DOES THE BIBLE CONDONE SLAVERY?EXPLORING BIBLICAL VERSES ON SLAVERY

Slavery is a touchy subject for most people that look into it. The prominent questions asked by the believer and unbeliever are whether God condoned slavery, and if so, why?

In this article we will be looking at the bible verses on slavery in the new testament and the old testament, and how it was defined and managed in the scriptures.

Before we reason with God it's important that we employ the thinking that God requires. First God tells us that our ways are not his ways.

Isaiah 55:8-9

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

... Gods ways about slavery can only be found in the word of God which he gave to Israel, its a bad faith argument if we apply slavery practices outside the bible to the God of Israel.

It's not our place to question God, we are to obey and understand him to gain eternal life.

So when we look at the bible we have to see slavery in Gods perspective.

The scriptures regrarding slavery here will be based on the rules God gave his people Israel inorder to regulate slavery within their nation. As Israel are the model God gave to the world for his thoughts and how things are to be done, this means the way he told Israel to regulate slavery presents the best way to understand how God looks at slavery...

Psalm 82:5-8

5 They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.

6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.

7 But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.

8 Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.

The scripture above Identifies Israel as the nation chose to lead the world, but, because of their disobedience they die like men, meaning they would not all receive eternal life (The gift God gives). In verse 8, we read the Psalmist telling us God will inherit all nations, meaning that eternal life is afforded to all the peoples of the earth that God has created, if we believe.

This means that any slavery outside of what God gave to Israel can not be judged according to the standards God required Israel to adhere too.

This means that the transatlantic slave trade, some call the "Maafa", the Subsaharan Arab slave trade and the slavic slave trade were never sanctioned by God, these were all man made modes of servitude, which means God never condoned them in any way.

That being said let's look at some of the Scripture verses that deal with Gods version of slavery.

Bible Verses on slavery in the New Testament

A verse in the bible that is fitting to start off this exploration is;

Ephesians 6:5-9

5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;

6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;

7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:

8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

9 And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.

There is quite abit to unpack here. At first glance these verses may look to be endorsing slavery, but with the perspective I have highlight previously, hopefully you're now aware this is not the case.

Here Paul is telling servants (slaves) to be good to their masters...

*Unfortunately this is where many stop, to either condone slavery or to condemn slavery in the bible as the unmetered slavery we see all around the world.*

... when we continue to read, we see that Paul also tells the Masters of slaves to be good to their slaves.

We also find further scripture again telling servants to be good to their masters, even if they're stubborn.

1 Peter 2:18-21

18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.

19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.

20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.

21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

What we can observe in these verses is that there is an implied notion that slaves had the power to make their own decisions to some extent and were not wholly bound by their masters. If the Masters of slaves had full control over them, what need would there have been for Peter to encourage slaves to behave in a way that honoured God and Christ.

It's clear that slave masters had great control over slaves because they were their sole providers, but it's also evident that the bible advocates for an exchange of services i.e. the slaves worked for their slave masters, in some cases this was a life time agreement and in others until terms were met.

But this is in no way comparable to the conditions that were upheld in the Trans Atlantic slave trade or any of the slave trades mentioned above, which are all diabolical.

Bible Verses on Slavery Old Testament

There are bible verses that address slavery from the old testament, they give us Gods actual sentiment about slavery. Let's start with the treatment of slaves. The bible often calls slaves servants, here we can see the treatment of a slave who is accidentally killed. This will set the tone for the type of slavery the bible condones compared to what we have seen in slave trades outside the bible.

Exodus 21:20-21

20 And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished.

21 Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money.

Here, it is evident that the Bible did not condone killing a slave.

It's overly simplistic to simply criticize and claim that God supports slavery, thus labeling God as unjust. Unfortunately, this is often the perspective of non-believers or those who consider themselves logical thinkers and atheists.

Simply understanding that God does not approve of the killing of a slave is sufficient to assert that God established fair laws to govern slavery, but let's proceed...

