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Where in the Bible is slavery condemned?
Discussion
54 comments
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I think this gets to the heart of it:
Matt 22:36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”
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Interesting to me, especially as a black person. But of course the scriptures hold the absolute authority. I think it’s best to keep in mind the redemptive nature of God’s word. Whether one is free or a slave – we are all free in Christ.
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Exodus 21:16 And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.
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I’ve never seen that GOD “recommend” slavery but he does say if you are gonna do it there are some guidelines..GOD also never said to “do” fornication homosexuality or witchcraft but did say how to handle such things
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Slavery was a norm in the old testament times worldwide. God put a law to control slavery to prevent abuse.
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Let me ask you this question: How many slaves did Jesus have? That’s right, none. He even washed the feet of his servants to show that no master is above his servants. Hopefully this answer will do. God bless.
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Slavery in the OT is incorrectly equated to 18th an 19th century slavery. There they were treated worse than animals. There were laws written to protect them. Those economic times provided shelter and food for those who never had.
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As much as people would like to condemn it, God doesn’t. He only condemns sinful slavery. Like the transatlantic slavery naturally.
Biblical slaves had more rights than some employees today. All it is is a common misconception of believers who haven’t studied the conditions prescribed in Tanach.
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I don’t know of a verse that condemns slavery. As others have mentioned there are plenty of verses that condemn the abuse of slaves and others in general. But when we think of the word “slave” we instantly think of abuse but that’s not that’s already condemned so what is the Bible taking about when it comes to owning slaves?
It more like the modern relationship between the employer (the land or business owner) and the employee (the slave). Again, don’t jump to abuse. Slavery was a mutual and respectable agreement between to consenting adults where there is an exchange of labor for currency for a period of time. We exchange our time for dollars but back then if you didn’t own land you would work someone else’s in exchange for food and a place to stay for you and your family. Like modern employment, if you never owned your own farm (business) you would continue to work for someone else your entire life.
So you see, like employment today slavery was a good option for lots of people. But also like today there were plenty of people who abused it and were rightfully condemned for it. -
Chattel slavery of the 19th century and in the style of human trafficking rings of the modern day have always been condemned, because they violate the Old Testament commands to treat slaves as what they are, humans. And it is hard to argue slavery was considered good by the Bible, because Jesus said divorce was only permitted by God at all because of the stubbornness of the people of Israel, so God set up guidelines to act to minimize the damage in the event of divorce. When it comes to slavery, I think that may be similar to what is going on there.
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This is an excellent essay on that topic, well worth the read for better understanding of Biblical “slavery”, free from Amazon.
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For thousands of years, 97% of the worlds population lived in utter poverty and nations were regularly conquered in war. You can’t judge what people did centuries ago based on modern values. The Bible does not condemn or condone slavery but rather acknowledges it exists. Scripture acknowledges the value of life by telling masters to me good to there slaves.
We have to be cautious when discussing slavery because the political left has hijacked it as a means of acquiring power. The left has created entire value hierarchies to support their quest for power. Many nations, peoples, nationalities have been enslaved through history. But somehow it seems only black slavery was bad and only white slave owners were bad. Freedom is actually a Christian principle.
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Slavery was different in Bibical days it’s not like when the United States had slaves. People volunteerly became slaves to pay off dept and wasn’t treated badly.
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Some Christian’s are very condescending in their responses. If u cannot respond in Love just move along. My brother if you research the word Slave in Hebrew and Greek you would realize that term was not defined as it is today. Back then they had rights and privileges.
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Here is a question that may be harder to answer since many here say slavery was ok or had some neat hidden gems.. Who here would be my slave as long as I followed biblical laws on slavery? I bet no one says they would be willing to be a slave. If so, I got a ticket to my house for you.
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The Bible clearly condemns kidnappings and selling humans.
Exodus 21:16
“He who kidnaps a man, whether he sells him or he is found in his possession, shall surely be put to death.Deuteronomy 24:7
“If a man is caught kidnapping any of his countrymen of the sons of Israel, and he deals with him violently or sells him, then that thief shall die; so you shall purge the evil from among you.1 Timothy 1:9-10
realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching,Most “slaves” in the Bible were servants. And often it was a form of paying off one’s debt. The Bible says that debt was cancelled after 7 years.
