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Was slavery permitted under God’s commands? Israelites and “bond servants” and non Israelites as “slaves”?

Leviticus 25
1 The Lord said to Moses at Mount Sinai, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you, the land itself must observe a sabbath to the Lord.
(^ It’s God speaking ^)

39 “‘If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell themselves to you, do not make them work as slaves. 40 They are to be treated as hired workers or temporary residents among you; they are to work for you until the Year of Jubilee. 41 Then they and their children are to be released, and they will go back to their own clans and to the property of their ancestors. 42 Because the Israelites are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt, they must not be sold as slaves. 43 Do not rule over them ruthlessly, but fear your God.

44 “‘Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. 45 You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property. 46 You can bequeath them to your children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life, but you must not rule over your fellow Israelites ruthlessly.

Discussion

22 comments

  1. Bob Bosch says:

    Yes.

  2. Harlin Grizzle says:

    Yes

  3. Wayne Adams says:

    The Bible does not outlaw slavery all together nor does it condone all forms of slavery. In the Bible slavery was based on economics. People sold themselves when they could not pay off debts or provide for their families. They chose to be slaves to have their needs met. Racial slavery is wrong- Ex21:16- He that stealeth a man , and selleth him or if he be found in his hand , he shall surely be put to death.

  4. Michael Womack says:

    This is a common objection of non-Christians.

    God never endorses slavery. He never says it’s a good thing. What he does, is set rules for the inevitable taking of slaves by people who lived in an area and time where slavery, and not racial slavery, was an everyday part of life. It was as much a part of life as warfare was. God, while he did not approve of man ruling over one another, knew that it would happen. In order to take into account man’s foolishness, he gave them rules. just as he did for several other things. Like premarital sex and warfare. does that mean God loves premarital sex and warfare? Certainly not. But God knew men were idiots, so he prepared for it

  5. Sherri Scott says:

    Slavery in Bible times was not like what we know of slavery. They were more like workers n treated well not abused.

  6. David Marmolejo says:

    You believe morals are relative. So it doesn’t matter what you think or what someone else did or does. Next question.

  7. Wayne Adams says:

    God never began his work toward perfect morality! God knew from the creation of Adam what would happen. Acts 15:18- known unto God are all his WORKS from the beginning of the world.

  8. Wayne Adams says:

    God is Sovereign, he rules everything that takes place on this earth. He is in absolute control!

  9. Bobby Pandaram says:

    My 5 cents worth.

    1. Firstly the word slavery used in the OT especially amongst the hebrew people should not be confused with slavery as we know it to be in our minds today.
    2. Slavery was an economic relief to the slave and it was a way of paying off debt or a way of survival.
    3. Slaves taken as POW is much better that being put to death.
    4. A slave was always recognized as a member of the household.

  10. Zach Payne says:

    Those verses prove your point when taken out of context

  11. Anthony Bryant Sr. says:

    The Bible condemns and condemned the kind of slavery practiced by the United States by calling and treating the slave non-human America and other countries have violated God’s law!

  12. Aly Mili says:

    I don’t think anyone on this thread has mentioned about slavery being a parallel in the NT.

    Those who were not Gods chosen people were in slavery – just like mankind today – until the year of jubilee (which happened every 7 years). Mankind today is in slavery until accepting Christ.

    Any more comments or thoughts on this anyone? x

  13. Grant Reedy says:

    Leviticus 25:44
    Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you; of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids.

    Get yourself a better orthodox Hebrew tradition and look up what it means to be a bondsman or Bondswoman,
    Also you should reconcile Exodus 21:16 before you look ignorant.

  14. Lukas Dohnal says:

    Yes, according to the Bible, slavery was permitted by God

  15. Michael Hurtado says:

    Conveniently these verses are not included “When a man strikes the eye of his slave, male or female, and destroys it, he shall let the slave go free because of his eye. If he knocks out the tooth of his slave, male or female, he shall let the slave go free because of his tooth.
    Exodus 21:26‭-‬27 ESV
    https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.21.26-27.ESV

  16. Michael Hurtado says:

    As well as these ones “If your brother, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you, he shall serve you six years, and in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you. And when you let him go free from you, you shall not let him go empty-handed.
    Deuteronomy 15:12‭-‬13 ESV
    https://bible.com/bible/59/deu.15.12-13.ESV

  17. Jim Grosso says:

    Slavery is not permitted Exodus makes it clear. 21:16.

  18. Mike Bellsmith says:

    Here’s a blog I wrote on slavery last year. The topic is too involved for a FB post.

    https://believersarmedanddangerous.blog/2019/05/26/slavery/

  19. Raf Bukowski says:

    If you accept Jesus, and when you make it to Heaven, God will make clear, all things to you. And if you don’t agree with him, which I personally think you will, you can have it out with him. But the matter of the fact is, that He loves you so much, that He died a painful, undeserving death, for you. Doesn’t he deserve the benefit of the doubt, even if there are things in the Bible That you do not agree with?

  20. Bob Jones says:

    God did not condone it, but when man did He was making sure they were to be treated right

  21. Bob Francis says:

    Complaints like this so a lack of understanding of free will. True love can not happen w/o free will.

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