What is the meaning of Exodus 21:2? If you buy “If you buy a Hebrew servant…” • The Law acknowledges situations where one Israelite might legitimately purchase the labor of another, usually because the servant had fallen into debt (2 Kings 4:1; Nehemiah 5:1–5). • The transaction is regulated, not celebrated. God places boundaries on the arrangement to protect the vulnerable, unlike the harsh, perpetual slavery Israel experienced in Egypt (Exodus 1:13–14; 22:21). • By legislating justice into an existing economic reality, the Lord reminds His people that ownership of persons in the absolute sense belongs to Him alone (Leviticus 25:42). a Hebrew servant • “Hebrew” underscores kinship; buyer and servant are covenant brothers, not strangers (Leviticus 25:35–40). • God forbids treating fellow Israelites as property to be exploited. They may hire out their labor, but their dignity remains intact (Exodus 23:9). • This protective status points back to God’s heart for those in need, whether resident alien, orphan, or widow (Deuteronomy 24:17–18). he is to serve you for six years • The six-year limit echoes the six days of creation labor (Exodus 20:9–11) and builds rhythm into Israel’s social life, preventing perpetual bondage. • Debt does not define a person forever. God embeds a finish line that anticipates restoration and fresh hope (Deuteronomy 15:12). • During the term, masters must provide humane conditions (Leviticus 25:43; Exodus 21:26–27). Scripture never allows cruelty. But in the seventh year • The “seventh” mirrors the Sabbath principle: rest, release, and renewal (Leviticus 25:1–4). • Every seventh year, fields lie fallow and debts cancel (Deuteronomy 15:1–2). Servants share in that freedom, experiencing a tangible picture of God’s redemptive calendar. • The timing teaches Israel to trust God’s provision rather than endless human striving (Exodus 16:29-30). he shall go free • Freedom is not optional; it is commanded (Jeremiah 34:14). • Release restores the servant to full participation in the covenant community (Leviticus 25:41-42). • The exodus pattern repeats: God liberates captives and expects His people to imitate that grace (Micah 6:4; Matthew 18:23-35). without paying anything • Liberation carries no price tag for the servant; all debts are satisfied (Deuteronomy 15:13–15). • Masters are even urged to send the freed servant away with generous provisions, reflecting God’s lavish kindness at Israel’s own deliverance (Exodus 12:35-36). • The clause anticipates the gospel principle that true freedom is a gift, not wages earned (Isaiah 55:1; Romans 6:23). summary Exodus 21:2 sets guardrails around debt-servitude so that no Israelite remains enslaved indefinitely. A fellow Hebrew may sell his labor for a season, but God limits the term to six years, mandates release in the seventh, and forbids any ransom payment at departure. These stipulations remind Israel of their own rescue from Egypt, model compassionate economics, and foreshadow the ultimate freedom God provides in Christ. |
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