Exodus 21:1-11 · Bible study
Exodus 21:1-11 Commentary: God's Justice for Servants
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Study the structure of Exodus 21:1-11: the mishpatim (judgments) that limit slavery, protect the vulnerable, and reveal God's heart for justice among
Research Summary
- Meaning: God gives Moses judicial precedents (mishpatim) to limit slavery among Hebrews, mandating release after six years and protecting female servants from abuse and sale abroad.
- Key words: Mishpatim (judgments/ordinances); eved (servant/slave); chophshi (free); el ha'elohim (to God/before the judges); o'lam (forever/until jubilee).
- Main debate: Whether “bring him to God” (v.6) means to the sanctuary or to a human court; also whether “forever” means lifetime or until the Jubilee year.
- Theological theme: God’s justice restrains human power, provides for the vulnerable, and allows voluntary, loving service.
- Best use: Study in a series on the Mosaic Law, or as a basis for discussing biblical ethics on human dignity and freedom.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
1“These are the ordinances that you are to set before them:
2If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free without paying anything.
3If he arrived alone, he is to leave alone; if he arrived with a wife, she is to leave with him.
4If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free.
5But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children; I do not want to go free,’
6then his master is to bring him before the judges. And he shall take him to the door or doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he shall serve his master for life.
7And if a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as the menservants do.
8If she is displeasing in the eyes of her master who had designated her for himself, he must allow her to be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, since he has broken faith with her.
9And if he chooses her for his son, he must deal with her as with a daughter.
10If he takes another wife, he must not reduce the food, clothing, or marital rights of his first wife.
11If, however, he does not provide her with these three things, she is free to go without monetary payment.
WEB World English Bible 2000
1“Now these are the ordinances which you shall set before them:
2“If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free without paying anything.
3If he comes in by himself, he shall go out by himself. If he is married, then his wife shall go out with him.
4If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself.
5But if the servant shall plainly say, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children. I will not go out free;’
6then his master shall bring him to God, and shall bring him to the door or to the doorpost, and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall serve him forever.
7“If a man sells his daughter to be a female servant, she shall not go out as the male servants do.
8If she doesn’t please her master, who has married her to himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has dealt deceitfully with her.
9If he marries her to his son, he shall deal with her as a daughter.
10If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, and her marital rights.
11If he doesn’t do these three things for her, she may go free without paying any money.
KJV King James Version 1769
1Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.
2If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.
3If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him.
4If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself.
5And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:
6Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.
7And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do.
8If she please not her master, who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her.
9And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.
10If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.
11And if he do not these three unto her, then shall she go out free without money.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
1Now these are the ordinances which thou shalt set before them.
2If thou buy a Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.
3If he come in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he be married, then his wife shall go out with him.
4If his master give him a wife and she bear him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself.
5But if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:
6then his master shall bring him unto God, and shall bring him to the door, or unto the door-post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl; and he shall serve him for ever.
7And if a man sell his daughter to be a maid-servant, she shall not go out as the men-servants do.
8If she please not her master, who hath espoused her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a foreign people he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her.
9And if he espouse her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.
10If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.
11And if he do not these three things unto her, then shall she go out for nothing, without money.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
1`And these are the judgments which thou dost set before them:
2`When thou buyest a Hebrew servant--six years he doth serve, and in the seventh he goeth out as a freeman for nought;
3if by himself he cometh in, by himself he goeth out; if he is owner of a wife, then his wife hath gone out with him;
4if his lord give to him a wife, and she hath borne to him sons or daughters--the wife and her children are her lord's, and he goeth out by himself.
5`And if the servant really say: I have loved my lord, my wife, and my sons--I do not go out free;
6then hath his lord brought him nigh unto God, and hath brought him nigh unto the door, or unto the side-post, and his lord hath bored his ear with an awl, and he hath served him--to the age.
7`And when a man selleth his daughter for a handmaid, she doth not go out according to the going out of the men-servants;
8if evil in the eyes of her lord, so that he hath not betrothed her, then he hath let her be ransomed; to a strange people he hath not power to sell her, in his dealing treacherously with her.
9`And if to his son he betroth her, according to the right of daughters he doth to her.
