Leviticus 25:39-55 - The Biblical Illustrator

Reader Related Verse
Bible Comments

If thy brother. .. be sold unto thee.

Slavery

I. Texts relating to slaves.

1. Called bondmen (Genesis 43:18; Genesis 44:9).

2. By birth (Genesis 14:14; Psalms 116:16; Jeremiah 2:14).

3. By purchase (Genesis 17:27; Genesis 37:36).

4. Sometimes captives taken in war (Deuteronomy 20:14; 2 Kings 5:2).

5. Strangers, under certain restrictions (Leviticus 25:45).

6. Foreigners, might be purchased (Leviticus 25:44).

7. Debtors, liable to be sold (2 Kings 4:1; Nehemiah 5:4-5; Matthew 18:25).

8. Thieves were sold (Exodus 22:3).

9. Israelites to be kindly treated (Leviticus 25:39-40; Leviticus 25:46), and to be liberated after six years (Exodus 21:2; Deuteronomy 15:12); or if they refused to be free, then (Exodus 21:5-6; Deuteronomy 15:16-17), when sold to foreigners might be redeemed (Leviticus 25:47-55), or be free at the jubilee (Leviticus 25:10; Leviticus 25:40-41; Leviticus 25:54), but could not demand wife and child procured during bondage (Exodus 21:3-4); were to be furnished liberally on regaining liberty (Deuteronomy 15:13-14).

10. Foreign slaves to rest on Sabbath (Exodus 20:10), to share in national rejoicing (Deuteronomy 12:18; Deuteronomy 16:11; Deuteronomy 16:14).

11. If ill-treated by masters, to be set free (Exodus 21:26-27).

12. Laws respecting killing slaves (Exodus 21:20-21).

13. If they ran away, not to be delivered up (Deuteronomy 23:15).

14. Sometimes rose to rank (Ecclesiastes 10:7), and might intermarry with master’s family (1 Chronicles 2:34-35).

15. Kidnapping condemned (Exodus 21:16; Deuteronomy 24:7; 1 Timothy 1:10).

II. Note on the above texts. Consider--

1. The nature of slavery as practised by the heathen world (the treatment of Israelites by Egyptians).

2. The restraint laid upon these Israelites in their conduct to foreign bondsmen. But for these laws how might these people--who had been slaves of foreigners themselves--have treated foreigners when in their turn they became masters?

3. The relation of Israelitish slaves to Israelitish masters, with their privileges (social and religious), and certain freedom.

4. The causes for which alone they might become slaves.

5. Especially consider that while these laws ameliorated the condition Of slavery as it then existed--eliminating the elements of cruelty, &c., leaving, in fact, nothing of bondage but the name--they paved the way, by the training of justice and mercy, for the total extinction of slavery.

6. Christianity in spirit, precept, and practice against slavery.

(1) Asserts that there is no bond or free, but that all are one in Christ.

(2) Teaches the fraternity of the race. “God hath made of one blood,” &c. “All we are brethren.”

(3) Strikingly illustrates this by the case of a runaway slave--Onesimus--whom Paul sent back to his master, whom in some way he had wronged, not as a slave, but as a brother beloved (Philemon). Learn:

1. No warrant for modern slavery in the Word of God (Isaiah 58:6).

2. Spiritual slavery the worst form (2 Timothy 2:26).

3. This may be the state of men who are politically free (John 8:34; 2 Peter 2:19).

4. Jesus the great Emancipator (John 8:32-36; Romans 6:18-22; Galatians 5:1; 1 Peter 2:16). (J. C. Gray.).

Related Commentaries of Leviticus 25:39

Leviticus 25:39-55

39 And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compele him to serve as a bondservant:

40 But as an hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee, and shall serve thee unto the year of jubile:

41 And then shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return.

42 For they are my servants, which I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: they shall not be sold asf bondmen.

43 Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour; but shalt fear thy God.

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.

45 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.

46 And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession; they shall be your bondmen for ever: but over your brethren the children of Israel, ye shall not rule one over another with rigour.

47 And if a sojourner or stranger wax richg by thee, and thy brother that dwelleth by him wax poor, and sell himself unto the stranger or sojourner by thee, or to the stock of the stranger's family:

48 After that he is sold he may be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him:

49 Either his uncle, or his uncle's son, may redeem him, or any that is nigh of kin unto him of his family may redeem him; or if he be able, he may redeem himself.

50 And he shall reckon with him that bought him from the year that he was sold to him unto the year of jubile: and the price of his sale shall be according unto the number of years, according to the time of an hired servant shall it be with him.

51 If there be yet many years behind, according unto them he shall give again the price of his redemption out of the money that he was bought for.

52 And if there remain but few years unto the year of jubile, then he shall count with him, and according unto his years shall he give him again the price of his redemption.

53 And as a yearly hired servant shall he be with him: and the other shall not rule with rigour over him in thy sight.

54 And if he be not redeemed in these years, then he shall go outh in the year of jubile, both he, and his children with him.

55 For unto me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.