev. 25:47). An escaped slave was not to be returned as was property (Deut. 23:15–16). The slave was required to participate in religious observances (Gen. 17:13; Exod. 12:44; Lev. 22:11).The slave was a member of the master’s household (Lev. 22:11), was required to rest on the Sabbath (Exod. 20:10; Deut. 5:14). A slave could go to war (Gen. 14:14), inherit property (Gen. 15:2-3), be in control of entire households (Gen. 24:2), and were sometimes trusted advisors (1 Sam. 9:5-10). The treatment of slaves was not to be severe (Lev. 25:43, 53). A master who punished his slave who then died, was to be punished himself possibly with death (Exod. 21:20). Slaves were considered as a form of property (Lev 25:46; Ex 21:32; Lev 25:39-42) but not in the strictest sense, since escaped slaves were not to be returned as was property (Deut. 23:15–16). Foreign-born slaves could he held permanently (Lev. 25:46). Fellow Israelites slaves were not to be regarded as property (Leviticus 25:39–40). Fellow Israelites slaves were not to be treated harshly (Lev. 25:46). Kidnapping someone to make them a slave was prohibited (Amos 1:6) and was punishable by death (Deut. 24:7; Exod. 21:16)
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