Leviticus 25:42

42 'For they are My servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt; they are not to be sold in a slave sale.

Leviticus 25:42 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 25:42

For they [are] my servants, which I brought forth out of the
land of Egypt
The Lord redeemed them out of Egypt, made a purchase of them, and had a prior right unto them, and being his servants first, they cannot be the servants of others; his right unto them as such antecedes and prevents any other claim upon them: they shall not be sold as bondmen;
or, "with", or, "according to the sale of a bondman" ^F21; in the manner they are sold, or according to the laws of selling of servants; not in such a public manner as they are sold in markets, nor for such purposes to be used as slaves in a rigorous manner, nor so as to be retained for ever in servitude; not to be sold by proclamation, as Jarchi observes, saying, here is a servant to be sold; nor shall they set him upon the stone of sale; for it seems in public places in markets, where slaves were sold, there was a stone on which they were placed, which showed that they were to be sold; but now an Israelite was not to be sold in such a manner, so Maimonides ^F23 says, but privately, in an honourable way.

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FOOTNOTES:

F21 (dbe trkmm) "venditione servi", Drusius.
F23 Hilchot Abadim, c. 1. sect. 5.

Leviticus 25:42 In-Context

40 'He shall be with you as a hired man, as if he were a sojourner; he shall serve with you until the year of jubilee.

41 'He shall then go out from you, he and his sons with him, and shall go back to his family, that he may return to the property of his forefathers.

42 'For they are My servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt; they are not to be sold in a slave sale.

43 'You shall not rule over him with severity, but are to revere your God.

44 'As for your male and female slaves whom you may have -you may acquire male and female slaves from the pagan nations that are around you.