Exodus 12:44 - Exposition

Every man's servant that is bought for money . Or "every man's slave." The Mosaic Law found servitude existing, and left it existing, only guarding against its extreme abuses ( Exodus 21:20-27 ). It put no check on the traffic in slaves. When thou hast circumcised him . The Jewish commentators say, that the desire of the slave to receive the rite and become a Jew is here implied. But it would seem rather, that opposition and refusal is not thought of as possible (see Genesis 17:13 , Genesis 17:17 ). The case is like that of baptism among the barbarous nations, where no sooner was the king converted than a general order went forth for the baptism of his subjects, which no one thought of resisting. Then shall he eat thereof . It was a principle of the Jewish law that the slaves should be admitted to complete religious equality with the native Israelites. (compare Le Exodus 22:11 ).