# Biblical slavery **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 9, 2006, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biblical-slavery/360100 "2006-06-09T19:14:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biblical-slavery/360100/1 "2006-06-09T19:14:13Z")
I was arguing with a friend recently about the Bible, and whether it was divinely inspired, and we got onto the topic of slavery. The Bible appears to condone slavery, in that it gives sets of rules and regulation. My friend excused this by asserting that Biblical slavery was much much nicer than the kind we more often think about, and was more like indentured servitude, and they were well treated, and could win their freedom, and their children were free. Is there any evidence, Biblical or historical, to support this contention? Are there examples in the bible of “good guys” selling or giving people into involuntary servitude? thanks ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biblical-slavery/360100/2 "2006-06-09T19:36:53Z")
From the New Living Translation… > [@](#): > > Leviticus 25:44-46 > However, you may purchase male or female slaves from among the foreigners who live among you. You may also purchase the children of such resident foreigners, including those who have been born in your land. You may treat them as your property, passing them on to your children as a permanent inheritance. You may treat your slaves like this, but the people of Israel, your relatives, must never be treated this way. So, feel free to buy foreigners and pass them on to your kids, they’re yours to keep no matter how you finish in the game > [@](#): > > Exodus 21:2-6 > If you buy a Hebrew slave, he is to serve for only six years. Set him free in the seventh year, and he will owe you nothing for his freedom. If he was single when he became your slave and then married afterward, only he will go free in the seventh year. But if he was married before he became a slave, then his wife will be freed with him. If his master gave him a wife while he was a slave, and they had sons or daughters, then the man will be free in the seventh year, but his wife and children will still belong to his master. But the slave may plainly declare, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children. I would rather not go free.’ If he does this, his master must present him before God. Then his master must take him to the door and publicly pierce his ear with an awl. After that, the slave will belong to his master forever. If he was married when he became your slave, he and wife can be freed. If he got married and has kids after he became a slave, the wife and kids are still yours even if the slave goes free. > [@](#): > > Exodus 21:20-21 (new american version) > When a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod so hard that the slave dies under his hand, he shall be punished. If, however, the slave survives for a day or two, he is not to be punished, since the slave is his own property. Go ahead and beat your slaves if you want, but just don’t kill them on the spot. If they die later, oh well. There’s a few examples of what the bible has to say about slavery. ---
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2006, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biblical-slavery/360100/3 "2006-06-10T19:21:51Z")
[QUOTE=MaxTheVool] Is there any evidence, Biblical or historical, to support this contention? [/QUOTE] The Koran. ---
**Author:** ![Operation\_Ripper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/34f0e0/32.png) [@Operation\_Ripper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Operation_Ripper)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2006, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biblical-slavery/360100/4 "2006-06-10T20:00:43Z")
Hehehe, guy, you have been a member since '00 and you are seriously asking if the Bible and its adherents are OK with slavery? Ever heard of Moses, the Civil War? Come on! Arrested Development throwaway ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2006, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biblical-slavery/360100/5 "2006-06-10T22:44:00Z")
The bible (that is, Old Testament) does not forbid slavery. It was written addressed to the Israelite society of its time; slavery was an accepted and common fact in every society of that era. The text reminds the Israelites that they were themselves mistreated as slaves in the land of Egypt, and therefore they must not mistreat slaves. The bible does restricts and constrains the concept of slavery. There are biblical laws to protect the rights of slaves. As noted, the term of slavery is limited to six years. A master cannot kill a slave, although casual beatings from which the slave recovers are OK. However, if there’s any permanent damage done (literatlly, if a master knocks out an eye or tooth of a slave), the slave goes free. These rules seem harsh to us, 2500 or 3000 years later. In fact, for its time, it was extremely advanced. ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2006, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biblical-slavery/360100/6 "2006-06-10T22:52:47Z")
[QUOTE=C K Dexter Haven] As noted, the term of slavery is limited to six years. A master cannot kill a slave, although casual beatings from which the slave recovers are OK. However, if there’s any permanent damage done (literatlly, if a master knocks out an eye or tooth of a slave), the slave goes free. [/quote] Actually, the quote above indicates that the six year limit on slavery applies only to Hebrew slaves, and even that has an out (the husband who loves his [enslaved] wife & children and his master and gets his ear pierced in public with an awl – ouch!). As well, the above passages indicate that if the slave survives a beating for a few days but subsequently succumbs to his or her injuries, there’s no legal problem with it. That doesn’t seem to jibe with your contention that any permanent damage results in freedom for the slave. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2006, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biblical-slavery/360100/7 "2006-06-10T23:12:47Z")
The Bible clearly condones slavery and masters beating slaves NEARLY to death on a whim. I don’t know what it says about a master’s sexual rights wrt female slaves. I imagine it maintains a discreet silence on the topic. In one moment it’s a historical document, not to be taken seriously as a guide to conduct in modern times. In another moment it’s the Word of God and must rule all our lives. Kinda makes you wonder … ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2006, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biblical-slavery/360100/8 "2006-06-10T23:22:50Z")
[QUOTE=Evil Captor] The Bible clearly condones slavery and masters beating slaves NEARLY to death on a whim. I don’t know what it says about a master’s sexual rights wrt female slaves. I imagine it maintains a discreet silence on the topic. In one moment it’s a historical document, not to be taken seriously as a guide to conduct in modern times. In another moment it’s the Word of God and must rule all our lives. Kinda makes you wonder … [/QUOTE] Feel free to wonder about it in another forum. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2006, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biblical-slavery/360100/9 "2006-06-10T23:31:08Z")
[QUOTE=C K Dexter Haven] The bible (that is, Old Testament) does not forbid slavery. It was written addressed to the Israelite society of its time; slavery was an accepted and common fact in every society of that era. The text reminds the Israelites that they were themselves mistreated as slaves in the land of Egypt, and therefore they must not mistreat slaves. The bible does restricts and constrains the concept of slavery. There are biblical laws to protect the rights of slaves. As noted, the term of slavery is limited to six years. A master cannot kill a slave, although casual beatings from which the slave recovers are OK. However, if there’s any permanent damage done (literatlly, if a master knocks out an eye or tooth of a slave), the slave goes free. These rules seem harsh to us, 2500 or 3000 years later. In fact, for its time, it was extremely advanced. [/QUOTE] While it might have been “advanced” for its time, I don’t think the details you outline correctly reflect the actual conditions a slave might encounter, per the Biblical quotes above. Further, the question here isn’t so much about how advanced it was for the time, the question is one of whether ther words in the Bible are inspired by God or not. I don’t think the Bibilican literalists would try to argue that God’s morality has evolved (pardon the pun) over time, would they?