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It doesn’t. Slavery was an acceptable practice then.
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1. OT slavery was not race based forced servitude. It was a voluntary means of working off debt, or a way of keeping captives from rebelling.
2. Slave trading is condemned in the Bible (Ex 21:16, Tim 1:10, punishable by death in OT.
3. Bible teaches all men are made in the image of God. Slave and master equally human, protected, and one in Christ. (Ex 21:20, DT 23:15, Job 31:13, Gal 3:28)
4. Jesus “came to set the captives free.” (Luke 4:18)
5. Bibles main goal is spiritual redemption not social reform. (But redemption achieves reform) -
21 Were you a slave when you were called? Don’t let it trouble you—although if you can gain your freedom, do so.
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Research the “golden rule”.
One hint, Jesus spoke it. -
Well, in OT a jew can use his fellow jew as a slave for 6 years, the in 7th should release him.
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In the Old Testament, in the chapter after Exodus 20 where the Ten Commandments are, and “Thou Shalt Not Steal,” is named, we read the death sentence for anyone in the slave trade: “And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death” (Exodus 21:16). In the New Testament, slave trading, is listed with other sinners in 1 Timothy 1:9-10. They include, “the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for MENSTEALERS, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;” The ONLY similarity between slavery in Scripture, and the European / American Slave Trade was that it was spelled the same. That’s it!
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Was it voluntary whenever the slave were being beaten. And God said as long as they got up in a day or two the person that beat them should not be punished
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I mean it directly says that if someone beats their slave they’re not to be punished as long as they do not die within 2 days. Did they volunteer for that
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Exodus 21:16 Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death.
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It was not a work contract whenever you couldn’t take your wife with you and your children when you left
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They had to stay behind and be beaten if it was needed and you didn’t get you have your family or your freedom or any rights
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“These are the regulations you must present to Israel. “If a man beats his male or female slave with a club and the slave dies as a result, the owner must be punished. But if the slave recovers within a day or two, then the owner shall not be punished, since the slave is his property.
Exodus 21:1, 20-21 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/exo.21.1-21.NLT -
Here’s some more of that contract that people were willing to take part of they couldn’t keep their wives if they left their children had to stay behind and be slaves and you could beat them
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“These are the regulations you must present to Israel. “If a man beats his male or female slave with a club and the slave dies as a result, the owner must be punished. But if the slave recovers within a day or two, then the owner shall not be punished, since the slave is his property.
Exodus 21:1, 20-21 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/exo.21.1-21.NLT -
I’m sure plenty of people we’re happy with their contract to be able to be beating but the owner was not punished I’m sure a lot of people was signing up for that
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I think I’ll go find someone to sign up and be considered a contract slave to where I will have to leave my wife and kids and possibly be beaten I think I’ll look that up right now and see if I can find a position
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As an example, on the way to Canaan, God tells his people through Moses that the alien, or foreigner, among them should not be oppressed (Exodus 23:9). The reason given is fascinating: the people of Israel know in their hearts how it feels to be oppressed! —The word translated “alien” is not the same as slave, but the experience of the Israelites in Egypt was certainly that of slaves— Thus, we see the first statement on human rights: the alien was to be treated as a citizen; in fact, he was to be loved as one of their own (Leviticus 19:33-34). Even when Hebrew law and custom shared in the common heritage of the ancient world, there is a unique care in God’s Name for those people who by status were not considered people—something absent from the codes of Babylon and Assyria.
The New Testament further gives us a paradigm to interpret Old Testament practices. In one of their notorious fault-finding missions, the Pharisees test Jesus on the subject of divorce (Matthew 19:1-9; Mark 10:2-9). He initially appears to play into their hands, asking what Mosaic Law has to say on the subject. When they gleefully quote the permission of Moses to divorce one’s wife, Jesus lays down a method of interpretation that has to be taken very seriously. He makes it clear that certain Old Testament commandments were to be understood as concessions to the hardness of the human heart rather than as expressions of God’s holy character. He goes on to reference how this was not the state of affairs in the beginning—that is, before the fall.
