Leviticus 25:44

44 Your menservants and maidservants shall come from the nations around you, from whom you may purchase them.

Leviticus 25:44 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 25:44

Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have,
&c.] Such it seems were allowed them, if they had need of them; but if they had them, they were to be not of the nation of Israel, but of other nations; this is an anticipation of an objection, as Jarchi observes; if so, who shall I have to minister to me? The answer follows, they [shall be] of the heathen that are round about thee, of them shall ye
buy bondmen and bondmaids;
that is, of the Ammonites, Moabites, Edomites, and Syrians, as Aben Ezra, that were their neighbours, that lived round about them, of any but the seven nations, which they were ordered utterly to destroy; wherefore Jarchi observes it is said, "that are round about thee"; not in the midst of the border of your land, for them they were not to save alive, ( Deuteronomy 20:16 ) .

Leviticus 25:44 In-Context

42 Because the Israelites are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt, they are not to be sold as slaves.

43 You are not to rule over them harshly, but you shall fear your God.

44 Your menservants and maidservants shall come from the nations around you, from whom you may purchase them.

45 You may also purchase them from the foreigners residing among you or their clans living among you who are born in your land. These may become your property.

46 You may leave them to your sons after you to inherit as property; you can make them slaves for life. But as for your brothers, the Israelites, no man may rule harshly over his brother.