Leviticus 25:43

Amplified Bible

'You shall not rule over him with harshness (severity, oppression), but you are to fear your God [with profound reverence].

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
You shall not rule over him with rigor, but shall fear your God.

King James Version
Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour; but shalt fear thy God.

Lexham English Bible
You shall not rule over him with ruthlessness, but you shall revere your God.

New Century Version
You must not rule this person cruelly, but you must respect your God.

New English Translation
You must not rule over him harshly, but you must fear your God.

New American Standard Bible
'You shall not rule over him with severity, but are to revere your God.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Thou shalt not rule ouer him cruelly, but shalt feare thy God.

Legacy Standard Bible
You shall not have dominion over him with brutality, but you shall fear your God.

Contemporary English Version
So obey me, and don't be cruel to the poor.

Complete Jewish Bible
Do not treat him harshly, but fear your God.

Darby Translation
Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour; and thou shalt fear thy God.

Easy-to-Read Version
You must not be a cruel master to them. You must respect your God.

English Standard Version
You shall not rule over him ruthlessly but shall fear your God.

George Lamsa Translation
You shall not compel them to do hard work; but shall fear your God.

Good News Translation
Do not treat them harshly, but obey your God.

Christian Standard Bible®
You are not to rule over them harshly but fear your God.

Literal Translation
You shall not rule over him with severity, and you shall fear your God.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And thou shalt not raigne ouer them with crueltie, but shalt feare thy God.

American Standard Version
Thou shalt not rule over him with rigor, but shalt fear thy God.

Bible in Basic English
Do not be a hard master to him, but have the fear of God before you.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Thou shalt not rule ouer hym cruelly, but shalt feare thy God.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour; but shalt fear thy God.

King James Version (1611)
Thou shalt not rule ouer him with rigour, but shalt feare thy God.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Thou shalt not oppress him with labour, and shalt fear the Lord thy God.

English Revised Version
Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour; but shalt fear thy God.

Berean Standard Bible
You are not to rule over them harshly, but you shall fear your God.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
turmente thou not hem bi thi power, but drede thou thi Lord.

Young's Literal Translation
thou rulest not over him with rigour, and thou hast been afraid of thy God.

Update Bible Version
You shall not rule over him with rigor, but shall fear your God.

Webster's Bible Translation
Thou shalt not rule over him with rigor, but shalt fear thy God.

World English Bible
You shall not rule over him with rigor, but shall fear your God.

New King James Version
You shall not rule over him with rigor, but you shall fear your God.

New Living Translation
Show your fear of God by not treating them harshly.

New Life Bible
Do not make it hard for him, but fear your God.

New Revised Standard
You shall not rule over them with harshness, but shall fear your God.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour, - so shalt thou stand in awe of thy God.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Afflict him not by might: but fear thy God.

Revised Standard Version
You shall not rule over him with harshness, but shall fear your God.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
'You shall not rule over him with severity, but are to revere your God.

Contextual Overview

³⁹'And if your fellow countryman becomes so poor [in his dealings] with you that he sells himself to you [as payment for a debt], you shall not let him do the work of a slave [who is ineligible for redemption], ⁴⁰but he is to be with you as a hired man, as if he were a temporary resident; he shall serve with you until the Year of Jubilee, ⁴¹and then he shall leave you, he and his children with him, and shall go back to his own family and return to the property of his fathers. ⁴²'For the Israelites are My servants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold in a slave sale. ⁴³'You shall not rule over him with harshness (severity, oppression), but you are to fear your God [with profound reverence]. ⁴⁴'As for your male and female slaves whom you may have—you may acquire male and female slaves from the pagan nations that are around you. ⁴⁵'Moreover, from the children of the strangers who live as aliens among you, from them you may buy slaves and from their families who are with you, whom they have produced in your land; they may become your possession. ⁴⁶'You may even bequeath them as an inheritance to your children after you, to receive as a possession; you can use them as permanent slaves. But in respect to your fellow countrymen, the children of Israel, you shall not rule over one another with harshness (severity, oppression). ⁴⁷'Now if the financial means of a stranger or temporary resident among you become sufficient, and your fellow countryman becomes poor in comparison to him and sells himself to the stranger who is living among you or to the descendants of the stranger's family, ⁴⁸then after he is sold he shall have the right of redemption. One of his relatives may redeem him:

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

rule: Leviticus 25:46, Leviticus 25:53, Exodus 1:13, Exodus 1:14, Exodus 2:23, Exodus 3:7, Exodus 3:9, Exodus 5:14, Isaiah 47:6, Isaiah 58:3, Ephesians 6:9, Colossians 4:1

but shalt: Leviticus 25:17, Exodus 1:17, Exodus 1:21, Deuteronomy 25:18, Malachi 3:5

Reciprocal: Genesis 42:18 - I fear God Job 31:13 - the cause

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour,.... As the Egyptians ruled over the Israelites, and made them to serve, Exodus 1:13; where the same word is used as here, and seems designed to put them in mind of it, that so they might abstain from such usage of their brethren, which they had met with from their most cruel enemies; it signifies tyranny and oppression, treating them with great severity, laying hard and heavy tasks and burdens upon them they could not bear; enjoining them things they could not perform, and ordering them to do what were unnecessary, and without any limitation with respect to time:

but shalt fear thy God; that has been good to thee, and has brought thee out of hard and rigorous bondage in Egypt; and which should be remembered with thankfulness, and they should fear to offend so good a God by using a brother cruelly.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Fear thy God - Yahweh was the Lord and Master of His people. To treat a Hebrew as a slave was therefore to interfere with the rights of Yahweh. Compare Romans 14:4.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Leviticus 25:43. Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour — What is rigorous service? "Service which is not determined, and service whereof there is no need." This is the definition given by the Jews; but much more is implied in this command than is expressed here. Labour beyond the person's strength, or labour too long continued, or in unhealthy or uncomfortable places and circumstances, or without sufficient food, c., is labour exacted with rigour, and consequently inhuman and this law is made, not for the Mosaic dispensation and the Jewish people, but for every dispensation and for every people under heaven.