Exodus 21:4

4 Hat ihm aber sein Herr ein Weib gegeben, und er hat Söhne oder Töchter gezeugt, so soll das Weib und die Kinder seines Herrn sein, er aber soll ohne Weib ausgehen.

Exodus 21:4 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 21:4

If his master have given him a wife
One of his slaves, a Canaanitish woman, on purpose to beget slaves on her, since all born in his house were his own; this is supposed to be after he was come into his house, and into his service:

and she have born him sons or daughters;
as she might have born him several of the one sort, or the other, if she was given to him quickly after his servitude began:

the wife and her children shall be her master's:
she being his slave, and bought with his money, he had a right unto her, and to the children belonging to her, the birth following the belly; and being born in his house, they were also his. Jarchi here observes, that the Scripture speaks of a Canaanitish woman, for an Hebrew woman went out at the sixth year, and even before the sixth, if she produced the signs, that is, of puberty:

and he shall go out by himself;
without his wife and children: if it be objected to this law, that it is contrary to the law of marriage, which is indissoluble, but by this dissolved; it may be replied, that the servant was not obliged by it to leave his wife, unless he chose it; on complying with certain conditions after mentioned, he might continue with her; besides, she was, according to Jarchi, but his secondary wife, and not only so, the marriage was not lawful, being with a Canaanitish woman, and not agreeable to the Lord; and being also her master's slave, to whom he had a right, he could retain her if he pleased, having only given her to his servant to beget slaves on for him.

Exodus 21:4 In-Context

2 So du einen hebräischen Knecht kaufst, der soll dir sechs Jahre dienen; im siebenten Jahr soll er frei ausgehen umsonst.

3 Ist er ohne Weib gekommen, so soll er auch ohne Weib ausgehen; ist er aber mit Weib gekommen, so soll sein Weib mit ihm ausgehen.

4 Hat ihm aber sein Herr ein Weib gegeben, und er hat Söhne oder Töchter gezeugt, so soll das Weib und die Kinder seines Herrn sein, er aber soll ohne Weib ausgehen.

5 Spricht aber der Knecht: Ich habe meinen Herren lieb und mein Weib und Kind, ich will nicht frei werden, {~}

6 so bringe ihn sein Herr vor die "Götter" und halte ihn an die Tür oder den Pfosten und bohre ihm mit einem Pfriem durch sein Ohr, und er sei sein Knecht ewig.