Exodus 21:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: If she does not please her master, who has designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has broken faith with her.

NIV: If she does not please the master who has selected her for himself, he must let her be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, because he has broken faith with her.

NASB: If she is displeasing in the eyes of her master who designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He does not have authority to sell her to a foreign people, because of his unfairness to her.

CSB: If she is displeasing to her master, who chose her for himself, then he must let her be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners because he has acted treacherously toward her.

NLT: If she does not satisfy her owner, he must allow her to be bought back again. But he is not allowed to sell her to foreigners, since he is the one who broke the contract with her.

KJV: If she please not her master, who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her.

NKJV: If she does not please her master, who has betrothed her to himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has dealt deceitfully with her.

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.