Leviticus 19:20-22

20 And whosoever lieth carnally with a woman, that is a bondmaid, betrothed to an husband, and not at all redeemed, nor freedom given her; she shall be scourged; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free.

21 And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the Lord, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, even a ram for a trespass offering.

22 And the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering before the Lord for his sin which he hath done: and the sin which he hath done shall be forgiven him.

Here, we observe that a slave woman involved in a sexual relationship, who was engaged to be married, was not subject to execution for infidelity due to her status as a slave. Her status as someone else's property would have resulted in a loss if she were killed.

Typically, Israel law mandated that both individuals involved in adultery be sentenced to death (Leviticus 20:10, Deuteronomy 22:22). This once more highlights that slaves had more rights than even free individuals.

In this situation, the slave woman would be physically punished, likely through some form of whipping. Similarly, the man found cheating with the slave woman was also obligated to make atonement for his wrongdoing.

Leviticus 19:33-34

33 And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him.

34 But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

This scripture refers to outsiders living among the Israelites, often termed as heathens, gentiles, or other nations. It is evident that God instructed Israel to treat these outsiders with respect. Additionally, it mentions the Israelites' own experience of enslavement in Egypt, highlighting the fairness that God expected Israel to extend to outsiders.

Unlike the modern forms of slavery witnessed after Israel, such as the European transatlantic slavery (beginning in the 1400s), the Arab Sub-Saharan slavery (starting from 600 AD), and the Eastern European Slavic slavery (from 700 AD), God did not approve of mistreating outsiders simply due to their differences marry this to the fact that God made all men, it makes perfect sense.

Leviticus 24:22

22 Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one of your own country: for I am the Lord your God.

God's treatment of outsiders is further emphasized by the expectation that both foreigners and Israelites must follow God's law. There is no separate law for Israelites; the laws given by God are the standard for all. This doesn't men the laws were the same for Israel and other nations, but that Gods law was the only law all peoples are to adhere too.

Leviticus 25:47-55

47 And if a sojourner or stranger wax rich by thee, and thy brother that dwelleth by him wax poor, and sell himself unto the stranger or sojourner by thee, or to the stock of the stranger's family:

48 After that he is sold he may be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him:

49 Either his uncle, or his uncle's son, may redeem him, or any that is nigh of kin unto him of his family may redeem him; or if he be able, he may redeem himself.

50 And he shall reckon with him that bought him from the year that he was sold to him unto the year of jubile: and the price of his sale shall be according unto the number of years, according to the time of an hired servant shall it be with him.

51 If there be yet many years behind, according unto them he shall give again the price of his redemption out of the money that he was bought for.

52 And if there remain but few years unto the year of jubile, then he shall count with him, and according unto his years shall he give him again the price of his redemption.

53 And as a yearly hired servant shall he be with him: and the other shall not rule with rigour over him in thy sight.

54 And if he be not redeemed in these years, then he shall go out in the year of jubile, both he, and his children with him.

55 For unto me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

The scenario described above reflects God's law regarding how foreigners were to treat Israelites if they had them as slaves. This illustrates the treatment between outsiders and Israelites, a contrast to modern slavery, where dominant nations always held superiority over the outsider nations they ruled and were generally never enslaved themselves.

Throughout the European Transatlantic slavery period, the Black so-called African slaves (who, according to prophecy, are one third of Israel today, Deuteronomy 28:68) were regarded as property, which meant they were entirely deprived of rights. To properly place this slavery would be to call it a curse and human sacrifice.

Leviticus 25:35-40

35 ‘Now if your fellow countryman becomes poor and his hand falters with you [that is, he has trouble repaying you for something], then you are to help and sustain him, [with courtesy and consideration] like [you would] a stranger or a temporary resident [without property], so that he may live among you.

36 Do not charge him usurious interest, but fear your God [with profound reverence], so your countryman may [continue to] live among you.

37 You shall not give him your money at interest, nor your food at a profit.

38 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God.

