Deuteronomy 23:15

Easy-to-Read Version

"If slaves run away and come to you, don't force them to go back to their masters.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“Do not return a slave to his master when he has escaped from his master to you.

Hebrew Names Version
You shall not deliver to his master a servant who is escaped from his master to you:

King James Version
Thou shalt not deliver unto his master the servant which is escaped from his master unto thee:

Lexham English Bible
"And you shall not hand over a slave to his master who has escaped and fled to you from his master.

English Standard Version
"You shall not give up to his master a slave who has escaped from his master to you.

New Century Version
If an escaped slave comes to you, do not hand over the slave to his master.

New English Translation
You must not return an escaped slave to his master when he has run away to you.

Amplified Bible
"You shall not hand over to his master a slave who has escaped from his master to you.

New American Standard Bible
"You shall not hand over to his master a slave who has escaped from his master to you.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Thou shalt not deliuer the seruant vnto his master, which is escaped from his master vnto thee.

Legacy Standard Bible
"You shall not hand over to his master a slave who has escaped from his master to you.

Contemporary English Version
Moses said: When runaway slaves from other countries come to Israel and ask for protection, you must not hand them back to their owners.

Complete Jewish Bible
For Adonai your God moves about in your camp to rescue you and to hand over your enemies to you. Therefore your camp must be a holy place. [ Adonai ] should not see anything indecent among you, or he will turn away from you.

Darby Translation
Thou shalt not hand over to his master a bondman that hath escaped from his master unto thee:

George Lamsa Translation
You shall not deliver to his master a servant who has escaped from his master to you;

Good News Translation
"If slaves run away from their owners and come to you for protection, do not send them back.

Literal Translation
You shall not hand over to his master a slave that has escaped from his master to you.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Thou shalt not delyuer vnto his master the seruaunt, which is escaped fro him vnto the.

American Standard Version
Thou shalt not deliver unto his master a servant that is escaped from his master unto thee:

Bible in Basic English
Do not give back to his master a servant who has gone in flight from his master and come to you:

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Thou shalt not deliuer vnto his maister, the seruaunt whiche is escaped from his maister vnto thee.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
For the LORD thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy; that He see no unseemly thing in thee, and turn away from thee.

King James Version (1611)
Thou shalt not deliuer vnto his master, the seruant which is escaped from his master vnto thee.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Thou shalt not deliver a servant to his master, who coming from his master attaches himself to thee.

English Revised Version
Thou shalt not deliver unto his master a servant which is escaped from his master unto thee:

Berean Standard Bible
Do not return a slave to his master if he has taken refuge with you.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thou schalt not bitake a seruaunt to his lord, which seruaunt fleeth to thee;

Young's Literal Translation
`Thou dost not shut up a servant unto his lord, who is delivered unto thee from his lord;

Update Bible Version
You shall not deliver to his master a slave that escapes from his master to you:

Webster's Bible Translation
Thou shalt not deliver to his master the servant who hath escaped from his master to thee:

World English Bible
You shall not deliver to his master a servant who is escaped from his master to you:

New King James Version
"You shall not give back to his master the slave who has escaped from his master to you.

New Living Translation
"If slaves should escape from their masters and take refuge with you, you must not hand them over to their masters.

New Life Bible
"If a servant runs away from his owner and comes to you, do not return him to his owner.

New Revised Standard
Slaves who have escaped to you from their owners shall not be given back to them.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Thou shalt not deliver up a slave unto his lord, - one who maketh his escape unto thee, from his lord:

Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou shalt not deliver to his master the servant that is fled to thee.

Revised Standard Version
"You shall not give up to his master a slave who has escaped from his master to you;

THE MESSAGE
Don't return a runaway slave to his master; he's come to you for refuge. Let him live wherever he wishes within the protective gates of your city. Don't take advantage of him.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"You shall not hand over to his master a slave who has escaped from his master to you.

