"Now these are the rules that you shall set before them. When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing. If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him. If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out alone. But if the slave plainly says, 'I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,' then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever.
Exodus 21:1-6
This chapter sets forth laws that concern the rights of persons, as the following deals with those concerning rights of property, and thus elaborates the general theme of the dignity of man which we have seen to underlie the commandments given by God to Moses. The question of slavery as such is not under review in these verses, and there is no discussion as to whether it is right or wrong, morally defensible or not. But within the institution of slavery, and accepting it as a fact, the impressive thing to note here is the difference in conditions that obtained in the congregation of Israel as compared not only with the rest of the ancient world, but also with the much more modern slavery conditions in the 19th century Christian West. What we are meant to see is not the harshness of slavery as such, but rather the grace and the consideration that breathe throughout these merciful enactments. In Israel the bond-servant was not to be regarded as a mere chattel; he had rights as an individual personality, and these rights were to be faithfully observed and honoured. The message that comes through is that of learning to treat other human beings as human beings, and not to trample on them, or use them. It is the intensely humanitarian note that we are to grasp here. Elsewhere, slaves had no kind of rights, and could be disposed of at the whim of the master in any way he chose. The thought of giving consideration to a slave was quite foreign to heathendom. There is a concealed kindliness and humanity even in the provision mentioned in 6, by which a slave could bind himself to his master forever. It would surely be better to be a slave to a kind master than be left to fend for yourself in an unfriendly world for which you felt yourself inadequate. Security means much to most of us, and security is what is offered in this merciful legislation.