What is the meaning of Exodus 21:27? And if - The phrase links this command to the surrounding case laws in Exodus 21, which illustrate “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18) in practical, civil terms. - It signals a hypothetical but realistic situation, much like Exodus 21:26 (“If a man strikes the eye of his servant…”), showing God’s concern for everyday justice. He knocks out the tooth - Losing a tooth is not life-threatening, yet it is a permanent injury. Scripture treats even “minor” bodily harm seriously (compare Deuteronomy 25:3, which restricts flogging to preserve dignity). - The verse teaches that bodily integrity matters because people bear God’s image (Genesis 1:27). No injury is dismissed as trivial. Of his manservant or maidservant - Servanthood in Israel was typically debt-based and temporary (Exodus 21:2; Deuteronomy 15:12). Servants were fellow covenant members, not property to be abused. - Job 31:13–15 shows the same ethic: “If I have denied justice to my manservant or maidservant… did not He who made me in the womb make them?”. - By naming both male and female servants, the law protects everyone equally (cf. Galatians 3:28 for the principle carried forward in Christ). He must let the servant go free - Immediate emancipation is required; there is no appeal or delay. This prevents further mistreatment and restores the injured person to full social freedom (Leviticus 25:41). - Contrast with pagan laws of the time that only fined owners; here the cost is the loss of labor for the remaining term—an incentive to treat servants well (Colossians 4:1). As compensation for the tooth - The release functions as restitution (Exodus 22:1, “he must make restitution”). - God assigns a value to human dignity higher than monetary payment. Freedom outweighs any wage loss, underscoring “the worker is worthy of his wages” (1 Timothy 5:18). - This anticipates Christ’s redemption, where He frees us not with silver or gold but with His own blood (1 Peter 1:18-19). summary Exodus 21:27 shows God protecting the vulnerable by demanding freedom as payment for even a single lost tooth. Bodily harm, however small, violates the dignity of a fellow image-bearer. Therefore, those in authority must exercise care and compassion, knowing that God defends the oppressed and requires justice that restores both honor and liberty. |
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