Leviticus 25:43

43 Do not be a hard master to him, but have the fear of God before you.

Leviticus 25:43 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 25:43

Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour
As the Egyptians ruled over the Israelites, and made them to serve, ( Exodus 1:13 ) ; where the same word is used as here, and seems designed to put them in mind of it, that so they might abstain from such usage of their brethren, which they had met with from their most cruel enemies; it signifies tyranny and oppression, treating them with great severity, laying hard and heavy tasks and burdens upon them they could not bear; enjoining them things they could not perform, and ordering them to do what were unnecessary, and without any limitation with respect to time: but shalt fear thy God;
that has been good to thee, and has brought thee out of hard and rigorous bondage in Egypt; and which should be remembered with thankfulness, and they should fear to offend so good a God by using a brother cruelly.

Leviticus 25:43 In-Context

41 Then he will go out from you, he and his children with him, and go back to his family and to the property of his fathers.

42 For they are my servants whom I took out from the land of Egypt; they may not become the property of another.

43 Do not be a hard master to him, but have the fear of God before you.

44 But you may get servants as property from among the nations round about; from them you may take men-servants and women-servants.

45 And in addition, you may get, for money, servants from among the children of other nations who are living with you, and from their families which have come to birth in your land; and these will be your property.