Exodus 21:7
“When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse reveals a subtle but crucial distinction: female slaves weren't treated the same as male slaves, particularly concerning their release. Unlike male servants who could gain freedom after six years, a woman sold into servitude had different, and in some ways, better protections, hinting at a potential role as a concubine rather than just a laborer. This highlights how the law sought to mitigate exploitation, even within a system that allowed slavery.
This passage begins a section detailing regulations for Hebrew slaves, specifically addressing the unique circumstances of female slaves. Unlike male slaves who could gain freedom after six years, a daughter sold into servitude had different provisions, highlighting the need for protections due to her vulnerability and the common practice of her becoming a concubine. The verses that follow outline these specific protections, ensuring she was treated with dignity and not simply discarded or exploited.
Imagine a world where selling your child into slavery was a grim reality, even among God's people. This law didn't endorse the sale, but stepped into a difficult situation to protect the vulnerable.
This passage reveals God's heart for justice in a society where extreme poverty could lead fathers to sell their daughters into servitude. While the sale itself was a harsh reality, the Law didn't leave these young women unprotected.
A Grim Necessity
Slavery, especially of children, was a practice in many ancient cultures. For Israelites facing desperate poverty, selling a daughter was sometimes seen as the only way to ensure her basic needs were met, as sad as that sounds.
God's Protective Measure
Instead of abolishing the practice outright (which may have been too drastic a societal shift), God's law provided specific protections for female slaves. Unlike male slaves who might gain freedom after six years, a female slave had different, and in some ways, more extensive rights, especially if she was intended for marriage or concubinage.
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Why the special rules for female slaves? It wasn't just about household chores. Their destiny was often tied to marriage or concubinage, a status that demanded greater protection.
The distinction made in Exodus 21:7 stems from the unique societal role a female slave could hold. She wasn't just a laborer; she could become a secondary wife, or concubine, to her master or his son.
More Than a Servant
When a man bought a female slave, the intention wasn't always just for her to perform menial tasks. The text suggests she might be intended as a concubine, a recognized, though subordinate, position within the household.
Rights Beyond Freedom
Because of this potential role, her rights were more complex than those of a male slave. If her master decided not to keep her as a concubine or marry her to his son, she couldn't simply be cast aside. She had rights to be redeemed, to be treated like a daughter if betrothed to a son, or to receive provisions and status if her master took another wife. These protections aimed to prevent her from being exploited or left destitute.
This passage echoes the principle of differential treatment for male and female Hebrew servants, highlighting the protections afforded to women by establishing that a Hebrew man or woman could be sold into servitude, but with a six-year limit for men and different provisions for women.
Leviticus 25:44-46This passage provides the broader context for slavery in Israel, explaining that while Israelites could purchase slaves from surrounding nations, these individuals could be held permanently, unlike Hebrew slaves who had specific release conditions.
Genesis 16:1-3This narrative illustrates the ancient practice of a wife giving her maidservant to her husband to bear children, showing how female slaves could be integrated into the household in roles beyond simple labor, which aligns with the text's implications about concubinage for female slaves.
1 Corinthians 7:22This New Testament verse speaks to the social status of individuals within their calling, suggesting that whether one is a slave or free, their core identity and relationship with God remain paramount, offering a spiritual perspective on social hierarchies.
gillExodus 21:7: "And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do."
And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant,.... That is, if an Israelite, as the Targum of Jonathan, sells his little daughter, as the same Targum, and so Jarchi and Aben Ezra, one that is under age, that is not arrived to the age of twelve years and a day, and this through poverty; he not being able to support himself and his family, puts his daughter out to service, or rather…
pulpitExodus 21:7: "And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do."
Verse 7. - If a man sell his daughter to be a maid-servant. Among ancient nations the father' s rights over his children were generally regarded as including the right to sell them for slaves. In civilised nations the right was seldom exercised; but what restrained men was rather a sentiment of pride than any doubt of such sales being proper. Many barbarous nations, like the Thracians…
This verse reveals a subtle but crucial distinction: female slaves weren't treated the same as male slaves, particularly concerning their release. Unlike male servants who could gain freedom after six years, a woman sold into servitude had different, and in some ways, better protections, hinting at a potential role as a concubine rather than just a laborer. This highlights how the law sought to mitigate exploitation, even within a system that allowed slavery.
This passage begins a section detailing regulations for Hebrew slaves, specifically addressing the unique circumstances of female slaves. Unlike male slaves who could gain freedom after six years, a daughter sold into servitude had different provisions, highlighting the need for protections due to her vulnerability and the common practice of her becoming a concubine. The verses that follow outline these specific protections, ensuring she was treated with dignity and not simply discarded or exploited.
This passage begins a section detailing regulations for Hebrew slaves, specifically addressing the unique circumstances of female slaves. Unlike male slaves who could gain freedom after six years, a daughter sold into servitude had different provisions, highlighting the need for protections due to her vulnerability and the common practice of her becoming a concubine. The verses that follow outline these specific protections, ensuring she was treated with dignity and not simply discarded or exploited.
"“When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do." — This verse reveals a subtle but crucial distinction: female slaves weren't treated the same as male slaves, particularly concerning their release. Unlike male servants who could gain freedom after si…
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