Exodus 21:7--11

 

This entry from The New American Bible allows that Yahweh is comfortable with or at least tolerates slavery among the Hebrew faithful as legally and divinely sanctioned. No good deity today, of course, would sanction slavery in any form, so, in that sense, morality has progressed, and we cannot condemn Yahweh or the ancient Hebrews for condoning slavery—it was likely universal or near universal in the world at the time.

 

With that contextual view in mind, I maintain that the laws governing slavery in Exodus at least acknowledge that slave have some legal rights to be met or they are to be freed. Girl slaves had some slim but modest protections which would eventually be outlawed by the 19^th century in Britain and America.

 

Here is that quote: “When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go free as male slaves do. But if her master, who had destined her for himself dislikes her, he shall let her be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to a foreigner, since he has broken faith with her. If he destines her for his son, he shall treat her like a daughter. If he takes another wife, he shall not withhold her food, her clothing, or her conjugal rights. If he does not grant her these three things, she shall be given her freedom absolutely, without cost to her.”

 

My response: I think the ancient Hebrew standard of not breaking faith morally or legally with other humans is a core concept in morality about fair play and justice, and I appreciate how important a legal advancement this was to be highlighted and noticed.

 

 

Here is that same quote from the Holy Bible (KJV): “And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the manservants do. If she please not her master, who hath betrothed her to himself, then he shall let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her.

 

And if he hath betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters. If he take him another wife, her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.

 

And if he do not these three unto her, then shall she go out free without money.”

 

My response: She does have rights, though they are modest; it was a start. In the Holy Bible breaking faith with her is described as dealing with her deceitfully. I prefer that wording, and if sinners often break faith with God, who sees all or nearly all anyway, these sinners assume smugly but woefully that they can con God, a doomed and dangerous ploy to adopt. God is love and truth, and De hates liars and evildoers—even attempting to deceive God is to flirt with going to hell.