Theists: What would have happened to a Babylonian slave if he tried to escape his Israelite master?

Question

What would have happened to foreign slaves if they tried to escape from their Israelite masters?

According to the bible, it is ok to beat your slaves as long as you don't kill them:

Exodus 21:20-21
"Anyone who beats their male or female slave with a rod must be punished if the slave dies as a direct result, but they are not to be punished if the slave recovers after a day or two, since the slave is their property."

The slave is the property of his master, meaning the slave is an object, not a person, according to the writer of Exodus. The slave is not given any say in the matter, the slave didn't choose this. He or she is bought by an Israelite and treated as property, whether he likes it or not.

What are the consequences if this slave decides to fight for his or her freedom? Escape from bondage? Theists, why was the writer of Exodus anything other than completely and utterly against the very thought of owning another person? Why didn't they fight to end slavery once and for all?

Keep in mind that Southern slavers would one day lean on passages like this to justify the ownership of slavery, and you know what? They were right, according to the bible there is nothing wrong with owning slaves.

Why do theists get defensive when I call them out for slavery apologism? Why don't they speak out against passages like this? Why do they try to justify them?

Answer 1

(1) Why are you asking Bible questions to Wiccans and Hindus and other religious people who don't have any reason to have any knowledge of the Bible??



A "theist" is one who believes in any god or gods.



(2) Your Bible translation is defective or you were not reading it attentively



Exodus 21:20 is the absolute opposite of what you would have it be --



It makes any killing of a servant into a Premeditated Murder conviction - even if the boss claims defense of accident or the like.



Thus -- it is actually a de-facto PROHIBITION of beatings.



(3) To go to your specific question

> What would have happened to foreign slaves if they tried to escape from their Israelite masters?



"You shall not deliver a slave to his master if he seeks refuge with you from his master. He shall be allowed to reside among you, wherever he chooses within any of your cities, where it is good for him. You shall not oppress him."



(Deuteronomy 23:16, 17 - or in some of the bad Christian translations it may be off by one or two verses - maybe 23:15)



-- And the First Jewish War against Rome was largely fought because of this defense of fugitive slaves law (according to Tacitus)



============

> Slavery is slavery, even if...



I agree.

Therefore -- before you pass judgement on the ancient Hebrew law -- make sure you are not using a translation made by medieval slavers to justify their wrongdoing --



The FACT of the matter is -- there is no separate Hebrew word "slave"

The use of slave in any translated text was a translator choice.



The Hebrew word is simply "worker" --

and every type of worker had the same set of protections under the law -- whether he was bought out of chattel slavery in foreign lands. or he was under a six year contract to work of debts -- or he was working on an hourly or per-job basis.

Answer 2

Why do you judge God? Why do you presume to judge God? God doesn't need us to defend him, but it is funny that you can judge the words of God.



God destroyed all of humanity except Noah and his family in a flood. Yet people still chose to sin and commit evil afterwards. Why? You think the judgment of God would have made an impression on people, but it didn't.



Gen 19:24 Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;

Gen 19:25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.



The sight of fire raining down from heaven didn't stop man's evil and depravity! So what makes you think that God could have stopped the evil in man's heart from owning slaves?



God didn't create slavery, didn't create divorce, or any other of the hundreds of other sins that exist. Yet he had to set rules for people and those rules may seem wrong to us, but it is not our place to judge. We leave that to God.



We would be wise to listen to what God says in his word (The Bible) and then follow what he tells us to do.

Answer 3

Actually, you've misstated verse 21. It doesn't say it's ok if the slave recovers after a day or two, it says it's ok if they don't die for a day or two.



The verse is explicitly stating that if a slave takes more than a couple days to die after a beating, then it wasn't the beating that killed them.

Answer 4

According to old Hebrew laws they were not allowed to return a runaway slave to his master. There was an old custom where poor people sell themselves to pay off debit and to survive.

Answer 5

The Deuteronomic Code forbids the people of Israel from handing over fugitive slaves to their masters or oppressing them, and instructs that these fugitives should be allowed to reside where they wish.[83] Although a literal reading would indicate that this applies to slaves of all nationalities and locations, the Mishnah and many commentators consider the rule to have the much narrower application, to just those slaves who flee from outside Israelite territory into it



Many slaves escaped form their Gentile masters and took refuge with Hebrew masters instead - because of better treatment



GOD ORDERED THE HEBREWS NOT TO MAKE THEM GO BACK



see this



Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible



Thou shall not deliver unto his master the servant which is escaped from his master unto thee. That is, one that has been used ill by a cruel and tyrannical master, and was in danger of his life with him, or of being lamed by him, and therefore obliged to make his escape from him on that account; such an one, when he fell into the hands of an Israelite, was not to be taken and bound, and sent back to his master again, but was to be retained till his master's anger subsided; or however until inquiry could be made into the cause of the difference between him and his master, and matters be made up between them to mutual satisfaction; or if it appeared that the flight of the servant was just, and it was not safe for him to return to his master, then he was to be used as hereafter directed; for it cannot be thought that this law was made to encourage and protect every idle, disobedient, and fugitive servant, which would be very sinful and unjust: the Jewish writers generally understand it of the servants of idolaters fleeing for the sake of religion; Onkelos renders it,"a servant of the people,''of Heathen people; the Targum of Jonathan is,"thou shalt not deliver a stranger (i.e. a proselyte of righteousness, as Maimonides (w) calls this servant) into the hands of those that worship idols, but he shall be delivered by you, that he may be under the shadow of my Shechinah, because that he fled from the worship of his idol.''Jarchi makes mention of another sense; that it may be understood of"a Canaanitish servant of an Israelite that flees (from his master) without the land, where he was not obliged to go with him, and serve him against his will; but I suppose a proselyte is meant;''and much more then will this hold good of an Hebrew servant in such circumstances. Aben Ezra interprets this of a servant not an Israelite, who, in time of war, flees from his master, not an Israelite also, unto the camp of Israel, and that for the glory of the divine name which is called upon Israel; such an one, though a servant, might not be delivered to his master.



(w) Hilchot Abadim, c. 8. sect. 11.

Answer 6

that wasnt my culture .. and in those times and setting you had two options when conquered .. death or servant .. you werent skipping off into the sunset to plan revenge .. wasnt going to happen ..

Answer 7

Xtians have nothing to do with the old testament.