Caitlin Montgomery Hubler

There exist a plethora of passages in the Bible about slavery and how it should be done. Jesus never condemns the act itself, and often gives rules for how it should occur, so it seems like it’s being advocated as moral! Here is the result of my personal research on the subject.

I first want to mention that since the culture the Old Testament was written in was so different from ours today, we have to interpret it as such. We cannot read passages about slavery and assume that the concept was exactly the same thousands of years ago. In order to see if the slavery of that culture was comparable to 19th century American/European version, we have to determine why slavery existed, how people entered into slavery, and how they were treated.

In the 19th century, slavery existed so the masters could have a better life through economic gain, but in the ancient civilization it was for the benefit of the slaves- to pay off their debt, for their OWN economic relief!

Hence Leviticus 25:35-37: “Now in case a countryman of yours becomes poor and his means with regard to you falter, then you are to sustain him, like a stranger or a sojourner, that he may live with you. Do not take usurious interest from him, but revere your God, that your countryman may live with you. You shall not give him your silver at interest, nor your food for gain. If one of your countrymen becomes poor among you and sells himself to you, do not make him work as a slave. He is to be treated as a hired worker or a temporary resident among you; he is to work for you until the Year of Jubilee. Then he and his children are to be released, and he will go back to his own clan and to the property of his forefathers.”

The last part of that passage leads into the next difference between the cultures in which slavery existed- in our day slavery is mandatory, and people are taken into captivity and forced to work without pay or possibility of freedom. In this ancient civilization the path into slavery was varied, and in many cases voluntary.

People who needed assistance with their debt may have turned to a form of voluntary servitude to get by, but the Bible had specific rules about them having to be released after their debt was paid, meaning their work was voluntary and for their own benefit.

Hence Deuteronomy 15:12-15.  :If your kinsman, a Hebrew man or woman, is sold to you, then he shall serve you six years, but in the seventh year you shall set him free. And when you set him free, you shall not send him away empty-handed. You shall furnish him liberally from your flock and from your threshing floor and from your wine vat; you shall give to him as the LORD your God has blessed you. And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you; therefore I command you this today.”

Also, there were very strict Biblical laws preventing Hebrews from holding their fellow citizens as slaves against their will, or harming them:

Deuteronomy 24:7: “If a man is caught kidnapping any of his countrymen of the sons of Israel, and he deals with him violently, or sells him, then that thief shall die; so you shall purge the evil from among you.”

Exodus 21:20: “And if a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod and he dies at his hand, he shall be punished.”

The slaves in this culture were treated like family. How often were slaves in our culture were given fine foods and wine to enjoy like in Deuteronomy 15, and treated like family? This is completely different from what we see in 19th century America.

Slaves also had the right to purchase their freedom by simply paying their debt, or having it paid by their family:

Leviticus 25:47-49: “Now if the means of a stranger or of a sojourner with you becomes sufficient, and a countryman of yours becomes so poor with regard to him as to sell himself to a stranger who is sojourning with you, or to the descendants of a stranger’s family, then he shall have redemption right after he has been sold. One of his brothers may redeem him, or his uncle, or his uncle’s son, may redeem him, or one of his blood relatives from his family may redeem him.”

If slaves were not treated properly by their masters, they could be set free.

Exodus 21:26-27: “And if a man strikes the eye of his male or female slave, and destroys it, he shall let him go free on account of his eye. And if he knocks out a tooth of his male or female slave, he shall let him go free on account of his tooth.”

There really is little in common between the two versions of slavery. Of course Jesus never condemned slavery- as it was laid out in the Old Testament! But obviously the purpose of slavery, methods of entering into it, and treatment of slaves were completely different back then. There is therefore no connection to the idea of Jesus advocating the morality of slavery in our culture!