Topical Bible: Servant: Bond: Emancipation of

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In the biblical context, the concept of servitude and the emancipation of bondservants is a significant theme, reflecting the social, economic, and spiritual dimensions of ancient Israelite society. The laws and narratives concerning the emancipation of bondservants are primarily found in the Old Testament, particularly within the Pentateuch, and they provide insight into God's justice and mercy.

Old Testament Laws on Emancipation

The Mosaic Law contains specific regulations regarding the treatment and eventual release of Hebrew bondservants. In Exodus 21:2, the Berean Standard Bible states, "If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years, but in the seventh year he shall go free, without paying anything." This law underscores the principle of the sabbatical year, a time of release and renewal, reflecting God's provision and care for His people.

Deuteronomy 15:12-15 further elaborates on this principle: "If a fellow Hebrew, a man or woman, sells himself to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you must set him free. And when you release him, do not send him away empty-handed. You are to furnish him liberally from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress. You shall give to him as the LORD your God has blessed you. Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you; that is why I am giving you this command today." This passage emphasizes the importance of generosity and remembrance of God's deliverance, encouraging the Israelites to treat their servants with compassion and fairness.

Jubilee Year

The Year of Jubilee, described in Leviticus 25, also plays a crucial role in the emancipation of bondservants. Every fiftieth year, liberty was proclaimed throughout the land, and all Israelite slaves were to be released. Leviticus 25:10 declares, "And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, when each of you is to return to his property and to his clan." This institution served as a reminder of God's ultimate sovereignty and the temporary nature of human ownership.

Emancipation in the Prophets

The prophetic literature also addresses the issue of servitude and emancipation. Jeremiah 34 recounts a covenant made by King Zedekiah and the people of Jerusalem to release their Hebrew slaves, in accordance with the law. However, they later reneged on this promise, prompting a stern rebuke from the Lord. Jeremiah 34:17 states, "Therefore this is what the LORD says: You have not obeyed Me by proclaiming freedom, each one to his brother and to his neighbor. So I hereby proclaim freedom for you, declares the LORD—freedom to fall by the sword, by plague, and by famine! I will make you a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth." This passage highlights the seriousness with which God views the just treatment of servants and the consequences of disobedience.

New Testament Perspective

In the New Testament, the concept of servitude is transformed through the teachings of Jesus Christ and the apostles. While the social institution of slavery persisted in the Roman world, the early Christian community was called to a higher standard of mutual love and respect. The Apostle Paul, in his letter to Philemon, advocates for the emancipation of Onesimus, a runaway slave, urging Philemon to receive him "no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother" (Philemon 1:16). This appeal reflects the transformative power of the Gospel, which transcends social barriers and calls believers to live in the freedom and unity of Christ.

The biblical narrative of the emancipation of bondservants reveals a God who values justice, mercy, and the dignity of every individual. Through the laws given to Israel and the teachings of the New Testament, the Scriptures provide a framework for understanding the ethical treatment of servants and the ultimate liberation found in Christ.

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Ezra 1:1-4
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
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Jeremiah 34:8-22
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people which were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty to them;
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1 Corinthians 7:21
Are you called being a servant? care not for it: but if you may be made free, use it rather.
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Library

Phoebe
... learn of her that she was a 'servant,' or, as ... The bond that was sufficient to make
the early Christians ... Historically the emancipation of one half of the human ...
/.../maclaren/romans corinthians to ii corinthians chap v/phoebe.htm

A Choice of Masters
... The bond-servant abideth not ... Christ the Son makes us free, and if we trust Him for
our emancipation we 'shall be free indeed,' 'that we, being delivered out of ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/a choice of masters.htm

Death, the Friend
... the slow torture of the loosing of the bond, or the ... of the ruler, and the toil of
the servant for a ... the naked spirit to inaction, it is the emancipation of the ...
/.../maclaren/romans corinthians to ii corinthians chap v/death the friend.htm

Open Sins
... to do evil.' He made himself a bond-slave of ... Nothing short of it contents the Master
for the servant. ... to the Master's will, and entire emancipation from all ...
//christianbookshelf.org/maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/open sins.htm

Conflicts of the Church with Public Wrongs.
... (4) Clinging to the formulas, "Immediate emancipation," "No communion ... was: If there
can be found anywhere a good man holding a bond-servant unselfishly, kindly ...
/.../bacon/a history of american christianity/chapter xvi conflicts of the.htm

Impossible Silence
... by a sharp-eyed, sharp-tongued servant-maid, a ... go back in boyhood's memory to the
emancipation of the ... us this responsibility by that very bond of brotherhood ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture the acts/impossible silence.htm

Persis
... Church, where anything but that is the bond"the love ... that this modern talk about
the emancipation of women ... will know about you, His humble servant.' Well, we ...
/.../maclaren/romans corinthians to ii corinthians chap v/persis.htm

False Brethren and False Principles in the Church: Spirit and ...
... all affect his ecclesiastical standing; for bond and free ... thus, whilst in the household,
the servant was bound ... did not hesitate to speak of emancipation as a ...
/.../killen/the ancient church/chapter iii false brethren and.htm

Emancipated Slaves
... saying: 'He that committeth sin is the servant of sin ... classes fade away, and there
is 'neither bond nor free ... The great Act of Emancipation has been passed for us ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/emancipated slaves.htm

The Kinsman-Redeemer
... serve as a bondservant: as an hired servant, and as a ... Do not refuse the offered
emancipation, but 'if thou ... the law provided, who had rather remain bond than go ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/the kinsman-redeemer.htm