How does Exodus 21:21 align with the concept of justice in the Bible? Text and Immediate Context “However, if the servant gets up after a day or two, the owner shall not be punished, for the servant is his property.” (Exodus 21:21) The verse stands in a tightly linked unit, Exodus 21:18-27, governing bodily injuries. Verse 20 had already stated, “If a man strikes his male or female servant with a rod and the servant dies…he must surely be punished” . Verse 21 addresses the scenario in which the servant survives—distinguishing between homicide (subject to the death penalty) and non-fatal assault (subject to compensatory remedies). Justice Principles in the Passage 1. Sanctity of Life: The death of a servant is treated as a capital offense (v.20). Servants were shielded by the same homicide prohibitions protecting free Israelites (cf. Genesis 9:6; Exodus 21:12). 2. Proportionality: If the servant survives, monetary loss and medical costs fall on the master because the servant’s recovery restores the economic relationship (v.21; parallel in v.19 for free citizens). 3. Anti-Maiming Safeguards: vv.26-27 free a servant permanently if a master injures an eye or tooth, providing an escalating disincentive to brutality unparalleled in contemporaneous law codes. Whole-Bible Trajectory of Justice Old Testament: Repeated calls to protect the vulnerable (Leviticus 19:18, 34; Deuteronomy 24:14-15). Prophets condemn oppression of servants (Jeremiah 34:8-22; Malachi 3:5). New Testament: Christ identifies Himself with “the least of these” (Matthew 25:40). Paul levels master-slave distinctions in the church (Galatians 3:28; Colossians 4:1; Philemon 16). The gospel’s seed ideas fueled later abolitionism (e.g., William Wilberforce cited Luke 4:18 in parliamentary speeches, 1791; diary entry 2 Feb 1796). Progressive Revelation and Christological Fulfillment Hebrews 10:1 calls Mosaic ordinances “a shadow of the good things to come.” The Exodus casuistic laws mitigated fallen social realities while foreshadowing redemption. Christ’s atonement absorbs vengeance (Romans 12:19; 1 Peter 2:24), inaugurating a kingdom ethic where servitude gives way to brotherhood (Ephesians 6:9). Responses to Common Objections • “No penalty implies moral indifference.” – False. The same chapter mandates freedom for non-fatal maiming (vv.26-27) and capital punishment for fatal assault (v.20). The servant’s recovery re-categorizes the offense from homicide to aggravated assault, consistent with modern jurisprudence. • “Calling the servant ‘property’ dehumanizes.” – Kesep denotes economic stake. Leviticus 25:42 expressly forbids treating Israelites as “slaves” (abadim) in perpetuity because “they are My servants.” Ultimate ownership resides in Yahweh, not human masters. • “Biblical justice is inconsistent.” – Not so. Exodus 21:23-25 articulates lex talionis equality—applicable to “male or female, free or servant” (cf. Leviticus 24:22). Manuscript evidence (e.g., 4QExod-Lev f from Qumran) shows no textual tampering; the verse has stood unchanged since at least the 2nd century BC. Ethical Flow into Contemporary Life 1. Employers bear moral accountability for workplace safety—the modern analog to masters’ liability (James 5:4). 2. Civil law should punish intentional, lethal violence while scaling lesser penalties for non-fatal harm—mirroring the biblical proportionality principle. 3. The church, embodying redeemed relationships, must oppose any system that denies the imago Dei (Genesis 1:27; 2 Corinthians 5:17). Concluding Synthesis Exodus 21:21, far from endorsing injustice, functions within a matrix demanding life-protection, proportional penalties, and economic restitution. By anchoring servant protection in lex talionis and imago Dei, the verse harmonizes with the Bible’s overarching portrait of a just God who ultimately rectifies all wrongs in the risen Christ, “in whom justice will triumph over victory” (cf. Matthew 12:20). |
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