Worthy.Bible » STRONG » Exodus » Chapter 21 » Verse 7-11

Exodus 21:7-11 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

7 And if a man H376 sell H4376 his daughter H1323 to be a maidservant, H519 she shall not go out H3318 as the menservants H5650 do. H3318

8 If she please H7451 H5869 not her master, H113 who hath betrothed H3259 her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: H6299 to sell H4376 her unto a strange H5237 nation H5971 he shall have no power, H4910 seeing he hath dealt deceitfully H898 with her.

9 And if he have betrothed H3259 her unto his son, H1121 he shall deal H6213 with her after the manner H4941 of daughters. H1323

10 If he take H3947 him another H312 wife; her food, H7607 her raiment, H3682 and her duty of marriage, H5772 shall he not diminish. H1639

11 And if he do H6213 not these three H7969 unto her, then shall she go out H3318 free H2600 without money. H3701

Commentary on Exodus 21 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible


CHAPTER 21

Ex 21:1-6. Laws for Menservants.

1. judgments—rules for regulating the procedure of judges and magistrates in the decision of cases and the trial of criminals. The government of the Israelites being a theocracy, those public authorities were the servants of the Divine Sovereign, and subject to His direction. Most of these laws here noticed were primitive usages, founded on principles of natural equity, and incorporated, with modifications and improvements, in the Mosaic code.

2-6. If thou buy an Hebrew servant—Every Israelite was free-born; but slavery was permitted under certain restrictions. An Hebrew might be made a slave through poverty, debt, or crime; but at the end of six years he was entitled to freedom, and his wife, if she had voluntarily shared his state of bondage, also obtained release. Should he, however, have married a female slave, she and the children, after the husband's liberation, remained the master's property; and if, through attachment to his family, the Hebrew chose to forfeit his privilege and abide as he was, a formal process was gone through in a public court, and a brand of servitude stamped on his ear (Ps 40:6) for life, or at least till the Jubilee (De 15:17).

Ex 21:7-36. Laws for Maidservants.

7-11. if a man sell his daughter—Hebrew girls might be redeemed for a reasonable sum. But in the event of her parents or friends being unable to pay the redemption money, her owner was not at liberty to sell her elsewhere. Should she have been betrothed to him or his son, and either change their minds, a maintenance must be provided for her suitable to her condition as his intended wife, or her freedom instantly granted.

23-25. eye for eye—The law which authorized retaliation (a principle acted upon by all primitive people) was a civil one. It was given to regulate the procedure of the public magistrate in determining the amount of compensation in every case of injury, but did not encourage feelings of private revenge. The later Jews, however, mistook it for a moral precept, and were corrected by our Lord (Mt 5:38-42).

28-36. If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die—For the purpose of sanctifying human blood, and representing all injuries affecting life in a serious light, an animal that occasioned death was to be killed or suffer punishment proportioned to the degree of damage it had caused. Punishments are still inflicted on this principle in Persia and other countries of the East; and among a rude people greater effect is thus produced in inspiring caution, and making them keep noxious animals under restraint, than a penalty imposed on the owners.

30. If there be laid on him a sum of money, &c.—Blood fines are common among the Arabs as they were once general throughout the East. This is the only case where a money compensation, instead of capital punishment, was expressly allowed in the Mosaic law.