10`If another woman he take for him, her food, her covering, and her habitation, he doth not withdraw;
11and if these three he do not to her, then she hath gone out for nought, without money.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
1And these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.
2If thou buy a Hebrew bondman, six years shall he serve; and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.
3If he came in alone, he shall go out alone: if he had a wife, then his wife shall go out with him.
4If his master have given him a wife, and she have borne him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out alone.
5But if the bondman shall say distinctly, I love my master, my wife, and my children, I will not go free;
6then his master shall bring him before the judges, and shall bring him to the door, or to the door-post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl; and he shall be his bondman for ever.
7And if a man shall sell his daughter as a handmaid, she shall not go out as the bondmen go out.
8If she is unacceptable in the eyes of her master, who had taken her for himself, then shall he let her be ransomed: to sell her unto a foreign people he hath no power, after having dealt unfaithfully with her.
9And if he have appointed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the law of daughters.
10If he take himself another, her food, her clothing, and her conjugal rights he shall not diminish.
11And if he do not these three things unto her, then shall she go out free without money.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
1These are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.
2If thou buy a Hebrew servant, six years shall he serve thee; in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.
3With what raiment he came in, with the like let him go out: if having a wife, his wife also shall go out with him.
4But if his master gave him a wife, and she hath borne sons and daughters; the woman and her children shall be her master's: but he himself shall go out with his raiment.
5And if the servant shall say: I love my master and my wife and children, I will not go out free:
6His master shall bring him to the gods, and he shall be set to the door and the posts, and he shall bore his ear through with an awl: and he shall be his servant for ever.
7If any man sell his daughter to be a servant, she shall not go out as bondwomen are wont to go out.
8If she displease the eyes of her master to whom she was delivered, he shall let her go: but he shall have no power to sell her to a foreign nation, if he despise her.
9But if he have betrothed her to his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.
10And if he take another wife for him, he shall provide her a marriage, and raiment, neither shall he refuse the price of her chastity.
11If he do not these three things, she shall go out free without money.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Exodus 21:1
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Exodus 21:1-11 introduces a collection of case laws, called mishpatim (“judgments”), meant to govern Israel’s civil life. These are not arbitrary rules but divinely given precedents rooted in God’s own justice (Keil & Delitzsch; Matthew Henry). The heading verse (v.1) signals that Moses is to “set before them” these ordinances, implying a public, authoritative teaching (Wesley; Jamieson-Fausset-Brown).
The core content limits the institution of slavery among Hebrews. A male servant serves six years and goes free in the seventh without payment (v.2). If his master gave him a foreign wife, she and her children remain with the master (v.4); but the servant may choose to stay permanently out of love (v.5-6), marked by a pierced ear (Gill; Calvin notes this reveals the “gross barbarity” of separating families in a fallen world, yet God permits it). For a female servant sold by her father as a concubine (v.7-11), different rules apply: she cannot be sold abroad, and if taken as a wife, her food, clothing and marital rights must not be reduced (Barnes; Clarke). These rules are seen as mitigations of existing harsh customs, protecting vulnerable women (Cambridge Bible; Keil & Delitzsch).
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: All interpreters agree that these laws come from God, limit the duration and harshness of servitude, and provide specific protections for vulnerable women, revealing God's concern for justice and mercy.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Divine origin of these laws | All traditions affirm that the <em>mishpatim</em> were given by God through Moses as part of the covenant at Sinai. | Some emphasize that they are direct divine commands; others see them as permitted accommodations to Israel's hardness of heart (Calvin). |
| Meaning of 'bring him to God' (v.6) | The phrase <em>el ha'elohim</em> refers to a place or persons representing God's authority. | Many commentators (e.g., Barnes, Cambridge Bible) understand it as the judges or a court, while others (e.g., Gill, Clarke) see it as the sanctuary or before God Himself. |
| Duration of 'forever' (v.6) | The servant who chooses to stay serves his master for an extended period, not just six years. | Some (Wesley, Gill) interpret 'forever' as lifelong; others (Barnes, Keil & Delitzsch) argue it means until the Jubilee, when all Hebrew servants are freed. |
| Female servant's rights (v.7-11) | She is protected from being sold to foreigners and must be cared for if taken as a wife or given to the master's son. | Some (Calvin) view this as a tolerated practice that still upholds some dignity; others (Clarke) see it as a positive provision for a vulnerable woman in a patriarchal society. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Exodus 21:1-11 stands in the covenant section of Exodus, immediately after the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) and before further laws on personal injury. The Israelites have just been freed from slavery in Egypt; now God gives them a legal framework to shape their life as a redeemed community. The term “judgments” (mishpatim) refers to judicial precedents that the appointed judges were to apply in specific cases (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown). Unlike the ceremonial laws, these ordinances are grounded in natural equity and the character of the God who delivered them.
