Those who are passionate and seek the liberation of slaves worldwide may be troubled to see the term used in the Bible unapologetically. To understand why this may be, individuals should look at the historical and cultural context of both the Bible and Ancient Near Eastern texts. When this is accomplished, what the term slavery meant can be better understood from the perspective of the original biblical audience. Understanding this context will aid individuals in recognizing the broader society of Scripture. God’s model for a nation will also be reaffirmed as an example to follow rather than shrink away from. When biblical slavery is understood, it will become evident to readers how this term has become distorted in today’s context.
“The issue then is not whether the Old Testament law is applicable today, but how it is applicable” (Averbeck 125). The first step in understanding what slavery meant in the biblical context is to know what it looked like in Israelite culture. The Mosaic law was a two-sided conditional covenant made between God and the Israelites. This covenant was established because God was bringing His people to possess a land that was filled with many pagan religions and rituals. “‘When you enter the land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the detestable things of those nations . . . For those nations, which you shall dispossess, listen to those who practice witchcraft and to diviners, but as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do so” (Deut. 18:9–14 NASB). With this context in mind, it can be understood why the laws for managing slaves were put into place.
In the Ancient Near East, military victory over another nation meant the conquered people could be taken as slaves. “To the ancients this was considered a humanitarian improvement on the earlier practice of killing all of the enemy. Various legal codes, including those in OT law, sought to limit the excesses of brutal punishment that captives received” (Silva 69). While this may seem extreme for today’s culture, it is important to remember that “[l]aw is fundamental to all societies, but different times and places often have different legislative needs” (Averbeck 114). While the law allowed slavery of a conquered nation, it did protect free persons from being kidnapped and sold into slavery (Ex. 21:16; Deut. 24:7). “Women and children were especially protected. Women could not be sold to foreigners (Ex 21:8) and were privy to equal rights if adopted or given in marriage (Ex 21:9)” (Ryken et al. 2). Owning slaves was also different from today’s context in the kinds of work they did.
“Slaves were usually domestics in the households of the well-to-do rather than agricultural or handicraft workers. A warm affection frequently developed between master and slave” (Silva 71). This affection between slave and master can be understood as a model of Christians and the Father. “Masters, grant to your slaves justice and fairness, knowing that you too have a Master in heaven” (Col. 4:1). While there was a time when slaves were brought “into Roman society by the hundreds of thousands. . . one must be careful not to assign the barbaric treatment of slaves by the Romans in the pre-Christian centuries to the early Christian era. . . [H]umanitarian changes had been introduced. . . and these led to radically improved treatment of slaves, who had most of the legal rights that were granted to the freeborn” (Silva 72). Some living conditions of slaves were better than those of free persons because they had the assurance of their basic needs (food, shelter, clothing, etc.) being met (Silva 72).
When this context is understood in contrast to today’s understanding of the term slavery, readers will be more capable of recognizing the evil that is modern-day slavery. Modern-day slavery does not seek to treat slaves respectfully. “[However, b]ecause of God’s laws, Hebrews were known among the nations as being good masters” (Ryken et al. 2). Biblical slavery, while not always practiced perfectly, is an example of God’s provision of love and care for all people.
Works Cited
Averbeck, Richard E. “Law.” Cracking Old Testament Codes, D. Brent Sandy and Ronald L. Giese, eds., B&H, 1995, pp. 113-38.
NASB. New American Standard Version. The Holy Bible. Lockman, 2013.
Ryken, Leland, et al. Dictionary of Biblical Imagery. IVP, 1998.
Silva, Moises. The Essential Companion to Life in Bible Times: Key Insights for Reading God’s Word. Zondervan, 2011.
This article was originally written for Assignment 4-2 of Ancient Near Eastern Background taught by Professor Greg Stephens (Moody Distance Learning)