Question 1

What is a Hebrew servant in this passage?

Accepted Answer

A Hebrew servant here is an Israelite who became a servant to pay off debt or survive poverty, not someone kidnapped or sold by force. He served six years, then had to be set free in the seventh year without paying anything. If he came into service already married, his wife left with him. If his master gave him a wife during his service, the wife and children stayed with the master until their own time of service ended. This system limited how long a fellow Israelite could be kept in bondage.

Question 2

Why would a servant choose to stay with his master forever?

Accepted Answer

The law allows a servant to choose to stay if he openly says he loves his master, his wife, and his children and does not want to go free. Then he is brought before the judges, and his ear is pierced at a door or doorpost as a sign of lifelong service. This shows service is not meant to be only about force and duty. In the best case, it could grow into a relationship of love and trust where the servant freely chooses to remain, even though freedom is offered.

Question 3

What does eye for eye, tooth for tooth mean here?

Accepted Answer

In this passage, “eye for eye, tooth for tooth” is not giving people a right to take private revenge. It is a rule for judges so that the punishment fits the harm done. If lasting injury came from a fight, the one who caused it could not be punished more harshly than the damage he caused, but also could not escape all blame. It set a limit so people did not answer a small hurt with a greater one, keeping justice measured and stopping feuds from growing.

Question 4

Why are striking or cursing parents punished so strongly?

Accepted Answer

Striking a father or mother, or cursing them, is treated very seriously in this passage, even with the death penalty. Parents were the first human authority God gave, so open violence or hateful speech against them was seen as rebellion not only against the family but against God’s order. These laws protected the honor and safety of parents and warned children that contempt and violence toward them are not small matters. They show how weighty family respect was in Israel’s life.

Question 5

What does this passage say about kidnapping and slavery?

Accepted Answer

The passage clearly says that anyone who steals a person, sells that person, or is caught with the kidnapped person must be put to death. This rules out seizing people and trading them like goods. While there were Hebrew servants who entered service because of debt or poverty and had set limits on their time, stealing a person for sale is treated as a terrible crime. It shows that God honours each person’s life and freedom and does not allow human trafficking among his people.

Question 6

How were injuries and damages handled according to these laws?

Accepted Answer

The laws give many examples. If men fought and one was hurt but later recovered, the attacker had to pay for lost time and medical care. If someone’s ox killed a person, the ox was killed and not eaten. If the owner already knew the ox was dangerous and did nothing, he could even face death, or a payment for his life if that was allowed. If an animal fell into an open pit someone left uncovered, the one who opened it had to repay the loss. The point is carefulness and fair repayment.

Question 7

Why are there special rules about hurting a pregnant woman?

Accepted Answer

If men were fighting and a pregnant woman was hurt so that she gave birth early, there had to be a fine set by the husband and judges if there was no further harm. But if serious harm followed, the law called for life for life and other matching penalties. This shows that both the woman and the child she carried were to be protected. Even when the injury was not on purpose, people were still held responsible for the risk and loss they caused to a vulnerable person.

Question 8

What does this passage teach about God’s character?

Accepted Answer

These laws show that God cares about justice in everyday details, not just in worship times. He limits the power of masters, protects daughters sold as maidservants, punishes murder and kidnapping, and requires payment when people or animals are harmed. He makes a clear difference between accidents and planned evil, yet even accidents still call for responsibility. All this paints a picture of a God who values life, guards the weak, and wants wrongs to be made right in measured ways.

Question 9

Why does this passage talk about daughters sold as maidservants?

Accepted Answer

In a poor society, some fathers might sell a daughter as a maidservant, often with the hope she would become a wife in that household. The laws protect her from being treated like a piece of property. If the master does not want to marry her after all, she must be allowed to be redeemed, and she cannot be sold to a foreign people. If she is given to the master’s son, she must be treated like a daughter. If her rights to food, clothing, and marital care are denied, she is to go free without payment.

Question 10

How can these laws about servants and injury matter for us today?

Accepted Answer

We do not live under these civil laws now, but they still show what God cares about. They remind us that power over others must be limited, that workers and those under authority deserve protection, and that hurting people and then shrugging it off is wrong. They also show that punishment and payment should be fair and not driven by rage. When we deal with employees, family, neighbours, or even our animals and property, these principles call us to act with care, honesty, and respect for life.

Exodus 21:1

Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.

Hebrew Servants

Personal Injury Laws

Hebrew Servants

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Exodus 21:1

Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.

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Hebrew Servants

Personal Injury Laws

Hebrew Servants

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