Can Liberty and Bondage Coexist in Scripture?
In this article, you will learn how Exodus 21:4 contradicts Leviticus 25:10, Deuteronomy 15:12, Galatians 3:28, Philemon 1:16, Isaiah 58:6 and Exodus 21:7. Find the translations at the bottom of the page..
The story of servitude in biblical times, particularly as illustrated in Exodus 21:4, uncovers a complex relationship between freedom and bondage. According to Moses, if a servant is given a wife by his master and they have children, the wife and children remain with the master when the servant gains his freedom. This paints a picture of rigid boundaries, similar to a bird set free from a cage only to leave behind its family.
Yet, the concept of liberation is threaded throughout other scriptural verses, posing a stark contrast to Exodus's account. For instance, Leviticus 25:10 speaks of the year of Jubilee, granting liberty to all inhabitants. It's like a reset button, erasing debts and liberating slaves, a promise of freedom for all, including families. Contrasting this declaration with Exodus 21:4 highlights a tension between the ideal of universal freedom and the continuation of bondage.
Deuteronomy 15:12 allows Hebrew slaves to go free after six years, ensuring they aren’t trapped forever. It’s a hope-filled promise, akin to a sunrise breaking the night—yet obscured by the stipulation in Exodus that families might not share in that liberation.
In Galatians 3:28, the call for unity and equality underlines freedom from divisions, suggesting an egalitarian vision far removed from Exodus’s divide-and-conquer. Philemon 1:16 further deepens this dialogue, emphasizing relationships that transcend ownership, where a former slave is now a "beloved brother."
Isaiah 58:6 implores breaking every yoke and freeing the oppressed, imagining freedom as more than an individual experience but a collective liberation. These scriptures talk about a world where the chains are not just loosened but broken entirely.
Lastly, Exodus 21:7 draws attention to the different rules for female slaves, suggesting a persistent inequality. It questions the comprehensive nature of proclaimed freedoms and challenges us to reconcile the discord embedded within these ancient laws and stories. Can true liberty exist when parts of the heart remain bound?
| # | Verse | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Exodus 21:4 | If 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. |
| 2. | Leviticus 25:10 | And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout [all] the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family. |
| 3. | Deuteronomy 15:12 | [And] if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee. |
| 4. | Galatians 3:28 | There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. |
| 5. | Philemon 1:16 | Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord? |
| 6. | Isaiah 58:6 | [Is] not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? [the heavy...: Heb. the bundles of the yoke] [oppressed: Heb. broken] |
| 7. | Exodus 21:7 | And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do. |