Slavery was a widespread institution in the ancient Near East. Israelites might become servants through poverty, debt, or theft (Clarke; Barnes). The Bible does not abolish slavery but introduces radical limitations. A Hebrew servant goes free after six years, a stark contrast to permanent bondage common in surrounding cultures. The law forbids selling a female servant to a foreign people, and requires that her basic provisions be maintained even if her husband takes another wife. These reforms reflect a theocratic vision where justice originates from God alone (Matthew Henry). The cultural background includes the practice of a father selling a daughter in extreme poverty (Gill; Calvin laments this as a tolerated vice). The sanctuary setting (v.6: “bring him to God”) likely refers to the tabernacle or a local sanctuary where God’s presence dwelt, emphasizing the solemnity of the servant’s choice (Cambridge Bible; Barnes).
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Exodus 21:1-11. The main area of interpretive difference lies in the phrase el ha'elohim (v.6), which the KJV translates as “unto the judges” while the WEB, ASV, and BSB render it as “to God.” This is a translational choice rather than a manuscript variant: the word elohim can mean “God” or “judges” depending on context. The BHS text is stable at this point.
Reception History
Throughout church history, Exodus 21:1-11 has been read as a demonstration of God's merciful regulation of a flawed institution. Early church fathers like Augustine saw the six-year limit as a typological pointer to the Sabbath rest. Medieval Jewish commentators such as Rashi emphasized the legal protections for servants as signs of Israel's unique covenant. Reformers like Calvin stressed that these laws tolerated lesser evils because of the people's hardness of heart, yet still restrained oppression. In modern times, the passage raises questions about the Bible's stance on slavery; many Christian ethicists note that these laws, while not abolishing slavery, progressively limit it and thus challenge any system of permanent, race-based bondage. The passage continues to be cited in discussions of social justice and the limits of power in Christian ethics.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Source of Justice: God commands Moses to “set before” the people these judgments (v.1). Justice flows from God’s character, not human conventions.
- Limits on Oppression: The six-year limit (v.2) and protections for female servants (v.7-11) curb the power of masters. God sets boundaries on human authority.
- The Choice of Love: A servant may choose lifelong service out of love for master and family (v.5-6). This points to a deeper, voluntary devotion.
Five-point outline
- God’s Law as a Gift (v.1): These ordinances are not burdens but guidelines for a flourishing society.
- Release and Freedom (v.2): The seventh year symbolizes God’s pattern of rest and redemption.
- Family Realities (v.3-4): Marriage and children create complex obligations; the law addresses them with honesty.
- Voluntary Servitude (v.5-6): The pierced ear becomes a sign of chosen belonging.
- Protection for Women (v.7-11): Female servants are not to be treated as property; their basic rights are secured.
Illustration hooks
- Workplace contracts: A company offers a temporary contract with a clear end date, but an employee may choose to stay because they love the work and team.
- Marriage commitments: A couple faces unexpected hardship but chooses to remain together out of love, renewing their vows publicly.
- Community boundaries: A neighborhood sets rules that protect the most vulnerable (e.g., rent control, tenant rights) rather than allowing unchecked power.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does the Old Testament condone slavery? Why didn't God just abolish it?
- Why are the rules for male and female servants different? Is that fair?
- How do these ancient laws apply to us today, in a society without slavery?
Leading a Discussion
This passage shows God shaping Israel into a just community after their own liberation. The laws are not perfect but they push against the cruelty of the ancient world. As you read, notice how God limits the power of masters and protects the vulnerable. Think about how these principles might guide us today.
Discussion questions
- Observation: What do these laws reveal about the situation of servants in ancient Israel? List the specific protections mentioned.
