Exodus 21:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever.

NIV: then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life.

NASB: then his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently.

CSB: his master is to bring him to the judges and then bring him to the door or doorpost. His master will pierce his ear with an awl, and he will serve his master for life.

NLT: If he does this, his master must present him before God. Then his master must take him to the door or doorpost and publicly pierce his ear with an awl. After that, the slave will serve his master for life.

KJV: Then 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.

NKJV: then his master shall bring him to the judges. He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him forever.

Exodus 21:1–11 covers the Mosaic covenant's general approach to servants. The passage uses a Hebrew word covering a wide range of positions, from contracted workers to involuntary slaves. The covenant establishes rights for servants and places limits on their terms of service. These rules can be challenging for modern readers; at the same time, the laws refute critics' unreasonable claims about the Bible's stance.

The Ten Commandments form the basis of Israel's other laws. In this chapter, God provides guidelines and penalties for various issues. These include homicide, assault, and injury. Laws also control harm done to or by animals. Included in these are protections for pregnant women and unborn children. Servants are guarded from abuse. Kidnapping people into slavery is punishable by death.

Chapter 20 began recording the laws of God's covenant with Israel. This started with the Ten Commandments. In this chapter, the Lord provides rules on subjects such as penalties for violent crime and negligence regarding animals. Chapters 22 and 23 continue to provide details about Israel's legal code. Chapter 24 records a confirmation of the covenant. Chapter 25 begins describing the construction of the tabernacle.

The book of Exodus establishes God's covenant relationship with the full-fledged nation of Israel. The descendants of Abraham prosper after settling in Egypt, only to be enslaved by a fearful, hateful Egyptian Pharaoh. God appoints Moses to lead the people out of this bondage. Moses serves as God's spokesman, as the Lord brings plagues and judgments on Egypt, leading to the release of Israel.