39 ‘And if your fellow countryman becomes so poor [in his dealings] with you that he sells himself to you [as payment for a debt], you shall not let him do the work of a slave [who is ineligible for redemption],

40 but he is to be with you as a hired man, as if he were a temporary resident; he shall serve with you until the Year of Jubilee,

The scripture above highlights certain exceptions for Israel. God instructed that any Israelite facing financial difficulties should be supported by their fellow Israelites. This means they were to be provided assistance to regain stability, without any interest charged on the aid given. Additionally, they were to be released during the Year of Jubilee, which occurred every 50 years (Leviticus 25:8-10).

Deuteronomy 24:14

14 Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy gates:

We also observe that God explicitly instructed not to oppress any slave, whether they were Israelites or non-Israelites. This law serves to protect slaves, preventing the addition of suffering as seen in modern-day slavery situations.

Deuteronomy 23:15-16

15 Thou shalt not deliver unto his master the servant which is escaped from his master unto thee:

16 He shall dwell with thee, even among you, in that place which he shall choose in one of thy gates, where it liketh him best: thou shalt not oppress

This scripture talks about something you'd never imagine with modern slavery i.e. a slave actually having the chance to gain freedom by escaping from their master.

As illustrated in the images provided below, during the transatlantic slavery period, individuals were rewarded for returning runaway slaves...

This should prompt reflection on the nature of slavery among the Israelites in contrast to contemporary slavery.

Bible Verses on Slavery in New Testament

The bible verses against slavery do not exist in the bible. If they did the bible would not be in touch with reality. The upside is that the bible does regulate slavery, it does not condone the slavery we see in the world today. The verses below can be found in the New testament in the bible and they encourage slaves or servants to serve the masters as God would expect them too:

Ephesians 6:5-8

5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;

6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;

7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:

8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

Colossians 3:22-24

22 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God;

23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

As you keep reading, you'll notice that the form of slavery God intended is different from what occurred in the transatlantic slave trade or any other slave trades, such as the European or Arab slave trades, which were under Gods governance of Israel.

Does Leviticus 25:44-46 Condone Slavery?

In the scriptures, we see that God opposed some elements of slavery for Israel, amongst Israelites. However, God permitted other nations to practice slavery. God explicitly instructed the Israelites not to treat each other harshly. Although Hebrews could also become slaves, an important point is that slaves had rights outlined in God's laws.

Leviticus 25:44-46

44 Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you; of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids.

45 Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land: and they shall be your possession.

46 And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession; they shall be your bondmen for ever: but over your brethren the children of Israel, ye shall not rule one over another with rigour.

It is evident that the Bible permits a form of slavery. However, if we evaluate it honestly, this does not encompass the type of slavery observed beyond the context of biblical slavery.

Throughout the Transatlantic, Sub-Saharan, and Eastern European slave trades that occurred across various countries, it is evident that slaves possessed little to no rights. If a slave escaped or went missing, they could be pursued and forced back into slavery.

Displayed below are two images of posters offering rewards for the capture of runaway slaves in the United States of America, they prove that slaves were seen merely as property.

It is also important to note that the servants and slaves mentioned in earlier verses like Ephesians 6:5-8 and Colossians 3:22-24 were mostly gentiles. This is because God's law was less inclined towards Israelites becoming slaves. However, there is still evidence that Israelites could also be enslaved.

Click here for the source of the poster below:

Click here for the source of the poster below:

Click the image below to see more posters:

This goes against what the Bible states, where it was prohibited to send back a slave who had fled from their master.

Deuteronomy 23:15-16

15 Thou shalt not deliver unto his master the servant which is escaped from his master unto thee:

16 He shall dwell with thee, even among you, in that place which he shall choose in one of thy gates, where it liketh him best: thou shalt not oppress

As observed, slaves had the opportunity to seek refuge if they needed to escape their master. This offers a distinct perspective on biblical slavery compared to contemporary instances of slavery, like the transatlantic, Sub-Saharan and European slavic slave trades.

Leviticus 25:44-46 explained

Leviticus 25:44-46

44 Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you; of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids.

45 Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land: and they shall be your possession.

46 And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession; they shall be your bondmen for ever: but over your brethren the children of Israel, ye shall not rule one over another with rigour.

