Moses and slavery

[Sky_River]

Why did Moses order the death penalty for slavery in Exodus 21 16 and Deuteronomy 24:7, if slavery was legal in Ancient Israel? The Bible even speaks of the Israelites owning slaves and makes rules regarding it.

 

[SuperLuigi]

Why did Moses order the death penalty for slavery in Exodus 21 16 and Deuteronomy 24:7, if slavery was legal in Ancient Israel? The Bible even speaks of the Israelites owning slaves and makes rules regarding it.

The “slavery” described in some parts of the Old Testament is not the same that modern North Americans and Europeans are accustomed to, which is basically Africans in chains on ships sent to places to be sold.

The “slavery” is really more along the lines of work for restitution of something.

I hope others post too because the idea of “slavery” in the Bible is an excuse for people to reject Catholic teaching, so we need to be clear as to what is going on in the Old Testament.

 

[Cachonga]

Ex 21:16 and Deut 24:7 deals with kidnapping, not slavery. Slavery in the time of Moses was NOT anything like the slavery practiced in this country prior to the Civil War. For the most part, slavery in the time of Moses was more like indentured servitude and only lasted for a set time (no more than 7 years - UNLESS the “Slave” wanted to remain in service to his “Master”).

 

[DoGodsBidding]

The “slavery” described in some parts of the Old Testament is not the same that modern North Americans and Europeans are accustomed to, which is basically Africans in chains on ships sent to places to be sold.

The “slavery” is really more along the lines of work for restitution of something.

I hope others post too because the idea of “slavery” in the Bible is an excuse for people to reject Catholic teaching, so we need to be clear as to what is going on in the Old Testament.

 

[Dorothy]

The “slavery” described in some parts of the Old Testament is not the same that modern North Americans and Europeans are accustomed to, which is basically Africans in chains on ships sent to places to be sold.

The “slavery” is really more along the lines of work for restitution of something.

I hope others post too because the idea of “slavery” in the Bible is an excuse for people to reject Catholic teaching, so we need to be clear as to what is going on in the Old Testament.

Just last night at a bible study I attended the priest mentioned some things about slavery in the Old Testament. He explained, and showed us from scripture, that even the slaves that lived with the Israelites had to be circumcised; he also explained that they were treated as members of the family.

So true that it needs to be articulated correctly to those who repeat it incorrectly.

 

[Sky_River]

**The “slavery” described in some parts of the Old Testament is not the same that modern North Americans and Europeans are accustomed to, which is basically Africans in chains on ships sent to places to be sold. **

**The “slavery” is really more along the lines of work for restitution of something.
**
I hope others post too because the idea of “slavery” in the Bible is an excuse for people to reject Catholic teaching, so we need to be clear as to what is going on in the Old Testament.

So then why did Moses ordain the death penalty for it?

 

[TimothyH]

So then why did Moses ordain the death penalty for it?

The source of the Mosaic law is God. Moses said it but God ordained it. It is not Moses’ commandment but God’s commandment.

Someone already explained it to you. It has to do with kidnapping, not slavery.

"Whoever steals a man, whether he sells him or is found in possession of him, shall be put to death. (Exodus 21:16)

There were several ways someone could become a slave

• Captured lawfully during war.
• Redeemed out of a debtor’s prison for not paying a debt.
• Voluntarily sell themselves as a slave
• Sell their children into slavery

The death penalty was for taking someone into slavery against his will apart from the list above. You couldn’t just knock some random person over the head and sell them into slavery (as Joseph’s brother’s did) or keep them as your own slave. Doing so was considered “stealing” a person.

Slavery itself was allowed but there were rules on who could become slaves, how one became a slave and how slaves were to be acquired. To bel clear, no Jew could ever be a slave of another Jew.

-Tim-