The regulation of slavery should therefore be seen as a practical step to deal with the realities of the day resulting from human fall. The aberrations that lead to alienation among individuals, races, and nations are the result of a fundamental broken relationship between humankind and God. Within this tragic scenario, Scripture comes as a breath of fresh air as it seeks to redeem the situation and sets us on a path of ever-increasing amelioration of our predicament. While the Bible does not reject slavery outright, the conclusion that it actually favours slavery is patently wrong. Scripture does reveal that slavery is not ideal, both in Old Testament laws forbidding the enslavement of fellow Israelites, the law of jubilee, and in New Testament applications of Christ. In fact, the Bible teaches that the feeling of superiority in general is sin (Philippians 2:1-8)! The abolition of slavery is thus not only permissible by biblical standards, but demanded by biblical principles. The pre-fall statement that should guide and ultimately abolish such (and any) practices of superiority is the declaration that all humans—men and women—are made in the image of God.
On this principle, the Bible even lays the foundation for progressing far beyond what was possible in New Testament times by addressing the very economic discrimination and favouritism of which slavery is the worst expression (James 2:1-9; 5:1-6). Of course, lamentably, it must be admitted that the Church has taken many centuries to live out what Scripture taught long ago, and no doubt we continue to drag our feet. The time delay between the Word of Scripture and its implementation in society is often due to the “holy huddle” mentality prevailing among Christians who are largely unconcerned about issues outside of their immediate periphery. Another reason many Christians continue to remain silent in the face of injustice is the platonic view of the cosmos we have adopted, implying that life in the hereafter is the only issue to be addressed, while we watch the world go by in its destructive way. Both mentalities are sadly misguided.
Those of us who say that we believe the Bible to be the Word of God have to raise our level of awareness and involvement regarding social issues. Having failed to do so, we have let these issues pass into the hands of those who may not be Christians, but are better informed about social injustice and concerned enough to fight wrong practices through legal means. While they have no logical basis to do what they are doing, the real tragedy is that we who do have a basis to address these issues remain largely indifferent. May the Lord of Scripture open our eyes to see that God is interested in the redemption of the whole of creation and not just disembodied souls and spirits!
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But I’m going to turn off all notifications for this because people want to lean into their own understanding. They want to make the Bible moral and they want to add and take away from things that are written in black and white. They don’t trust the word of God they don’t believe in the prophets they don’t believe in the men of God that have walked talked and been handed down sacred Scrolls from God. There’s no winning with people who just want to believe what they want to believe
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Slavery was an inevitability of the times.
What did you do back then if you were in poverty?
Sell yourself into slavery.What did you do if you had an unpayable debt?
Bond-servitude.We often have the wrong picture in our heads when it comes to slavery.
These weren’t people in shackles being beaten with whips. They were members of the household. -
1 Timothy 1:10, Exodus 21:16
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You mean slavery like the actual ownership of another person or do you mean like indentured servitude?
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Slavery is still around in different form. Slaves to debt.