It is clear that God favored His people, Israel, regarding slavery. It was specified that Israelite slaves should not be subjected to harsh treatment, defined as "with rigor."

It is also important to understand that in light of the verses above we can also conclude that in previous scriptures such as Colossians 3:22-24 and Ephesians 6:5-8, the servants or slaves referenced here would have most certainly been Gentiles (Other nations).

However, it is also true that other nations could become the slave masters to Israelites who sold themselves to them, as demonstrated below:

Leviticus 25:47-55

47 ‘Now if the financial means of a stranger or temporary resident among you become sufficient, and your fellow countryman becomes poor in comparison to him and sells himself to the stranger who is living among you or to the descendants of the stranger’s family,

48 then after he is sold he shall have the right of redemption. One of his relatives may redeem him:

49 either his uncle or his uncle’s son may redeem him, or one of his blood relatives from his family may redeem him; or if he prospers, he may redeem himself.

50 Then he [or his redeemer] shall calculate with his purchaser from the year when he sold himself to the purchaser to the Year of Jubilee, and the [original] price of his sale shall be adjusted according to the number of years. The time he was with his owner shall be considered as that of a hired man.

51 If there are still many years [before the Year of Jubilee], in proportion to them he must refund [to the purchaser] part of the price of his sale for his redemption and release.

52 And if only a few years remain until the Year of Jubilee, he shall so calculate it with him. He is to refund the proportionate amount for his release.

53 Like a man hired year by year he shall deal with him; he shall not rule over him with harshness in your sight.

54 Even if he is not redeemed during these years and under these provisions, then he shall go free in the Year of Jubilee, he and his children with him.

55 For the children of Israel are My servants; My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.

Brief Look at the Modern Day Transatlantic Slave Trade

During the Transatlantic slave trade, which took place between 1526 and the 1900s, Black African slaves were seen as "chattel," meaning property that could be bought, sold, and even given away. Children who were born to slave parents were born into slavery.

This type of slavery was practiced in half the states in the US until abolished in 1865 and 1833 in the UK (The Slavery Abolition Act 1833).

It is estimated that between 12 million and 20 million slaves were transported from Sub-Saharan Africa between the 1440s and the 1860s. The European transatlantic slave trade is noted as the largest forced migration in history.

Portugal, Brazil, Britain, France, Spain, Uruguay, the Netherlands, and the United States are responsible for transporting most of the slaves to their destinations.

A brief Look at Indentured Servants: Europeans

In the 1630s, at the beginning of the American Revolution, White Europeans, including the English, Irish, and German workers, entered into contracts to work for a specified period and were known as indentured servants. This period typically ranged from 3 to 7 years.

They worked in exchange for the opportunity to live in the Americas, along with food and housing. These workers were referred to as indentured servants and experienced harsh treatment, though it was not as severe as the treatment of Black Africans who were forcibly brought to the Americas to work without pay.

Here's am excerpt explaining some of the conditons:

Indentured servitude differed from slavery in that it was a form of debt bondage, meaning it was an agreed upon term of unpaid labor that usually paid off the costs of the servant’s immigration to America. Indentured servants were not paid wages but they were generally housed, clothed, and fed.

The rights to the individual’s labor could be bought and sold, but the servants themselves were not considered property and were free upon the end of their indenture (usually a period of five to seven years). Nevertheless, indentured servants, along with normal servants, were often subject to physical abuse. They had to have their master’s permission to marry and found that the courts enforced their agreements if they tried to avoid all or part of their indenture.

Indentured servitude was enormously common in colonial America. In the 17th century, nearly two thirds of British settlers were indentured servants while eighty percent of European immigrants to America were “redemptioners” (immigrants who needed to indenture themselves to pay for their immigration upon arrival to the colonies, rather than ones who worked out their contracts prior to departure). Most redemptioners came from Britain or Germany and were imported to Philadelphia. The majority were young, under twenty, and died before their contracts were up due to the rough conditions of travel and colonial life.

