Exodus 21:7 kjv

And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do.

Exodus 21:7 nkjv

"And if a man sells his daughter to be a female slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do.

Exodus 21:7 niv

"If a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as male servants do.

Exodus 21:7 esv

"When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do.

Exodus 21:7 nlt

"When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she will not be freed at the end of six years as the men are.

Exodus 21 verses

Exodus 21 7 Meaning

Exodus 21:7 dictates a specific law concerning a Hebrew man who sells his daughter into servitude, often due to poverty. Unlike male servants who were to be set free after six years of service, this female servant was not to go free at a fixed time. Her situation was distinct, often involving a marital arrangement either for herself or her master's son, indicating a more permanent integration into the household as a wife, concubine, or daughter-in-law, thereby ensuring her security and preventing her from being put out into destitution.

Exodus 21 7 Context

Exodus chapter 21 introduces the "Book of the Covenant" (Ex 20:22-23:33), providing detailed legal statutes for ancient Israel, following the Ten Commandments given at Mount Sinai. These laws immediately establish societal order and justice under God's covenant. Verses 2-11 specifically deal with the laws regarding servitude within the Israelite community, distinguishing between male and female Hebrew servants. In ancient Israel and the broader Ancient Near East (ANE), servitude was often a socioeconomic safety net, especially due to debt or extreme poverty, rather than the chattel slavery practiced later in history. A father selling his daughter, as in Ex 21:7, was often a desperate measure by impoverished families, intended to secure a living and future for their child within another household. The laws surrounding her service ensured certain protections and often led to integration, frequently through marriage or concubinage, rather than a transient period of labor followed by re-entry into a possibly unstable society. This prevented abandonment and destitution, acting as a form of social welfare within the communal and familial structures of the time.

Exodus 21 7 Word analysis

• And if a man: Hebrew: וְכִי יִמְכֹּר אִישׁ (ve-khi yimkor 'ish).
  • וְכִי (ve-khi): "And if." This particle introduces a hypothetical or conditional case that is expected to occur or is considered a significant possibility. It indicates the practical application of the broader laws established.
  • יִמְכֹּר (yimkor): "He sells." From the verb מָכַר (makar), meaning to sell. This implies a transfer of control, often due to financial need. The act of "selling" here should be understood within the context of Ancient Near Eastern legal practices, often as a temporary transfer of labor or rights for economic relief, not chattel ownership in the modern sense.
  • אִישׁ ('ish): "A man." Refers to a male Israelite head of household. In this cultural context, the father had the legal authority over his daughters, especially regarding their marriage and economic well-being.
• his daughter: Hebrew: בִתּוֹ (bitto).
  • בִּת (bat): "Daughter." The suffix '-o' indicates "his." The act of a father selling his daughter was a tragic but sometimes necessary practice in times of severe poverty, common in the ANE. This arrangement was primarily for economic stability, securing a future for the daughter who otherwise might face destitution.
• as a female slave: Hebrew: לְאָמָה (le'amah).
  • לְ (le-): "As" or "for." Preposition indicating purpose or status.
  • אָמָה ('amah): "Female slave" or "maidservant." This term specifically denotes a female servant, distinct from a male slave (עֶבֶד, 'eved). An amah often had a more intimate role within the household, potentially involving concubinage or marriage, thereby integrating her into the family structure, contrasting with an 'eved who was generally a laborer.
• she shall not go out: Hebrew: לֹא תֵצֵא (lo tetse).
  • לֹא (lo): "Not." Negation.
  • תֵצֵא (tetse): "She shall go out." From the verb יָצָא (yatsa'), meaning to go out, exit, or be released. This phrase explicitly negates the freedom clause applied to male servants. Her "going out" (or release) is fundamentally different.
• as the male servants do: Hebrew: כְּצֵאת הָעֲבָדִים (ke-tset ha'avadim).
  • כְּ (ke-): "As" or "like."
  • צֵאת (tset): "Going out" (noun form, from יָצָא). Refers to the male servant's stipulated release.
  • הָעֲבָדִים (ha'avadim): "The male servants" (plural of עֶבֶד, 'eved, "male servant/slave," with definite article הָ, ha). This directly refers to the law outlined in Ex 21:2, where Hebrew male slaves were to be set free after six years. The contrast emphasizes the unique legal status and the more permanent nature of the female servant's arrangement.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• וְכִי יִמְכֹּר אִישׁ בִּתּוֹ (ve-khi yimkor 'ish bitto): "And if a man sells his daughter." This phrase sets the legal scenario, highlighting the father's prerogative due to economic necessity. It's not a generic act of slavery but a specific type of legal arrangement. Scholars suggest this was a last resort for destitute families.
• לְאָמָה (le'amah): "as a female slave." The choice of amah (maidservant) rather than shifcha (often used for non-Israelite slave) or a general 'eved emphasizes a different status and likely more domestic integration. Commentaries frequently point to amah implying potential marriage.
• לֹא תֵצֵא כְּצֵאת הָעֲבָדִים (lo tetse ke-tset ha'avadim): "she shall not go out as the male servants do." This is the core distinction. It explicitly denies her the automatic six-year release of the male eved. This seeming limitation was often a form of protection, securing her place in the household, possibly leading to marriage or the raising of her own children within the household, ensuring she wasn't abandoned to face poverty again.

Exodus 21 7 Bonus section

The unique stipulations for the amah in Exodus 21:7-11 have been interpreted by some scholars as not primarily a "slave law" in the common sense, but rather an early form of "marriage by purchase" law, or a contract for permanent domestic service that strongly implied future marital integration. This perspective sees the transaction less about property ownership and more about acquiring a long-term household member, providing social security for the woman involved. The specific terminology amah (maidservant) versus eved (male servant/slave) further underscores a distinct category with different expectations and protections rooted in the value of ensuring a stable household structure.

Exodus 21 7 Commentary

Exodus 21:7 is a critical verse in understanding the nuances of servitude in ancient Israel, challenging modern conceptions of "slavery." This law specifically addresses a desperate measure where a father sells his daughter, typically due to extreme poverty, not into chattel slavery but into a distinct form of indentured service often coupled with potential marriage arrangements. Unlike male Hebrew servants, she did not "go out free" after a fixed six-year term (Ex 21:2). This permanent bond, outlined in subsequent verses (Ex 21:8-11), secured her livelihood and status, either as a secondary wife (concubine), a primary wife for the master, or a wife for his son. From the master's perspective, this was a transaction acquiring a future daughter-in-law or wife; from the daughter's, it was security from destitution. This protective framework was crucial in a society with limited social safety nets for single or impoverished women. The laws of the Book of the Covenant provided the vulnerable with certain rights and pathways to integration, contrasting sharply with harsher slavery practices prevalent in neighboring ANE cultures, showcasing God's concern for human dignity within prevailing social structures.