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As for your bondservants, and your bondmaids, whom you shall have; of the nations that are round about you, of them shall you buy bondservants and bondmaids.

Verse Takeaways

1

A Practical Provision

Commentators explain this verse as a practical answer to a question: If Israelites couldn't permanently enslave their own people, who would perform necessary labor? The law permitted purchasing slaves from specific surrounding nations, like the Ammonites and Moabites, but strictly forbade enslaving the Canaanite nations who were under a ban of destruction.

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Book Overview

Leviticus

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Commentaries

5

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes

On Leviticus 25:44–46

18th Century

Theologian

Property in foreign slaves is distinctly permitted here. It was a patriarchal custom (Genesis 17:12). Such slaves might be captives tak…

Charles Ellicott

Charles Ellicott

On Leviticus 25:44

19th Century

Bishop

Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen. —Rather, As for your bondmen and…

John Calvin

John Calvin

On Leviticus 25:44

16th Century

Theologian

Both your bond-men, and your bond-maids. What God here permits regarding strangers was everywhere customary among the Gentiles, namely, th…

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John Gill

John Gill

On Leviticus 25:44

17th Century

Pastor

Both your bondmen, and your bondmaids, which you shall have ,
&c.] Such it seems were allowed them, if they had need…

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry

On Leviticus 25:39–55

17th Century

Minister

A native Israelite, if sold for debt or for a crime, was to serve only six years and to go out free in the seventh. If he sold himself because of p…