During the 18th century, indentured contracts became less necessary as the costs of immigration to America went down and African slave labor became increasingly attractive to the large landowners of the prospering colonies. During the Revolution, indentured “imports” basically ceased and the decline continued after the formation of the United States.

Source: Cliveden.org

Brief Look at the Sub-Saharan (Arab) Slave Trade

The Arab slave trade took place from the 7th century to the 20th century, with some suggesting it continues even now. Nonetheless, the emphasis is not on the mechanics of Arab slavery. When a slave woman bore children with a free man, those children were born free.

The Arab slave trade has most famously functioned within the context of Islam, but the Quran does not lay out specific rules concerning slavery. Rather, it presents views on slavery aimed at affording slaves as much dignity as possible. Although this is a positive aspect, the lack of explicit laws leaves slaves without a definitive path to pursue justice.

It should also be noted that in biblical times that Ishmaelites (Genesis 37:23-28) who are the progenitors of the Arabs are seen to be slave traders, which is before the advent of Islam. This shows that there has been a custom of slavery even before God gave Israel the 10 commandments. The most famous example of this is Joseph being sold into slavery by his brothers to some Ishmaelite slavers.

We can see in the Quran that Ishmael is the forefather or the Arabs, as it switches Ishmael for Isaac in the biblical biography (Genesis 22) that names Isaac as the sacrifice that Abraham was to provide to God as a show of his loyalty. Later Isaac has Jacob, who's name is changed to Israel and he fathers sons who become the 12 tribes of Israel, the tribe of Judah being the tribe that Christ comes from (Hebrews 7:14).

Conclusion

The bible clearly shows regulation of slavery, and it definitely does not condone the stealing of people. The fact that men have practised behaviour God never intended for is testament to mans evil and free-will.

The bible shows us that slavery in Egypt where we see Joseph being boought and sold by his brothers to Ishmaelites. He then rose to prominence and saved Israel from a famine. In this instance we see some advantage coming from slavery.

When we read scriptures we see prophecy that predicted that Israel would be enslaved for 400 years in Egypt (Genesis 15:13), which is the reason that they were enslaved. We are told that Gods prophecy never comes back void (Isaiah 55:11), or without being fulfilled. This is prophecy that Abraham pronounced. It is after Israels 400 years (Exodus 12:40) of slavery in Egypt that God gave Israel laws to govern slavery.

We can see that God presented laws for slavery after his people Israel were freed from slavery. A better question to ask is what does God in the bible say about slavery and from what we read above, all the laws concerning slavery were more of a regulatory tool, than the creation of slavery.

Things to consider are:

1. Slaves went free if they ran away.

2. Slaves could choose to stay with master.

3. Israel temporarily enslaved other Hebrews too.

4. Slavery in the bible was clearly different from Transatlantic, Arab and European slave trades.

The bible has rules on slavery, so it can be said that the bible condones slavery. But if God did not address slavery would he be God? The point is there are conditions on earth where people may need to access help to further their lives and a time of servitude is always the answer, most notably we see this in our employment.

For the most part slavery within the bible was to regulate it in the most human way possible.

This can also be said to be the case where a slave was the product of war, such as in cases where Israel conquered another nation.

But when using the bible as a record, it is clear that slavery is a man made practice, as stated above Joseph was sold into slavery long before God presents laws and commands about slavery, this serves to show us that there was a need to regulate slavery.

Shalom and share this with someone that needs it!

Sources:

1.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Saharan_slave_trade

2.https://www.britannica.com/topic/indentured-labor

3.https://cliveden.org/discover-cliveden/slavery-and-servitude/#:~:text=Indentured%20servitude%20differed%20from%20slavery,and%20were%20imported%20to%20Philadelphia.

4.https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/maritime-history/history-transatlantic-slave-trade#:~:text=Britain%20became%20the%20world's%20leading,The%20Middle%20Passage

5.https://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/african-enslavement-precolonial

6.https://repository.duke.edu/dc/broadsides/bdsmo11117

7.https://www.mdhistory.org/resources/150-reward-for-philip-adams/