Leviticus 25:43

43 torment thou not them by thy power, but dread thou thy Lord. (so do not thou torment him with thy power, but rather, fear thou thy God.)

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 and afterward he shall go out with his free children, and he shall turn again to his kindred, and to the possession of his fathers. (and then he shall go out free with his children, and he shall return to his family, and to his inheritance from his fathers.)

42 For they be my servants, and I led them out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold by the condition of servants; (For they be my slaves, and I led them out of Egypt; and they shall not be sold into human slavery;)

43 torment thou not them by thy power, but dread thou thy Lord. (so do not thou torment him with thy power, but rather, fear thou thy God.)

44 A servant and (a) handmaid be to you of [the] nations that be in your compass, and of [the] comelings the which be pilgrims with you, (For your slaves and your slave-girls, buy thou them from the nations that be all around you, and from the newcomers who be foreigners, or strangers, among you,)

45 either they that be born of comelings in your land; ye shall have these (as) servants, and by right of heritage ye shall leave them to your after-comers, and ye shall wield them without end; (or they who be born to newcomers in your land; ye shall have them as your slaves, and by right of inheritance ye shall leave them to your after-comers, and so ye shall own them forever;)