How should Exodus 21:9 be interpreted in today's society? Canonical Text “‘And if he chooses her for his son, he must deal with her as with a daughter.’ ” (Exodus 21:9) Immediate Literary Context Exodus 21:2–11 regulates debt-servitude within Israel. Verses 7-11 address a girl sold by her impoverished family to erase debt. Three contingencies are provided: 1. Verse 8: the master intended to marry her himself. 2. Verse 9: the master intends her for his son. 3. Verse 11: the master declines both options. Each clause limits male power and protects the woman’s future rights. Historical–Cultural Setting 1. Debt-servitude, not chattel slavery: In the Late Bronze Age, poverty often forced families to sell working time (cf. 2 Kings 4:1). Contracts from Nuzi and Alalakh (15th–14th c. BC) show fixed terms and eventual release, paralleling Israel’s six-year limit (Exodus 21:2). 2. Dowry substitution: The purchase price (mohar) functioned as a bride-price; the girl’s labor repaid the family debt while guaranteeing her marital security. 3. Comparative law: Code of Hammurabi §§ 171-177 likewise protects women given as concubines; yet Mosaic law goes further by requiring full filial status (“as a daughter”). Theological Principles 1. Imago Dei: Even the economically vulnerable bear God’s image (Genesis 1:27); the law reflects divine concern for dignity. 2. Covenant ethics: Israel’s memory of Egyptian oppression grounds compassion for servants (Exodus 22:21; 23:9). 3. Progressive revelation: Mosaic law is a pedagogical step (Galatians 3:24), later fulfilled in Christ who proclaims liberty to captives (Luke 4:18). Canonical Trajectory Old Testament: • Leviticus 25:39–43 forbids ruthless rule over Israelite servants. • Deuteronomy 15:12–14 adds liberality upon release. New Testament: • Jesus affirms monogamous elevation of women (Matthew 19:4-6). • Paul abolishes ethnic, class, and gender barriers in Christ (Galatians 3:28; Philemon 15-16). Application to Today’s Society 1. Abolitionist impetus: Exodus 21:9, by limiting servitude and dignifying the female bond-servant, supplied the moral seed that Christian abolitionists (e.g., William Wilberforce, 1833 Slavery Abolition Act) later harvested. 2. Employment ethics: The principle of transforming a power-based relationship into a family-like covenant presses modern employers toward just wages, benefits, and career advancement. 3. Adoption & foster care: “As a daughter” undergirds Christian advocacy for legal, emotional, and financial parity for adopted and fostered children. 4. Human trafficking resistance: The passage condemns treating persons as commodities; believers must engage in rescue, rehabilitation, and policy reform (cf. Exodus 21:16). Pastoral Considerations • Preach redemption: Christ purchases believers out of sin’s bondage (1 Corinthians 6:20). • Guard the vulnerable: Churches must create abuse-prevention structures mirroring the law’s protective intent. • Model family: Welcoming outsiders “as sons and daughters” manifests gospel hospitality (Romans 8:15). Archaeological Corroboration Lachish Ostracon 3 (7th c. BC) references “maidservant of the king,” showing the social category addressed by Exodus still existed in monarchic Judah, supporting historical plausibility. Conclusion Exodus 21:9, far from endorsing patriarchal exploitation, legislates the elevation of a destitute girl to full filial status. In contemporary society it mandates protection of the vulnerable, transformation of hierarchical relationships into covenantal care, and proactive opposition to all forms of human commodification—each fully realized in the redemptive work of Christ. |
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