Slavery

Slavery is the holding of people as bondservants. The Law of Moses regulated Hebrew and foreign servants and made stealing a man a capital crime; the New Testament instructs servants and masters, Paul sent Onesimus back to Philemon as a brother beloved, and in Christ there is neither bond nor free.

Laws on servants

• Exodus 21:2-6
  ²If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free without paying anything. ³If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him.If he arrived alone, he is to leave alone; if he arrived with a wife, she is to leave with him. ⁴If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself.If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free. ⁵And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children; I do not want to go free,’ ⁶Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.then his master is to bring him before the judges. And he shall take him to the door or doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he shall serve his master for life.
  Show context · Read Exodus 21 →
• Exodus 21:20-21
  ²⁰And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished.If a man strikes his manservant or maidservant with a rod, and the servant dies by his hand, he shall surely be punished. ²¹Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money.However, if the servant gets up after a day or two, the owner shall not be punished, since the servant is his property.
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• Leviticus 25:39-43
  ³⁹And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant:If a countryman among you becomes destitute and sells himself to you, then you must not force him into slave labor. ⁴⁰But as an hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee, and shall serve thee unto the year of jubile:Let him stay with you as a hired worker or temporary resident; he is to work for you until the Year of Jubilee. ⁴¹And then shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return.Then he and his children are to be released, and he may return to his clan and to the property of his fathers. ⁴²For they are my servants, which I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: they shall not be sold as bondmen.Because the Israelites are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt, they are not to be sold as slaves. ⁴³Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour; but shalt fear thy God.You are not to rule over them harshly, but you shall fear your God.
  Show context · Read Leviticus 25 →
• Leviticus 25:44-46
  ⁴⁴Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you; of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids.Your menservants and maidservants shall come from the nations around you, from whom you may purchase them. ⁴⁵Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land: and they shall be your possession.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. ⁴⁶And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession; they shall be your bondmen for ever: but over your brethren the children of Israel, ye shall not rule one over another with rigour.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.
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• Deuteronomy 15:12-15
  ¹²And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee.If a fellow Hebrew, a man or a woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you must set him free. ¹³And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty:And when you release him, do not send him away empty-handed. ¹⁴Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress: of that wherewith the Lord thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him.You are to furnish him liberally from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress. You shall give to him as the LORD your God has blessed you. ¹⁵And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing to day.Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you; that is why I am giving you this command today.
  Show context · Read Deuteronomy 15 →

Manstealing and escaped servants

• Exodus 21:16
  And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.Whoever kidnaps another man must be put to death, whether he sells him or the man is found in his possession.
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• Deuteronomy 24:7
  If a man be found stealing any of his brethren of the children of Israel, and maketh merchandise of him, or selleth him; then that thief shall die; and thou shalt put evil away from among you.If a man is caught kidnapping one of his Israelite brothers, whether he treats him as a slave or sells him, the kidnapper must die. So you must purge the evil from among you.
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• 1 Timothy 1:10
  For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave traders and liars and perjurers, and for anyone else who is averse to sound teaching
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• Deuteronomy 23:15-16
  ¹⁵Thou shalt not deliver unto his master the servant which is escaped from his master unto thee:Do not return a slave to his master if he has taken refuge with you. ¹⁶He shall dwell with thee, even among you, in that place which he shall choose in one of thy gates, where it liketh him best: thou shalt not oppress him.Let him live among you wherever he chooses, in the town of his pleasing. Do not oppress him.
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Servants and masters

• Ephesians 6:5-9
  ⁵Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear and sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. ⁶Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;And do this not only to please them while they are watching, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. ⁷With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:Serve with good will, as to the Lord and not to men, ⁸Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free. ⁹And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.And masters, do the same for your slaves. Give up your use of threats, because you know that He who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with Him.
  Show context · Read Ephesians 6 →
• Colossians 3:22-25
  ²²Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything, not only to please them while they are watching, but with sincerity of heart and fear of the Lord. ²³And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men, ²⁴Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.because you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. ²⁵But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.Whoever does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.
  Show context · Read Colossians 3 →
• Colossians 4:1
  Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.Masters, supply your slaves with what is right and fair, since you know that you also have a Master in heaven.
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• 1 Corinthians 7:21-23
  ²¹Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather.Were you a slave when you were called? Do not let it concern you—but if you can gain your freedom, take the opportunity. ²²For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant.For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord’s freedman. Conversely, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ’s slave. ²³Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.
  Show context · Read 1 Corinthians 7 →
• 1 Peter 2:18
  Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.Servants, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but even to those who are unreasonable.
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Onesimus and Philemon

• Philemon 1:10-16
  ¹⁰I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds:I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whose father I became while I was in chains. ¹¹Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me:Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me. ¹²Whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels:I am sending back to you him who is my very heart. ¹³Whom I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel:I would have liked to keep him with me, so that on your behalf he could minister to me in my chains for the gospel. ¹⁴But without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly.But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your goodness will not be out of compulsion, but by your own free will. ¹⁵For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for ever;For perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back for good— ¹⁶Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord?no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a beloved brother. He is especially beloved to me, but even more so to you, both in person and in the Lord.
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• Philemon 1:17-21
  ¹⁷If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself.So if you consider me a partner, receive him as you would receive me. ¹⁸If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account;But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to my account. ¹⁹I Paul have written it with mine own hand, I will repay it: albeit I do not say to thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides.I, Paul, write this with my own hand. I will repay it—not to mention that you owe me your very self. ²⁰Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my bowels in the Lord.Yes, brother, let me have some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ. ²¹Having confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say.Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.
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Neither bond nor free

• Galatians 3:28
  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
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• Colossians 3:11
  Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free, but Christ is all and is in all.
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Bondage in Egypt and to sin

• Exodus 20:2
  I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
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• John 8:34-36
  ³⁴Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. ³⁵And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son belongs to it forever. ³⁶If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
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• Romans 6:17-18
  ¹⁷But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.But thanks be to God that, though you once were slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were committed. ¹⁸Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
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See also

• Employers and employees
• Oppression
• Redemption
• Law of Moses

Notes

1. Verses are quoted in the translation chosen in the Translation menu at the top of the page. See Translations for sources and copyright notices.
2. Each reference links to the full chapter so the verse can be read in context.