Topical Bible: Servant: Bond: Rights of Those Born to a Master

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In the context of ancient Israelite society, the concept of servitude was multifaceted, encompassing various forms of service and obligations. One particular aspect of servitude was the status and rights of those born to a master, often referred to as "bondservants" or "slaves" in biblical texts. The Bible provides specific guidelines and regulations concerning the treatment and rights of these individuals, reflecting a balance between the social norms of the time and the ethical imperatives of the Israelite faith.

Biblical Context and Regulations

The Mosaic Law, as recorded in the Old Testament, outlines the rights and responsibilities of masters and their servants. In Exodus 21:4, the Berean Standard Bible states, "If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free." This passage indicates that children born to a servant woman given by the master remain the property of the master, highlighting the complex nature of familial relationships within servitude.

However, the Law also emphasizes humane treatment and the protection of servants. Leviticus 25:41-42 instructs, "Then he and his children are to be released, and he may return to his clan and to the property of his fathers. Because the Israelites are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt, they are not to be sold as slaves." This passage underscores the principle that Israelites, even when in servitude, are ultimately God's servants and should not be treated as permanent property.

Rights and Protections

The rights of those born to a master were not entirely absent. The Law provided for the eventual release of Hebrew servants in the Year of Jubilee, as seen in Leviticus 25:54 : "Even if he is not redeemed in any of these ways, he and his children are to be released in the Year of Jubilee." This provision ensured that servitude was not a perpetual state and that there was hope for freedom and restoration.

Furthermore, the treatment of servants was to be marked by justice and compassion. Deuteronomy 15:12-14 commands, "If your fellow Hebrew, a man or a 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." This directive reflects the ethical obligation to provide for servants upon their release, ensuring they are not left destitute.

New Testament Perspective

The New Testament continues to address the relationship between masters and servants, emphasizing mutual respect and the spiritual equality of all believers. In Ephesians 6:9 , Paul instructs, "And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that He who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with Him." This teaching reinforces the idea that earthly distinctions do not alter one's standing before God.

The apostle Paul also addresses the issue of servitude in his letter to Philemon, where he advocates for the fair and loving treatment of Onesimus, a runaway slave who had become a Christian. Philemon 1:16 states, "No longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord." This appeal highlights the transformative power of the Gospel in redefining relationships and promoting the dignity of all individuals.

Conclusion

The biblical framework for the rights of those born to a master reflects a nuanced approach that acknowledges the realities of ancient societal structures while advocating for justice, compassion, and the ultimate recognition of every individual's worth before God. Through the laws given to Israel and the teachings of the New Testament, the Bible provides a foundation for understanding the ethical treatment of servants and the inherent dignity of all people.

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Genesis 14:14
And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them to Dan.
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Genesis 17:13,27
He that is born in your house, and he that is bought with your money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
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Exodus 21:4
If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out by himself.
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Proverbs 29:21
He that delicately brings up his servant from a child shall have him become his son at the length.
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Ecclesiastes 2:7
I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:
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Jeremiah 2:14
Is Israel a servant? is he a home born slave? why is he spoiled?
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Library

The Servants and the Pounds.
... countries, and at different times, the bond of servitude has ... liberty; their liberty
does not infringe his rights. ... is inflicted on the indolent servant than the ...
/.../arnot/the parables of our lord/xxx the servants and the.htm

Treatise ix. On the Advantage of Patience.
... teach, by His example, what a fellow-servant ought to ... with mutual toleration, and
should keep the bond of concord ... in that Esau descended from the rights of the ...
/.../cyprian/the treatises of cyprian/treatise ix on the advantage.htm

Adoption --The Spirit and the Cry
... mere boys, but after faith we take our rights as sons ... by faith we are no more like
to bond-servants ... we are heirs""Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 24 1878/adoptionthe spirit and the cry.htm

Oration Concerning Simeon and Anna
... of all good order; as the irrefragable Bond of concord and ... and goodness to entrust
to a servant the work ... of grace to be certain and indubitable rights to those ...
/.../the writings of methodius fragments/oration concerning simeon and anna.htm

This Doctrine Confirmed by Proofs from Scripture.
... all were blessed in respect of hereditary rights yet all ... blessings, which he had
prepared for his servant in his ... all into his body by the sacred bond of faith. ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 22 this doctrine confirmed.htm

Oh, How He Loves!
... By a marriage bond which cannot be broken, for he ... of his true labourers, "Well done,
thou good and faithful servant: . . ... Koh-i-noor of the crown rights of the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 56 1910/oh how he loves.htm

Appeal to the Christian Women of the South
... I will first speak of those which secured the rights of Hebrew ... Lord at Jerusalem
with a gift; here the bond and the ... 16.p>9. If a man smite his servant or his ...
/.../an appeal to the christian women of the south/appeal to the christian women.htm

Covenant Duties.
... receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free ... A master and his servant by promises
come under mutual ... society, against those who invade its just rights; but is ...
/.../cunningham/the ordinance of covenanting/chapter iv covenant duties.htm

The Christian --A Debtor
... it will restore the down-trodden to the rights of our ... all one with our Lord, in the
common bond of gospel ... love to him far sooner than they did to his servant. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 2 1856/the christiana debtor.htm

Letter xvi. Charity.
... It is a bond which holds all the Christian graces ... brook the least encroachment upon
his rights, is an ... himself to the condition of a servant, enduring hardship ...
/.../a practical directory for young christian females/letter xvi charity.htm