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“The word came to Jeremiah from the LORD after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to proclaim freedom for the slaves. 9 Everyone was to free their Hebrew slaves, both male and female; no one was to hold a fellow Hebrew in bondage. 10 So all the officials and people who entered into this covenant agreed that they would free their male and female slaves and no longer hold them in bondage. They agreed, and set them free. 11 But afterward they changed their minds and took back the slaves they had freed and enslaved them again. 12 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: 13 “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant with your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. I said, 14 ‘Every seventh year each of you must free any fellow Hebrews who have sold themselves to you. After they have served you six years, you must let them go free.’ Your ancestors, however, did not listen to me or pay attention to me. 15 Recently you repented and did what is right in my sight: Each of you proclaimed freedom to your own people. You even made a covenant before me in the house that bears my Name. 16 But now you have turned around and profaned my name; each of you has taken back the male and female slaves you had set free to go where they wished. You have forced them to become your slaves again. 17 “Therefore this is what the LORD says: You have not obeyed me; you have not proclaimed freedom to your own people. So I now proclaim ‘freedom’ for you, declares the LORD—‘freedom’ to fall by the sword, plague and famine. I will make you abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth. 18 Those who have violated my covenant and have not fulfilled the terms of the covenant they made before me, I will treat like the calf they cut in two and then walked between its pieces. 19 The leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the court officials, the priests and all the people of the land who walked between the pieces of the calf, 20 I will deliver into the hands of their enemies who want to kill them. Their dead bodies will become food for the birds and the wild animals. 21 “I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials into the hands of their enemies who want to kill them, to the army of the king of Babylon, which has withdrawn from you. 22 I am going to give the order, declares the LORD, and I will bring them back to this city. They will fight against it, take it and burn it down. And I will lay waste the towns of Judah so no one can live there.” (Jeremiah 34:1-22 NIV)
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Evil and unscrupulous men … among all their other wicked deeds which they have regularly committed against YHWH … have instituted the wickedness of slavery as well.
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And in 1823, there was a law that was passed that called for the death penalty for slave-trading?
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So why even bring this historical U.S. Constitutional fact up at all?
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Because … that 1823 law was (and still is) based on, and consistent with, Scripture!
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That is, the Bible specifically calls for the death penalty … for (among many other sins) … the mortal sin of stealing a man … in order to exploit him … such as, by selling him and/or by making merchandise out of him.
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Or, as YHWH Himself put it: “and he who steals a man, and sells him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death” (Exodus 21:16) [emphasis mine].
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Actually, there’s more to be said about how YHWH views slavery … as per the following example:
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“But we know that the law is good, if a man uses it lawfully;
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Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for man-slayers,
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For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, FOR MEN-STEALERS[*], for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be ANY OTHER THING THAT IS CONTRARY TO SOUND DOCTRINE” (1 Timothy 1:8-10) [all emphasis mine].
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NOTE: [*] ‘Man-stealing’ is a generalized term that refers more specifically to kidnapping anyone, for ANY illegitimate purpose … such as for the purpose(s) of greed and/or exploitation … which includes, but is not limited to … [for purposes of] ransom and/or keeping and/or selling anyone kidnapped … as merchandise, exploitation, and/or slaves of any kind.
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When God sends a death angel over an entire nation along with nine other plagues, i think that’s a pretty strong sign about how God feels about it.
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It is called man stealing in both Testaments.
Punishable by death in the Old.
Condemned in the New because Israel lost the sovereignty to impose Capital punishment under Roman occupation. -
Philemon is one of the New Testament epistles the talks against slavery in its essence. Please try to read it and get the significance of the text message
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1 Timothy 1
9 understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10 the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, ENSLAVERS ,liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound[m doctrine, 11 in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted. -
Its condemned throughout….this forms one of the chapters of my book Is God Moral? A biblical analysis, I argue that Far from condoning it ..slavery is strictly forbidden 🙂
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Here!
Exodus 22:21
[21]>>Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him:<< for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. -
Love your neighbor as you love yourself.
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The book of Philemon Paul tells his friend to receive his enslave that ran away form him to Paul as His brother in Christ . And that Paul would be checking up on him ! lol
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The only reason to enslave a person in the Bible is because of debt. When that debt is payed off then the person may go free unless it has been seven years in which case, God doesn’t see any debt form unforgivable past seven years. I am going to be honest with you it doesn’t condemn slavery – it does however condemn money, greed and things in the spirit that create “unjust” slavery.
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Genesis outlines that all men and women are created in the image of God, which at the outset of the Bible gives each person inherent worth. To me that is an implicit condemnation of slavery.
1 Cor 7:21 – “Were you a bondservant when you were called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself to the opportunity.)” I think this is another implicit condemnation of slavery, this time from the writings of Paul.
Philemon introduces a new order to society through the Gospel where the superseding relationship is that of brothers instead of master and slave.
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