Quick Challenge Answer: Is Slavery Condoned In the Bible?

Is Slavery Condoned In the Bible?

The first thing we need to note when dealing with this objection is that we in the west have an image of what slavery is.  That image is the race based, antebellum slavery that existed in this country.  In this system, slaves were not seen as human beings. They were property to be used as their owner saw fit.  There were no protections for them under the law.  In fact, they weren’t even considered human.  It was a truly shameful chapter in this country’s history.

What’s An Ebed?

The word translated as “Slave” in our modern renditions of the Bible is “ebed”.  A more accurate translation of the word would be “servant” or “employee”.  The reason laws governing the use of these servants were put into the Bible was to prevent abuse of the arrangement, and to regulate a less than ideal solution to the poverty problem. 

Did Ebed’s Have Rights?

In contrast to the slavery practiced in this country, ebed’s had rights and were not seen as less than human.  They were typically working off a debt by way of manual labor.  This service was entered into voluntarily.  And unlike the southern practice of slavery, the ebed’s would be released at the end of 6 years of service.  

At that point, an ebed could chose to stay in the service of his employer if he chose to do so (and many did).  They contributed to the household, and in many cases were treated as part of the family. This would often be a welcome circumstance for those living in poverty, as the family would provide them with accommodations as well as a wage. 

So as you can see, the practice of keeping indentured servants in the Old Testament is not an exact correlation to American Slavery of the 1800’s. Significant and notable differences are present that should dissuade us from making the comparison between the two institutions.  

Discuss your thoughts on this post on our Facebook Group here.  

3 thoughts on “Quick Challenge Answer: Is Slavery Condoned In the Bible?”

Comments are closed.

Catagories
Archives
Calendar
September 2023
S M T W T F S
 12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930
RSS Listen to Our Latest Podcast Here
  • What Does It Mean For The Bible To Be Inerrant? September 21, 2023
    In this episode of The Tent Making Christianity QCQ Podcast, the team answers the question "What does it mean for the Bible to be inerrant?". 
    Drew Covert, David Johansen, Paul Yearyean
  • Does Belief In Hell Cause Immoral Behavior? September 19, 2023
    In this episode of The Tent Making Christianity Podcast, the team discusses a claim that belief in hell causes immoral behavior. 
    Drew Covert, David Johansen, Paul Yearyean
  • Did Jesus Descend Into Hell? September 14, 2023
    In this episode of The Tent Making Christianity QCQ Podcast, the team answers the question "Did Jesus descend into hell?". 
    Drew Covert, David Johansen, Paul Yearyean
  • The Sparkle Creed Pt 2 September 12, 2023
    In this episode of The Tent Making Christianity Podcast, the team discusses the sparkle creed. Pt 2 of 2.
    Drew Covert, David Johansen, Paul Yearyean
  • Are Jehovahs Witnesses Christian? September 7, 2023
    In this episode of The Tent Making Christianity QCQ Podcast, the team answers the question "Are Jehovah's Witnesses Christian?". 
    Drew Covert, David Johansen, Paul Yearyean
  • The Sparkle Creed Pt 1 September 5, 2023
    In this episode of The Tent Making Christianity Podcast, the team discusses the sparkle creed.  Pt 1 of 2.
    Drew Covert, David Johansen, Paul Yearyean
  • Are Mormons Christian? August 31, 2023
    In this episode of The Tent Making Christianity QCQ Podcast, the team answers the question "Are Mormons Christian?".  
    Drew Covert, David Johansen, Paul Yearyean
  • STR Celebrates 30 Years Of Ministry August 29, 2023
    In this episode of The Tent Making Christianity Podcast, the team celebrates 30 years of ministry by Stand To Reason. 
    Drew Covert, David Johansen, Paul Yearyean
  • Should Christians Avoid All Appearance Of Evil? August 24, 2023
    In this episode of The Tent Making Christianity QCQ Podcast, the team answers the question "Should Christians avoid all appearance of evil?". 
    Drew Covert, David Johansen, Paul Yearyean
  • Toxic Masculinity And Andrew Tate Pt. 2 August 22, 2023
    In this episode of The Tent Making Christianity Podcast, the team discusses the idea of toxic masculinity and Andrew Tate. Part 2 of 2. 
    Drew Covert, David Johansen, Paul Yearyean