Does the Bible support or condemn slavery? This is a problem most critics will bring up, and this paper will look at the reality of slavery in the Bible. The Bible does not support slavery for countless reasons; the main reasons however are, slavey was different in the Bible than it was a couple hundred years ago, the teaching of the bible does not a line with slavery, and Biblical slavery was a phenomenal system to keep poor people from dying.
First, we must define our terms; slave means; Somone who unwillingly is sold and forced to serve and work for the owner and considered property. Support means to uphold or sustain. Slavery in the Old Testament was quite different than what several people think of it as today. Most people get their idea of the “Bible supporting slavery” in Exodus 21. Slavery in the Old Testament was when someone was so poor that they sold themselves to someone else, they would be set free, however six years later. Exodus 21:2-3 states “If 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. If he comes alone, he is to go free alone; but if he has a wife when he comes, she is to go with him.”
In these verses, the Hebrew word "Abad" is more accurately translated as servant or laborer rather than slave. Also, there are rules set in place so that owners will not treat their slaves harshly. Exodus 21:26-27 states, “An owner who hits a male or female slave in the eye and destroys it must let the slave go free to compensate for the eye. And an owner who knocks out the tooth of a male or female slave must let the slave go free to compensate for the tooth.” The Old Testament does not support slavery.
Now critics will challenge this idea saying that the laws are sexist, the slaves are referred to as property, and the laws tell the owner how to trick their slaves. Critics will say the Bible is sexist in slavery because of Exodus 21:7 which states “If a man sells his daughter as a female slave, she is not to go free as male slaves do.” Most people read this entirely out of context and conclude that woman do not go free as men do.
But if you continue to read the passage you see that this is talking about a wife. People in poverty would sell their daughters for better financial security because the father might not have been able to provide for his entire family. Deuteronomy 15:12 states “If your kinsman, a Hebrew man or WOMAN is sold to you, then he shall serve you six years, but in the seventh year you shall set him free.” (Emphasis added to woman) If you read all these verses in context they all fit together perfectly.
Another argument critics will bring up is in Exodus 21:21 the slaves are called property but more literally translated as money. What do you call something you buy? Property. What other word should they have used in this verse if not property? If someone sells themselves to you, they are now your property there is no other way to put it. That does not, however, give you the right to abuse or treat them unfairly. For example, when you own any animal it does not give you the right to torture them, when you own a gun it does not give you the right to shoot whoever you want, when someone owns anything there are laws set in place so they want abuse their power over their property.
Exodus 21:20-21 states “Anyone who beats their male or female slave with a rod must be punished if the slave dies as a direct result, but they are not to be punished if the slave recovers after a day or two, since the slave is their property.” Now critics will point out that a couple verses earlier it is said that if a man kills another man by beating him, he will be put to death, but the law is different for a slave. The text does not give a clear meaning of what their punishment will be it could result in death but its not clear.
Now the second part of the verse says that if they do not die the owner will go unpunished. That is unfair, numerous critics will point out. Exodus 21:18-19 states “If people quarrel and one person hits another with a stone or with their fist and the victim does not die but is confined to bed, the one who struck the blow will not be held liable if the other can get up and walk around outside with a staff; however, the guilty party must pay the injured person for any loss of time and see that the victim is completely healed.” The slave’s master is going unpunished because he is paying for their loss of time just like this verse says, he now does not get the labor of the slave and still must pay for his housing, food, and water.
Critics will also argue that the laws that are given in Exodus 21 tell the owners how to trick their slaves to be their property forever. Exodus 21:4-6 states “If his master gives him (his slave) 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. But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,’ then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life.” Skeptics will claim that this is unjust or unfair because he and his wife do not have the rights of everyone else. Wouldn’t be unfair for the owner to freely gave up his woman slave on account of marriage? She would still have to serve the rest of her time so if the man loved her, he would only have two options. Either he would stay with his master (and do according to the verse) or must wait for her to be released and could try to pay her off.
The second would not make a whole lot of sense. He would have to work and sustain himself and give all his extra money to freeing his family which would be very economically hard in Bible times. Then after freeing his family, he would have to put food on the table and some sort of shelter. This would be incredibly challenging because this former slave was somehow broke so he probably would not be the best person to rely on for food. Factoring all this in it would seem much more plausible to work for his master, who assures food, water, and shelter for him and his family. Versus having to work day and night just to get his wife and children free then must continue to work hard to support his family when he can just work for his master.
The Bible’s teaching are very much against slavery. The Bible teaches to love are neighbor as ourselves how could we love are neighbor as ourselves and yet force them to work without pay? Further the Bible prohibits not fairly paying a laborer and it is also very much against defraud. (1 Timothy 5:18, Leviticus 19:13) The Bible also forbids kidnapping and punishes kidnappers with the death penalty. (Exodus 21:16) Lastly, from the very beginning of the Bible to the end we see that we are all made in the image of God, and Christ died for all. Clearly from these verses and numerous others you cannot conclude that the Bible supports slavery even though people gruesomely tried to claim that the contrary.
Critics might try to argue by saying “why does the Bible never condemn slavery?” And they also bring up verses that tell slaves to submit to their masters instead of telling masters to free them. These critics usually look past the book of Philemon; Pual was writing to Philemon about his slave Onesimus asking Philemon to receive him as a free man not as a slave. In 1 Corinthians 7:21-23 Pual tells slaves that if they can be become free then by all means become free. Ephesians 6:9 states “And masters, do the same thing to them (be obedient to them as you would to Christ), and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.” This verse tells masters to show their slaves love and obedience.
Critics will argue that the Bible does not condemn slavery. However, it does tell slave owners to let their slaves become free. (1 Corinthians 7:21) Another piece of evidence is all the people that fought against slavery were Christians showing that they saw it was not in anyway Biblical. The Quakers were always known for being against slavery and other devout Christian’s like Hariot Tubman were fighting against it.
Slavery was a great system to help poor people in the Bible. In America if you are “poor” you likely still have access to food, shelter, and water. The Majority of Isreal is a dessert and if you were broke in a dessert and could not find work becoming someone’s slave would ensure shelter, food, and water. They would either die in the harsh climate with no money or work and be paid with shelter, water, and food.
Deuteronomy 15:13 states “And when you release them (slaves), do not send them away empty-handed.” Slaves might not have been paid for the six years they served but they were not going empty-handed implying that they were paid when they left in some way. Biblical slavery was a phenomenal way to keep the poor from dying.
One famous atheist named Matt Diluhunty whenever discussing the issue of slavery in the Bible will ask his contenders if they would be his slave under the Old Testament laws. Most people don’t know how to answer this question, but it is easy after looking at it. Everyone should reply of course. If someone could go from being at the point of death to having a reliable job and it ensures fair treatment and only serves six years, then be paid in some form at the end of their service. This is way better than any other alternative.
The Bible did not support slavery but rather it becomes clear that it was entirely against true slavery. People often confuse Biblical slavery with African slavery where people were kidnapped and sold and treated terribly all on account of their skin color. Biblical slavery was nothing like this. In conclusion the Bible did not support slavery because slavey was different in the Bible than it was a couple hundred years ago, the teaching of the bible does not a line with slavery, and Biblical slavery was a phenomenal system to keep poor people from dying.