Smith's Bible Dictionary.pdf - Online Christian Library

Smith's Bible Dictionary
objectionable in the condition of Hebrew servants. In respect to marriage there were some
peculiarities which, to our ideas, would be regarded as hardships. A master might, for instance,
give a wife to a Hebrew servant for the time of his servitude, the wife being in this case, it must
be remarked, not only a slave but a non-Hebrew. Should he leave when his term had expired, his
wife and children would remain the absolute property of the master. (Exodus 21:4,5) Again, a
father might sell his young daughter to a Hebrew, with a view either of marrying her himself or
of giving her to his son. (Exodus 21:7-9) It diminishes the apparent harshness of this proceeding
if we look on the purchase money as in the light of a dowry given, as was not unusual, to the
parents of the bride; still more, if we accept the rabbinical view that the consent of the maid was
required before the marriage could take place. The position of a maiden thus sold by her father
was subject to the following regulations: (1) She could not “go out as the men-servants do,” i.e.
she could not leave at the termination of six years, or in the year of jubilee, if her master was
willing to fulfill the object for which he had purchased her. (2) Should he not wish to marry her,
he should call upon her friends to procure her release by the repayment of the purchase money.
(3) If he betrothed her to his son, he was bound to make such provision for her as he would for
one of his own daughters. (4) If either he or his son, having married her, took a second wife, it
should not be to the prejudice of the first. (5) If neither of the three first specified alternatives took
place, the maid was entitled to immediate and gratuitous liberty. (Exodus 21:7-11) The custom of
reducing Hebrews to servitude appears to have fallen into disuse subsequent to the Babylonish
captivity. Vast numbers of Hebrews were reduced to slavery as war-captives at different periods
by the Phoenicians, (Joel 3:6) the Philistines, (Joel 3:6; Amos 1:6), the Syrians, 1 Macc. 3:42; 2
Macc. 8:11, the Egyptians, Joseph Ant. xii. 2,3, and above all by the Romans. Joseph. B.C. vi.
9,3. II. Non-Hebrew slaves.—
•The majority of non-Hebrew slaves were war-captives, either of the Canaanites who had survived
the general extermination of their race under Joshua or such as were conquered from the other
surrounding nations. (Numbers 31:26) ff. Besides these, many were obtained by purchase from
foreign slave-dealers, (Leviticus 25:44,45) and others may have been resident foreigners who were
reduced to this state by either poverty or crime. The children of slaves remained slaves, being the
class described as “born in the house,” (Genesis 14:14; 17:12; Ecclesiastes 2:7) and hence the
number was likely to increase as time went on. The average value of a slave appears to have been
thirty shekels. (Exodus 21:32)
•That the slave might be manumitted appears from (Exodus 21:26,27; Leviticus 19:20)
•The slave is described as the “possession” of his master, apparently with a special reference to the
power which the latter had of disposing of him to his heirs, as he would any other article of personal
property. (Leviticus 25:45,46) But, on the other hand, provision was made for the protection of
his person. (Exodus 21:20; Leviticus 24:17,22) A minor personal injury, such as the loss of an
eye or a tooth, was to be recompensed by giving the servant his liberty. (Exodus 21:26,27) The
position of the slave in regard to religious privileges was favorable. He was to be circumcised,
(Genesis 17:12) and hence was entitled to partake of the paschal sacrifice, (Exodus 12:44) as well
as of the other religious festivals. (12:12,18; 16:11,14) The occupations of slaves were of a menial
character, as implied in (Leviticus 25:39) consisting partly in the work of the house and partly in
personal attendance on the master. It will be seen that the whole tendency of the Bible legislation
was to mitigate slavery, making it little than hired service, and to abolish it, as indeed it was
practically abolished among the Jews six hundred years before Christ.
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William Smith