Exodus 21:5-6
But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse highlights that the decision to stay enslaved wasn't always forced, but could stem from genuine affection for one's master and family, especially if the slave had built a life and connections within the household. It reveals that even within a system of servitude, deep personal relationships and the desire for continued security could outweigh the prospect of freedom.
This passage addresses a specific scenario within the laws governing Hebrew slaves, detailing what happens after a six-year term of service. It assumes the slave has likely formed attachments to his master and family, or perhaps even acquired a wife and children during his servitude. The law is offering him a choice: to leave as a free man or to choose to remain enslaved permanently.
In a world where freedom is often the ultimate prize, why would anyone choose to remain a slave? Exodus 21 reveals a surprising reason tied to the very nature of the 'master's house'.
This passage presents a fascinating scenario: a Hebrew slave, due for release after six years, can choose to stay permanently with his master. The key reason given is 'I love my master, my wife, and my children.'
A Place of Affection and Security
This wasn't just about tolerating a harsh reality. The text implies that the master-slave relationship could be one of genuine affection and care. Masters were instructed to treat their Hebrew slaves not with rigor, but more like hired workers or sojourners (Leviticus 25:39-40). This created an environment where a slave might truly feel valued.
Family Ties Matter Most
Crucially, the slave's decision is tied to his family. In this specific context (as hinted in verse 4), the slave's wife and children may not have been Hebrew and thus not subject to the six-year release. For the slave, freedom might mean separation from his loved ones. Staying in servitude, with his family by his side, offered a form of security and belonging that freedom alone could not provide.
The law allows for a slave to become a slave 'forever.' What does this profound, lifelong commitment truly signify?
When a slave declared his love for his master and family and chose not to go free, the consequence was a permanent state of servitude. This wasn't a temporary setback but a deliberate, lifelong choice.
The Public Declaration
This decision wasn't made in private. The slave would 'plainly say' his intention, implying a clear, unambiguous statement. This declaration was then formalized, often before 'judges' or 'magistrates' (literally, 'gods' in the Hebrew), making it a public commitment witnessed by the community.
The Mark of Belonging
To seal this choice, a physical act was performed: the master would take an awl and bore through the slave's ear, driving it into the doorpost of his house. This wasn't a mark of shame or punishment, but a symbol of belonging. It signified that the slave was now permanently part of the master's household, his dwelling, and his life – a willing dedication of himself to that specific household.
Understand the original words
ahavti · Hebrew Verb
A deep, committed affection that involves loyalty and self-sacrifice. It is the central command of the law (to love God and neighbor) and the primary characteristic of God’s nature.
elohim · Hebrew Noun
In this context, likely refers to the judges or the sanctuary of God, representing the authority of the covenantal judicial system established by God.
ebed · Hebrew Noun
A condition of perpetual service or bond-service, often used in Scripture to describe a person's relationship to God or another human; here it denotes a lifelong commitment of labor.
This passage is closely related, as it also describes the Hebrew servant's option to remain with his master if he has grown to love him and his household, providing a fuller context for this specific choice.
Leviticus 25:39-43These verses lay the groundwork for understanding the context of Hebrew servitude, emphasizing it as a milder form intended to be more like hired service and prohibiting harsh rule, which helps explain why a servant might genuinely 'love his master.'
1 Samuel 30:13-16This narrative shows a man who, like the servant in Exodus, has been living under difficult circumstances and expresses deep affection for his family and possessions, highlighting the powerful human desire to remain with what one loves, even if it's not freedom.
Philippians 2:5-8Paul encourages believers to have the same mindset as Christ, who, though in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself...This echoes the servant's voluntary choice to remain in a lesser state out of love, mirroring Christ's humble and sacrificial love.
Jeremiah 34:14-16This passage speaks of a time when the covenant to set servants free was violated, showing that the institution of servitude and the laws governing it were serious matters in Israel's history, and that a servant's desire to remain was a significant declaration.
pulpitExodus 21:5: "And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:"
Verses 5, 6. - I love my master, etc. Affection might grow up between the slave and the master, if he were well treated. The Hebrew form of slavery was altogether of a mild kind. Masters are admonished to treat their slaves "not as bond-servants, but as hired servants or sojourners," and again "not to rule over them with rigour" (Leviticus 25:39, 40, 43). Even among the heath…
calvinExodus 21:1-6: "Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them."
- Now these are the judgments. Both passages contain the same appointment, viz., that as to the Hebrews slavery must end at the seventh year; for God would have the children of Abraham, although obliged to sell themselves, to differ from heathen and ordinary slaves. Their enfranchisement is, therefore, enjoined, but with an exception, which Moses expresses in the first passage but omits in the latter, i e., that if…
This verse highlights that the decision to stay enslaved wasn't always forced, but could stem from genuine affection for one's master and family, especially if the slave had built a life and connections within the household. It reveals that even within a system of servitude, deep personal relationships and the desire for continued security could outweigh the prospect of freedom.
This passage addresses a specific scenario within the laws governing Hebrew slaves, detailing what happens after a six-year term of service. It assumes the slave has likely formed attachments to his master and family, or perhaps even acquired a wife and children during his servitude. The law is offering him a choice: to leave as a free man or to choose to remain enslaved permanently.
This passage addresses a specific scenario within the laws governing Hebrew slaves, detailing what happens after a six-year term of service. It assumes the slave has likely formed attachments to his master and family, or perhaps even acquired a wife and children during his servitude. The law is offering him a choice: to leave as a free man or to choose to remain enslaved permanently.
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"But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with…" — This verse highlights that the decision to stay enslaved wasn't always forced, but could stem from genuine affection for one's master and family, especially if the slave had built a life and connecti…