Contextual Overview

¹⁵ "If slaves run away and come to you, don't force them to go back to their masters. ¹⁶ Runaway slaves may live with you wherever they like in whatever city they choose. You must not trouble them. ¹⁷ "An Israelite man or woman must never become a temple prostitute. ¹⁸ The money earned by a prostitute, either a male or female, must not be brought to the special house of the Lord your God. That money cannot be used to pay for a gift that was promised to the Lord your God, because that kind of sin is disgusting to him. ¹⁹ "When you loan something to another Israelite, you must not charge interest. Don't charge interest on money, on food or on anything that may earn interest. ²⁰ You may charge interest to a foreigner. But you must not charge interest to another Israelite. If you follow these rules, the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do in the land where you are going to live. ²¹ "When you make a promise to the Lord your God, don't be slow to pay everything you promised. The Lord your God will demand that you pay it. You will sin if you don't pay what you promised. ²² If you don't make a promise, you are not sinning. ²³ But you must do what you say you will do. If you choose to make a promise to the Lord your God, you must do what you promised. ²⁴ "When you go through another person's vineyard, you may eat as many grapes as you want. But you cannot put any of the grapes in your basket.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

We cannot suppose that this law required the Israelites to entertain slaves who had robbed their masters, or left their service without cause; but such only as were cruelly treated, and fled to them for protection, especially from the neighbouring nations. To such they were commanded to afford shelter, and shew great kindness. 1 Samuel 30:15, Obadiah 1:14, Philemon 1:10-19

Reciprocal: Proverbs 30:10 - Accuse not Isaiah 16:4 - mine

Cross-References

Exodus 30:13
Each man who is counted must pay 1/2 shekel of silver. (That is 1/2 shekel by the official measure. This shekel weighs 20 gerahs.) This half shekel is an offering to the Lord .

Exodus 30:15
The rich must not give more than 1/2 shekel, and the poor must not give less than 1/2 shekel. All people will make the same offering to the Lord . This will be a payment for your life.

Ezekiel 45:12
A shekel must equal 20 gerahs. A mina must equal 60 shekels. It must be equal to 20 shekels plus 25 shekels plus 15 shekels.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Thou shall not deliver unto his master the servant which is escaped from his master unto thee. That is, one that has been used ill by a cruel and tyrannical master, and was in danger of his life with him, or of being lamed by him, and therefore obliged to make his escape from him on that account; such an one, when he fell into the hands of an Israelite, was not to be taken and bound, and sent back to his master again, but was to be retained till his master's anger subsided; or however until inquiry could be made into the cause of the difference between him and his master, and matters be made up between them to mutual satisfaction; or if it appeared that the flight of the servant was just, and it was not safe for him to return to his master, then he was to be used as hereafter directed; for it cannot be thought that this law was made to encourage and protect every idle, disobedient, and fugitive servant, which would be very sinful and unjust: the Jewish writers generally understand it of the servants of idolaters fleeing for the sake of religion; Onkelos renders it,

"a servant of the people,''

of Heathen people; the Targum of Jonathan is,

"thou shalt not deliver a stranger (i.e. a proselyte of righteousness, as Maimonides w calls this servant) into the hands of those that worship idols, but he shall be delivered by you, that he may be under the shadow of my Shechinah, because that he fled from the worship of his idol.''

Jarchi makes mention of another sense; that it may be understood of

"a Canaanitish servant of an Israelite that flees (from his master) without the land, where he was not obliged to go with him, and serve him against his will; but I suppose a proselyte is meant;''

and much more then will this hold good of an Hebrew servant in such circumstances. Aben Ezra interprets this of a servant not an Israelite, who, in time of war, flees from his master, not an Israelite also, unto the camp of Israel, and that for the glory of the divine name which is called upon Israel; such an one, though a servant, might not be delivered to his master.

w Hilchot Abadim, c. 8. sect. 11.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The case in question is that of a slave who fled from a pagan master to the holy land. It is of course assumed that the refugee was not flying from justice, but only from the tyranny of his lord.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Deuteronomy 23:15. Thou shalt not deliver - the servant which is escaped - unto thee — That is, a servant who left an idolatrous master that he might join himself to God and to his people. In any other case, it would have been injustice to have harboured the runaway.