John Calvin Commentary Leviticus 25:44

"And as for thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, whom thou shalt have; of the nations that are round about you, of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids." — Leviticus 25:44 (ASV)

Both your bond-men, and your bond-maids. What God here permits regarding strangers was everywhere customary among the Gentiles, namely, that their power over their slaves should exist not only until their death, but should continue in perpetual succession to their children; for this is the force of the expression, “you shall possess them for your children,” that the right of ownership should pass to their heirs also. Nor is there a distinction made only as to perpetuity,¹⁵³ but also as to the mode of their treatment. For we must observe the antithesis, “you shall make use of their service, but over his brother no man shall rule with rigor”;¹⁵⁴ from which it appears that a restraint was imposed upon them, so that they would not imperiously rule the children of Abraham, and so that they would leave them half their liberty in comparison with the Gentiles. Not that a tyrannical or cruel exercise of power over strangers was allowed, but that God would have the race of Abraham, whose liberator He was, exempted by certain privileges from the common lot.

¹⁵³ “Or la diversite d’entre les estrangers, et les enfans d’Israel n’est pas seulement mis, etc.;” now the diversity between strangers and the children of Israel is not only placed, etc. — Fr..

¹⁵⁴ See Margin of A.V. on . on ver. 46. “His in perpetuum tanquam servis utamini, popularibus vero vestris Israelitis ne severius imperetis.” — Dathe.. “His in perpetuum tanquam servis utamini, popularibus vero vestris Israelitis ne severius imperetis.” — Dathe.