Topical Bible: Servant: Bond: The Master Could Marry, or Give in Marriage

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In the context of ancient Israelite society, the institution of servitude was governed by a set of laws and customs that are detailed in the Hebrew Scriptures. A bondservant, or a servant bound by a contract or obligation, was subject to the authority of their master, who held certain rights over them, including the right to arrange marriages.

Biblical Context and Legal Framework

The Mosaic Law provided specific guidelines regarding the treatment and rights of bondservants. In Exodus 21:2-6, the Berean Standard Bible outlines the conditions under which a Hebrew servant might serve: "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. If he came alone, he is to go free alone; but if he is married, then his wife is to go with him. 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 the man shall go free alone."

This passage highlights the master's authority to give a wife to a bondservant. The wife, often a fellow servant, and any children born from the union would remain with the master, even if the servant himself chose to leave after his term of service. This arrangement underscores the master's control over the familial and social aspects of the servant's life.

Marriage Arrangements and Social Implications

The ability of a master to marry off a servant or give them in marriage was not merely a matter of personal authority but also reflected the broader social and economic structures of the time. Marriages arranged by masters could serve to strengthen alliances, secure loyalty, or ensure the continuation of a servant's labor within the household.

In some cases, a bondservant might choose to remain with the master permanently, a decision that was formalized through a ritual described in Exodus 21:5-6 : "But if the servant declares, 'I love my master and my wife and children; I do not want to go free,' then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life."

This voluntary act of lifelong servitude was often motivated by familial bonds formed during the period of service, including those established through marriage.

Cultural and Theological Considerations

The practice of masters arranging marriages for their servants must be understood within the cultural and theological framework of ancient Israel. The Israelites viewed servitude as a temporary and regulated institution, distinct from the harsher forms of slavery practiced by surrounding nations. The laws provided by God through Moses aimed to protect the dignity and rights of servants, ensuring humane treatment and the possibility of eventual freedom.

Furthermore, the concept of servitude in the Bible often carries a deeper spiritual significance. The relationship between master and servant can be seen as a metaphor for the relationship between God and His people, with God as the benevolent master who cares for and provides for His servants.

Conclusion

The rights and responsibilities of masters over their bondservants, including the authority to arrange marriages, reflect the complex interplay of social, economic, and religious factors in ancient Israel. These practices, while foreign to modern sensibilities, were part of a divinely ordained legal system designed to maintain order and justice within the community.

Nave's Topical Index

Exodus 21:7-10
And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do.
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Deuteronomy 21:10-14
When you go forth to war against your enemies, and the LORD your God has delivered them into your hands, and you have taken them captive,
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1 Chronicles 2:34,35
Now Sheshan had no sons, but daughters. And Sheshan had a servant, an Egyptian, whose name was Jarha.
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Library

On Matrimony
... outside the Catholic Church teach that the marriage bond can at ... he can seldom be
his own master and independent ... he must always toil for others as a servant. ...
/.../kinkead/baltimore catechism no 4/lesson 26 on matrimony.htm

Still the Countess Sylvie was Silent. ...
... Monsignor, if you are a servant of Christ, then the Church ... Surely by your own Master's
will," said ... of Christ's teaching, in an almost supernatural bond of union ...
/.../corelli/the master-christian/xxxiv still the countess sylvie.htm

Colossians iv. 12, 13
... servant" (Colossians 1:7.), and here, "a servant." "Who is of ... in Christ Jesus there
can be neither bond nor free ... not of selling thy daughter to a master, but of ...
/.../homily xii colossians iv 12.htm

The Domestic Relation.
... flesh and bone, no civil court can break the bond. ... which God hath graciously given
thy servant." Gen.33 ... forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is ...
/.../orr/the gospel day /chapter xiii the domestic relation.htm

Women of the Frankish Church
... displease thee.' 'What seemeth good in my master's eyes, that ... her to the care of
Golo, his principal servant. ... Marriage was a bond contracted and broken on the ...
/.../brittain/women of early christianity/viii women of the frankish.htm

Upon Our Lord's SermonOn the Mount
... of God, and well understood the mind of his Master. ... keep the unity of the Spirit
in the bond of peace ... cometh He may say, "Well done, good and faithful servant!". ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 23 upon our lords.htm

Demonstration vi. --Of Monks.
... table, [862] will not be called an unprofitable servant. ... Elisha also walked in the
footsteps of his Master. ... there neither male nor female, neither bond nor free ...
/.../aphrahat/aphrahat select demonstrations/demonstration vi of monks.htm

Epistle Lxiii. Limenius, Bishop of Vercell??, Having Died, the See ...
... Ambrose, a servant of Christ, called to be a ... in error who will not again enter the
marriage bond. ... 3686] recognized Christ, Whom John, the master of abstinence ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/epistle lxiii limenius bishop of.htm

The First Commandment
... Thy servant who is devoted to thy fear.' Psalm 119 ... will give daily bread; he trusts
his bond: Verily thou ... one has entered into covenant with his master, and the ...
/.../watson/the ten commandments/2 1 the first commandment.htm

Appeal to the Christian Women of the South
... the Lord at Jerusalem with a gift; here the bond and the ... that in case of the death
of a servant, one or ... Hence Moses adds, 'if she please not her master, and he ...
/.../an appeal to the christian women of the south/appeal to the christian women.htm