What does Exodus 21:20 reveal about God's view on human life and dignity? Text of the Passage “ If a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod and the slave dies under his hand, he shall surely be punished.” (Exodus 21:20) Where This Command Sits in Exodus • Comes immediately after the Ten Commandments and covenant ratification (Exodus 20–24). • Part of a detailed case-law section showing how the sixth commandment (“You shall not murder,” Exodus 20:13) applies in daily life. • Demonstrates that God’s concern for life is not abstract but worked out in concrete legal protections. Key Observations • “He shall surely be punished” (lit. “vengeance shall surely be taken”)—the language mirrors penalties for homicide (Exodus 21:12). • The law treats the slave’s death as a serious crime, not mere loss of property. • The verse presumes the slave bears full human worth; the master’s social status offers no legal shield. • The requirement of judicial action (“punished”) insists on public accountability, not private apology. Principles About Human Life Affirmed Here • Life belongs to God alone (Genesis 2:7; 9:6). To end a life unlawfully invites divine and civil judgment. • God’s law extends protection to the most vulnerable, including servants with little cultural power (Proverbs 31:8–9). • Human authority is never absolute; masters answer to a higher Master (cf. Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 4:1). • Justice is proportionate and certain—“surely” leaves no room for loopholes. Dignity of All People, Including Servants • In a slave-holding culture, this statute unmistakably asserts the slave’s personhood. • By equating a servant’s life with any Israelite’s, God pushes His people toward the ethic later fulfilled in “there is neither slave nor free… for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). • The law anticipates the gospel pattern: protecting the weak, restraining the strong, and honoring the imago Dei in every person (Genesis 1:27). New Testament Echoes • Masters are warned: “Stop your threatening, knowing that He who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him” (Ephesians 6:9). • Paul’s appeal for Onesimus (Philemon 16) rests on the same foundation of shared dignity. • Christ’s sacrificial death underscores the supreme value God places on human life (Romans 5:8). What Exodus 21:20 Teaches Us Today • God’s justice system demands accountability for all violence; no social rank excuses bloodshed. • Every human—regardless of status, ethnicity, age, or ability—bears equal worth in God’s sight. • True community requires laws that reflect God’s impartial regard for life. • Followers of Christ must mirror this heart by defending the vulnerable, condemning abuse, and championing the dignity bestowed by the Creator. |
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