CHAP. XXI.
The laws recorded in this chapter relate to the fifth and sixth commandments; and though they are not accommodated to our constitution, especially in point of servitude, nor are the penalties annexed binding on us, yet they are of great use for the explanation of the moral law, and the rules of natural justice. Here are several enlargements, I. Upon the fifth commandment, which concerns particular relations. 1. The duty of masters toward their servants; their men-servants, (v. 2..6.) and maid-servants, v. 7..11. 2. The punishment of disobedient children that strike their parents, (v. 15.) or curse them, v. 17. II. Upon the sixth commandment, which forbids all violence offered to the person of a man. Here is, 1. Concerning murder, v. 12..14. 2. Man-stealing, v. 16. 3. Assault and battery, v. 18, 19. 4. Correcting a servant, v. 20, 21. 5. Hurting a woman with child, v. 22, 23. 6. The law of retaliation, v. 24, 25. 7. Maiming a servant, v. 26, 27. 8. An ox goring, v. 28..32. 9. Damage by opening a pit, v. 33, 34. 10. Cattle fighting, v. 35, 36.
1.NOW these are the judgments which I thou shalt set before them. 2. If thou buy a Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve; and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing. 3. If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him. 4. If his master have given him a wife, and she have borne him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out by himself. 5. And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free: 6. 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 awl; and he shall serve him for ever. 7. And if a man sell his daughter to be a maid-servant, she shall not go out as the men-servants do. 8. 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. 9. And if he hath betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters. 10. If he take him another wife, her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish. 11. And if he do not these three unto her, then shall she go out free without money.
The first verse is the general title of the laws contained in this and the two following chapters; some of them relating to the religious worship of God, but most of them relating to matters between man and man. Their government being purely a Theocracy, that which in other states is to be settled by human prudence was directed among them by a divine appointment, so that the constitution of their government was peculiarly adapted to make them happy. These laws are called judgments, because they are framed in infinite wisdom and equity, and because their magistrates were to give judgment according to them. God delivered them privately to Moses, and he was to communicate them to the people. In the doubtful cases that had hitherto occurred, Moses had particularly inquired of God for them, as appeared, ch. 18. 15, but now God gave him statutes in general by which to determine particular cases, which likewise he must apply to other like cases that might happen, which, falling under the same reason, fell under the same rule.
He begins with the laws concerning servants, commanding mercy and moderation toward them. The Israelites had lately been servants themselves; and now that they were become, not only their own masters, but masters of servants too, lest they should abuse their servants, as they themselves had been abused and ruled with rigour by the Egyptian task-masters, provision was made by these laws for the mild and gentle usage of servants. Note, If those who have had power over us, have been injurious to us, that will not in the least excuse us if we be in like manner injurious to those who are under our power, but will rather aggravate our crime, because, in that case, we may the more easily put our souls into their souls' stead.
Here is,
1. A law concerning men-servants, sold, either by themselves, or their parents, through poverty, or by the judges, for their crimes; even those of the latter sort (if Hebrews) were to continue in slavery but seven years at the most, in which time it was taken for granted that they would sufficiently smart for their folly or offence. At seven years' end, the servant should either go out free, (v. 2, 3.) or his servitude should from thenceforward he his choice, v. 5, 6. If he had a wife given him by his master, and children, he might either leave them and go out free himself, or, if he had such a kindness for them, that he would rather tarry with them in bondage than go out at liberty without them, he was to have his ear bored through to the door-post, and serve till the death of his master, or the year of jubilee. By this law, God taught, (1.) The Hebrew servants' generosity, and a noble love of liberty, for they were the Lord's freemen; a mark of disgrace must be put upon him who refused liberty when he might have it, though he refused it upon considerations otherwise laudable enough. Thus Christians, being bought with a price, and called unto liberty, must not be the servants of men, nor of the lusts of men, 1 Cor. 7. 23. There is a free and princely spirit that much helps to uphold a Christian, Ps. 51. 12. He likewise taught, (2.) The Hebrew masters not to trample upon their poor servants, knowing, not only that they had been by birth upon a level with them, but that, in a few years, they would be so again. Thus Christian masters must look with respect on believing servants, Philem. 16. This law will be further useful to us, [1.] To illustrate the right God has to the children of believing parents, as such, and the place they have in his church. They are by baptism enrolled among his servants, because they are born in his house, for they are therefore born unto him, Ezek. 16. 20. David owns himself God's servant, as he was the son of his hand-maid, (Ps. 116. 16.) and therefore entitled to protection, Ps. 86. 16. [2.] To explain the obligation which the great Redeemer laid upon himself to prosecute the work of our salvation, for he says, (Ps. 40. 6.) Mine ears hast thou opened, which seems to allude to this law. He loved his Father, and his captive-spouse, and the children that were given him, and would not go out free from his undertaking, but engaged to serve in it for ever, Isa. 42. 1, 4. Much more reason have we thus to engage ourselves to serve God for ever; we have all the reason in the world to love our Master and his work, and to have our ears bored to his doorposts, as those who desire not to go out free from
