Leviticus 25:39-41
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This isn't just about avoiding harsh treatment; it's a radical redefinition of servitude. An Israelite sold into debt wouldn't be a "slave" in the typical sense, but treated more like a hired worker, with rights and dignity, because they were ultimately God's people, not property to be owned outright.
“If your brother becomes poor beside you and sells himself to you, you shall not make him serve as a slave: he shall be with you as a hired worker and as a sojourner. He shall serve with you until the year of the jubilee. Then he shall go out from you, he and his children with him, and go back to his own clan and return to the possession of his fathers.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage addresses a dire situation where an Israelite, facing extreme poverty, sells themselves into servitude to another Israelite. The law immediately clarifies that even in this scenario, the enslaved person is not to be treated like a perpetual slave, but rather as a hired servant, with protections and eventual freedom guaranteed, especially in light of the upcoming Jubilee year. This law emphasizes Israel's distinct identity as God's people, who were themselves delivered from bondage in Egypt.
When a fellow Israelite fell into deep poverty and had to sell themselves, the law set boundaries. But what was the spirit behind those boundaries?
The verse says, 'you shall not compel him to serve as a bondservant.' This isn't just about avoiding the hardest work. It's about a fundamental shift in how you view this person.
A Higher Standard
While a bondservant might be treated harshly, an Israelite sold due to poverty was to be treated like a hired servant. This meant:
God’s heart here is for the preservation of dignity and community, even in the darkest economic times.
Why did God care so much about how a poor Israelite was treated by another Israelite? It all comes down to who ultimately owns them.
The deeper reason for this law is stated clearly in verse 55: 'For unto me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt.'
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Divine Ownership
This verse reveals a profound theological truth:
This perspective shifts the focus from a master-slave dynamic to a shared identity under God’s sovereignty.
Understand the original words
muk · Hebrew Adjective
One who is destitute or lacking the necessary means of support; in the biblical context, it often calls for compassion and protection from the community.
ebed · Hebrew Noun
A person held in bondage or servitude to another, often lacking personal freedom and subject to the will of their master.
sakir · Hebrew Noun
Someone hired for wages to perform labor, distinct from a slave as they maintained a level of contractual autonomy and limited service duration.
toshab · Hebrew Noun
A resident foreigner or temporary dweller who lived among the Israelites; they were afforded specific legal protections and were subject to the covenantal regulations of the land.
yobel · Hebrew Noun
A special year of release and restoration ordained by God, occurring every fifty years, during which land reverted to its original owners and Hebrew slaves were set free.
mishpachah · Hebrew Noun
Refers to the immediate extended family unit or the broader tribal structure of Israel, emphasizing the covenantal bond and collective identity of the people of God.
achuzzah · Hebrew Noun
Refers to the ancestral land grant given by God to the tribes and families of Israel, which was inalienable because the land ultimately belongs to God.
This passage sets the foundational law for Hebrew servants, stating they can only serve for six years, directly paralleling the compassionate restrictions placed on their treatment even when sold due to poverty in Leviticus 25.
Deuteronomy 15:12This verse reiterates the law about Hebrew servants, emphasizing that they are not to be treated as perpetual slaves but as hired or bound laborers, reinforcing the spirit of Leviticus 25:39.
Nehemiah 5:3-5This historical account shows the severe consequences of extreme poverty in Israel, where people were forced to mortgage lands and even sell their children into servitude, highlighting the societal need for the protections laid out in Leviticus 25.
Ephesians 6:9Paul echoes the principle of humane treatment by urging masters to treat their slaves justly, reminding them that they also have a Master in heaven, which is the same divine perspective underpinning the laws in Leviticus 25 regarding treating fellow Israelites with dignity.
calvinLeviticus 25:39-55: "And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant:"
Moreover, of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land; and they shall be your possession:
Et etiam de filiis incolarum qui versantur apud vos, emetis: et de familia eorum qui apud vos sunt, quos procreaverunt in terra vestra: e…
pooleLeviticus 25:39: "And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant:"
Neither for the time, for ever, nor for the manner, with the hardest and vilest kinds of service, rigorously and severely exacted from him.
This isn't just about avoiding harsh treatment; it's a radical redefinition of servitude. An Israelite sold into debt wouldn't be a "slave" in the typical sense, but treated more like a hired worker, with rights and dignity, because they were ultimately God's people, not property to be owned outright.
This passage addresses a dire situation where an Israelite, facing extreme poverty, sells themselves into servitude to another Israelite. The law immediately clarifies that even in this scenario, the enslaved person is not to be treated like a perpetual slave, but rather as a hired servant, with protections and eventual freedom guaranteed, especially in light of the upcoming Jubilee year. This law emphasizes Israel's distinct identity as God's people, who were themselves delivered from bondage in Egypt.
This passage addresses a dire situation where an Israelite, facing extreme poverty, sells themselves into servitude to another Israelite. The law immediately clarifies that even in this scenario, the enslaved person is not to be treated like a perpetual slave, but rather as a hired servant, with protections and eventual freedom guaranteed, especially in light of the upcoming Jubilee year. This law emphasizes Israel's distinct identity as God's people, who were themselves delivered from bondage in Egypt.
"“If your brother becomes poor beside you and sells himself to you, you shall not make him serve as a slave: he shall be with you as a hired worker and as a sojourner. He shall serve with you until the year of the jubilee. Then he shall go…" — This isn't just about avoiding harsh treatment; it's a radical redefinition of servitude. An Israelite sold into debt wouldn't be a "slave" in the typical sense, but treated more like a hired worker,…
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Last reviewed October 2026
