Leviticus 25:46

46 You can leave them to your children as their share of your property. You can make them slaves for life. But when you rule over your own people, you must be kind to them.

Leviticus 25:46 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 25:46

And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children
after you
Which they might leave them at their death to inherit, as they did their estates and lands; for such servants are, with the Jews ^F25, said to be like immovable goods, as fields, vineyards, to inherit [them for] a possession;
as their property, as anything else that was bequeathed to hem, as negroes now are in our plantations abroad: thy shall be your bondmen for ever;
and not be released at the year jubilee, nor before nor after; unless they obtained their liberty, either by purchase, which they might make themselves, or by the means of others, or else by a writing under their master's hand dismissing them from his service ^F26; or in case they were maimed by him, then he was obliged to let them go free, ( Exodus 21:26 Exodus 21:27 ) ; but over your brethren, the children of Israel, ye shall not rule one
over another with rigour;
which repeated for the confirmation of it, and for the fuller explanation and description of the person not to be ruled over with rigour; and that it might be the more taken notice of, and to make them the more careful in the observance of it and though this peculiarly respects masters' treatment of their servants, yet Jarchi thinks it comprehends a prince over his people, and a king over his ministers, whom he may not rule with rigour.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Kiddushin, c. 1. sect. 3.
F26 Misn. Kiddushin, ib.

Leviticus 25:46 In-Context

44 " 'You must get your male and female slaves from the nations that are around you. You can buy slaves from them.

45 You can buy as slaves some of the people who are living among you for a while. You can also buy members of their families who were born among you. They will become your property.

46 You can leave them to your children as their share of your property. You can make them slaves for life. But when you rule over your own people, you must be kind to them.

47 " 'Suppose an outsider or someone who is living among you for a while becomes rich. Then suppose one of your own people becomes poor. He sells himself to the outsider who is living among you. Or he sells himself to a member of the outsider's family.

48 Then he keeps the right to buy himself back after he has sold himself. One of his relatives can buy him back.