Exodus 21:8-9

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 21:8

If she please not her master ,.... "Be evil in the eyes of her master" F16 רעה בעיני "mala in oculis", Montanus; "mala videbitur in oculis", Junius & Tremellius; "mala fuerit in oculis", Drusius. ; and he has no liking of her, and love to her, not being agreeable in her person, temper, or conduct, so that he does not choose to make her his wife: who hath betrothed her to him ; but not completed the marriage, as he promised, when he bought her, or at least gave reason to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 21:9

And if he have betrothed her unto his son ,.... Not caring to betroth and marry her himself, as being more suitable in age for his son than for himself: he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters ; as if she was his daughter, and give her a dowry: or the son shall treat her after the manner the daughters of Israel are treated when married, by giving her food, raiment, and the duty of marriage, so Jarchi: or after the manner of the daughters of Israel that are virgins, and who... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 21:9

Betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her - He shall give her the same dowry he would give to one of his own daughters. From these laws we learn, that if a man's son married his servant, by his father's consent, the father was obliged to treat her in every respect as a daughter; and if the son married another woman, as it appears he might do, Exodus 21:10 , he was obliged to make no abatement in the privileges of the first wife, either in her food, raiment, or duty of marriage.... 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 21:2-11

Slavery . read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 21:2-12

Hebrew bond-service. The laws relating to this subject are to be found, in addition to those in the present chapter, in Exodus 12:43-45 ; Exodus 22:3 ; Le Exodus 25:39 -55; Exodus 26:13 ; Deuteronomy 12:12 , Deuteronomy 12:18 ; Deuteronomy 15:15-19 ; Deuteronomy 16:11 , Deuteronomy 16:14 ; Deuteronomy 21:10-15 ; Deuteronomy 23:15 ; Deuteronomy 24:7 . An impartial examination of these laws will show how fallacious must be every argument attempted to be deduced from... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 21:2-35

The slave laws. Slave laws belong to all communities, and not to some only, slavery being really a universal and not a partial institution. In the most civilised communities of modern Europe, there are two large classes of slaves—lunatics and criminals. The law openly condemns these last to penal servitude, which may be for life; and this "servitude," as Lord Chief Justice Coleridge has repeatedly pointed out, is simply a form of slavery. Ancient communities differed from modern— 1 .... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 21:8

If she please not her master. If he decline, i.e; to carry out the contract, and take her for his wife. Then let her be redeemed . Rather, "Then let him cause her to be redeemed." Let him, i.e; look out for some one who will buy her of him and take his obligation of marriage off his hands To sell her to a strange nation he shall not have power. Only, this purchaser must be a Hebrew, like himself, and not a foreigner, since her father consented to her becoming a slave only on the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 21:9

And if he hath betrothed her unto his son . A man might have bought the maiden for this object, or finding himself not pleased with her ( Exodus 21:8 ), might have made his son take his place as her husband. In this case but one course was allowed—he must give her the status of a daughter thenceforth in his family. read more

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