- Observation: How does the heading in v.1 (“set before them”) frame the purpose of these laws?
- Interpretation: Why might God allow the servant to choose permanent servitude (v.5-6)? What does the pierced ear symbolize?
- Interpretation: Compare the treatment of male and female servants. What does the law require for the woman sold as a servant (v.7-11)?
- Application: In what ways does our society need similar boundaries to protect vulnerable people in relationships of power?
- Application: How does Israel’s memory of slavery in Egypt (Exodus 20:2) shape the giving of these laws? How should our own experiences of deliverance shape how we treat others?
- Application: The servant’s statement “I love my master” (v.5) is voluntary. Where do we see love transforming duty into devotion in our lives?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 19:7 | Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which Yahweh commanded him. |
| Exodus 24:3 | Moses came and told the people all Yahweh’s words, and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice, and said, “All the words which Yahweh has spoken will we do.” |
| Exodus 24:4 | Moses wrote all Yahweh’s words, then rose up early in the morning and built an altar at the base of the mountain, with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel. |
| Leviticus 18:5 | You shall therefore keep my statutes and my ordinances, which if a man does, he shall live in them. I am Yahweh. |
| Leviticus 18:26 | You therefore shall keep my statutes and my ordinances, and shall not do any of these abominations; neither the native-born, nor the stranger who lives as a foreigner among you |
| Leviticus 19:37 | “‘You shall observe all my statutes and all my ordinances, and do them. I am Yahweh.’” |
| Leviticus 20:22 | “‘You shall therefore keep all my statutes and all my ordinances, and do them, that the land where I am bringing you to dwell may not vomit you out. |
| Numbers 35:24 | then the congregation shall judge between the striker and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke admires the humane wisdom behind the Hebrew servitude laws, particularly the six-year limit that prevented permanent bondage and protected the vulnerable. He notes that even when a master gave a servant a Canaanite wife, the law treated the children distinctly, and the ear-boring ceremony symbolized permanent, willing attachment.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes clarifies that the phrase "unto the judges" literally means "before God," since God is the source of all justice. He also notes that piercing a slave's ear was a widespread ancient custom marking permanent servitude until the Jubilee, and explains that rules about a purchased daughter provided three mitigations to protect her rights.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin points out that this law required a husband to abandon his wife and children to gain freedom, a cruel violation of marriage. He sees this as one of many defects God tolerated because of the people's hard hearts, showing that property rights temporarily overruled the sanctity of marriage.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary emphasizes that the Hebrew term mishpat, usually translated as judgments, refers to legal precedents with force of law. These precedents originated from Moses' own judicial decisions when he judged the people, forming the foundational basis for Hebrew legislation in this passage.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill interprets the ear-boring ritual as a vivid symbol: the servant's public declaration of love for his master and family is sealed by having his ear pinned to the doorpost, signifying a permanent, willing bondage. This act prefigures the freedom Christ gives—purchased without money and accompanied by generous blessings.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB explains that these laws were not entirely new but built on older customs rooted in natural fairness, adapted for Israel's theocracy. The distinctive feature is the formal process: a Hebrew choosing lifelong servitude underwent a public court hearing, followed by an ear-piercing that permanently marked his decision (linked to Psalm 40:6).
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch stress that these are not mere laws but protected rights shaping Israel into a civil commonwealth. The laws for a Hebrew maidservant sold by her father specifically safeguard her food, clothing, and conjugal rights, with no power to sell her to foreigners.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange sees these civil laws not primarily as criminal legislation but as a system training a people for freedom. He notes they begin with emancipation and all main points guard personal liberty. Each section connects to a commandment, shaping the theocratic community toward voluntary obedience rather than mere restraint.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry emphasizes that these laws are called judgments because God framed them with infinite wisdom, not human prudence. Israel was a theocracy, so every civil rule came by divine appointment. This made their government uniquely adapted to their happiness.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that Israel's government was a theocracy, so God directly gave civil laws that in other nations are settled by human prudence. The laws for servants reflect a call to mercy: because the Israelites had themselves been slaves, they were to treat their servants with kindness, limiting Hebrew service to seven years and providing for betrothed maidservants as daughters.