Exodus 21:2-4

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 21:1-11

The Exod. 21:1 is the general title of the laws contained in this and the two following chapters, some of them relating to the religious worship of God, but most of them relating to matters between man and man. Their government being purely a Theocracy, that which in other states is to be settled by human prudence was directed among them by a divine appointment, so that the constitution of their government was peculiarly adapted to make them happy. These laws are called judgments, because they... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 21:2

If thou buy an Hebrew servant ,.... Who sells himself either through poverty, or rather is sold because of his theft, see Exodus 22:3 and so the Targum of Jonathan paraphrases it,"when ye shall buy for his theft, a servant, a son of an Israelite;'agreeably to which Aben Ezra observes, this servant is a servant that is sold for his theft; and he says, it is a tradition with them, that a male is sold for his theft, but not a female; and the persons who had the selling of such were the civil... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 21:3

If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself ,.... That is, if he came into his servitude "alone", as the Septuagint version has it, he should go out of it in like manner; the word for "by himself", some interpret with "his garment" F6 בגפו "cum quali veste", V. L. "cum veste sua"; some in Vatablus & Drusius. , or the skirt of one; and then the sense seems to be, that as he was clothed when he was sold, so he should be when made free: but rather the phrase literally is... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 21:4

If his master have given him a wife ,.... One of his slaves, a Canaanitish woman, on purpose to beget slaves on her, since all born in his house were his own; this is supposed to be after he was come into his house, and into his service: and she have born him sons or daughters ; as she might have born him several of the one sort, or the other, if she was given to him quickly after his servitude began: the wife and her children shall be her master's : she being his slave, and bought... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 21:2

If thou buy a Hebrew servant - Calmet enumerates six different ways in which a Hebrew might lose his liberty: In extreme poverty they might sell their liberty. Leviticus 25:39 ; : If thy brother be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee, etc. A father might sell his children. If a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant; see Exodus 21:7 . Insolvent debtors became the slaves of their creditors. My husband is dead - and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen, ... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 21:3

If he came in by himself - If he and his wife came in together, they were to go out together: in all respects as he entered, so should he go out. This consideration seems to have induced St. Jerome to translate the passage thus: Cum quali veste intraverat, cum tali exeat . "He shall have the same coat in going out, as he had when he came in," i.e., if he came in with a new one, he shall go out with a new one, which was perfectly just, as the former coat must have been worn out in his... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 21:4

The wife and her children shall be her master's - It was a law among the Hebrews, that if a Hebrew had children by a Canannitish woman, those children must be considered as Canaanitish only, and might be sold and bought, and serve for ever. The law here refers to such a case only. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 21:1-11

Regulations for the treatment of slaves. I. THE CONDITIONAL ELEMENT RUNNING THROUGH THESE REGULATIONS . What a difference there is here from the strong, uncompromising imperatives of Exodus 20:1-26 ! There we feel that we have to do with man, not only as he is at the time, a Hebrew in the wilderness, but with every man, in every age, and in all sorts of social circumstances. The ten commandments simply assume humanity and society. But the regulations now to be considered... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 21:2

If thou buy an Hebrew servant . Slavery, it is clear, was an existing institution. The law of Moses did not make it, but found it, and by not forbidding, allowed it. The Divine legislator was content under the circumstances to introduce mitigations and alleviations into the slave condition. Hebrews commonly became slaves through poverty (Le 25:35, 39), but sometimes through crime ( Exodus 22:3 ). In the seventh he shall go out. Not in the Sabbatical year, but at the commencement of... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 21:2-11

Slavery . read more

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