Lectionary Calendar
Friday, June 6th, 2025
the Seventh Week after Easter
Attention!
Tired of seeing ads while studying? Now you can enjoy an "Ads Free" version of the site for as little as 10¢ a day and support a great cause!
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

JPS Old Testament

Leviticus 25:44

And as for thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, whom thou mayest have: of the nations that are round about you, of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Aliens;   Jubilee;   Servant;   Strangers;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Gentiles;   Heathen, the;   Servants;   Strangers in Israel;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Jubilee;   Poor;   Servant;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Sabbatical year;   Slave;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Amos, Theology of;   Jubilee, Year of;   Ruth, Theology of;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Loan;   Slave;   Stranger;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Agriculture;   Jubilee;   Loan;   Slave;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Concubine;   Economic Life;   Festivals;   Leviticus;   Number Systems and Number Symbolism;   Pentateuch;   Slave/servant;   Year of Jubilee;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Canon of the Old Testament;   Congregation, Assembly;   Crimes and Punishments;   Deuteronomy;   Ethics;   Hexateuch;   Holiness;   Law;   Leviticus;   Nations;   Poverty;   Priests and Levites;   Sabbatical Year;   Sanctification, Sanctify;   Slave, Slavery;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Maid;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Jubilee;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Feasts;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Jubilee;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Slave;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Servant;   Year;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Bondmaid;   Bondman;   Slave;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Blood-Relationship;   Commerce;   Slaves and Slavery;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
As for your bondservants, and your bondmaids, whom you shall have; of the nations that are round about you, of them shall you buy bondservants and bondmaids.
King James Version
Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you; of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids.
Lexham English Bible
"‘As for your slave and your slave woman who are yours, from the nations that are all around you, from them you may buy a slave or a slave woman.
New Century Version
"‘Your men and women slaves must come from other nations around you; from them you may buy slaves.
New English Translation
"‘As for your male and female slaves who may belong to you—you may buy male and female slaves from the nations all around you.
Amplified Bible
'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.
New American Standard Bible
'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.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Thy bond seruant also, & thy bond maid, which thou shalt haue, shalbe of the heathen that are rounde about you: of them shall ye bye seruants and maydes.
Legacy Standard Bible
As for your male and female slaves whom you may have—you may acquire male and female slaves from the nations that are around you.
Contemporary English Version
If you want slaves, buy them from other nations
Complete Jewish Bible
"‘Concerning the men and women you may have as slaves: you are to buy men- and women-slaves from the nations surrounding you.
Darby Translation
And as for thy bondman and thy handmaid whom thou shalt have—of the nations that are round about you, of them shall ye buy bondmen and handmaids.
Easy-to-Read Version
"About your men and women slaves: You may get men and women slaves from the other nations around you.
English Standard Version
As for your male and female slaves whom you may have: you may buy male and female slaves from among the nations that are around you.
George Lamsa Translation
But as for your male servants and your female servants whom you may have from among the people that are round about you, of them shall you buy bondmen and bondwomen.
Good News Translation
If you need slaves, you may buy them from the nations around you.
Christian Standard Bible®
Your male and female slaves are to be from the nations around you; you may purchase male and female slaves.
Literal Translation
And your male slave and your female slave whom you have shall be from the nations who are all around you, you shall buy them as male slave or female slave;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But yf thou wylt haue bode seruauntes and maydens, thou shalt bye them of the Heithen, that are rounde aboute you:
American Standard Version
And as for thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, whom thou shalt have; of the nations that are round about you, of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids.
Bible in Basic English
But you may get servants as property from among the nations round about; from them you may take men-servants and women-servants.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Thy bondseruaunt and thy bondemayde which thou shalt haue, shalbe of the heathen that are rounde about you: of them shall ye purchase seruauntes and maydes.
King James Version (1611)
Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt haue, shall be of the Heathen, that are round about you: of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And whatever number of men-servants and maid-servants thou shalt have, thou shalt purchase male and female servants from the nations that are round about thee.
English Revised Version
And as for thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have; of the nations that are round about you, of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids.
Berean Standard Bible
Your male and female slaves shall come from the nations around you; from them you may purchase slaves.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
A seruaunt and handmaide be to you of naciouns that ben in youre cumpas,
Young's Literal Translation
`And thy man-servant and thy handmaid whom thou hast [are] of the nations who [are] round about you; of them ye buy man-servant and handmaid,
Update Bible Version
And as for your male slave, and your female slave, whom you shall have; of the nations that are round about you, of them you shall buy a male slave and a female slave.
Webster's Bible Translation
Both thy bond-men, and thy bond-maids, which thou shalt have, [shall be] of the heathen that are around you; of them shall ye buy bond-men and bond-maids.
World English Bible
As for your bondservants, and your bondmaids, whom you shall have; of the nations that are round about you, of them shall you buy bondservants and bondmaids.
New King James Version
And as for your male and female slaves whom you may have--from the nations that are around you, from them you may buy male and female slaves.
New Living Translation
"However, you may purchase male and female slaves from among the nations around you.
New Life Bible
Those men and women you may have who are sold as servants will be from the nations around you.
New Revised Standard
As for the male and female slaves whom you may have, it is from the nations around you that you may acquire male and female slaves.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And as for thy bondman and thy bond-maid which thou shalt have, of the nations that are round about you - from them, may ye buy bondman and bond-maid.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Let your bondmen, and your bondwomen, be of the nations that are round about you:
Revised Standard Version
As for your male and female slaves whom you may have: you may buy male and female slaves from among the nations that are round about you.
THE MESSAGE
"The male and female slaves which you have are to come from the surrounding nations; you are permitted to buy slaves from them. You may also buy the children of foreign workers who are living among you temporarily and from their clans which are living among you and have been born in your land. They become your property. You may will them to your children as property and make them slaves for life. But you must not tyrannize your brother Israelites.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
'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.

Contextual Overview

39 And if thy brother be waxen poor with thee, and sell himself unto thee, thou shalt not make him to serve as a bondservant. 40 As a hired servant, and as a settler, he shall be with thee; he shall serve with thee unto the year of jubilee. 41 Then shall he go out from thee, he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return. 42 For they are My servants, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as bondmen. 43 Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour; but shalt fear thy God. 44 And as for thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, whom thou mayest have: of the nations that are round about you, of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids. 45 Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them may ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they have begotten in your land; and they may be your possession. 46 And ye may make them an inheritance for your children after you, to hold for a possession: of them may ye take your bondmen for ever; but over your brethren the children of Israel ye shall not rule, one over another, with rigour. 47 And if a stranger who is a settler with thee be waxen rich, and thy brother be waxen poor beside him, and sell himself unto the stranger who is a settler with thee, or to the offshoot of a stranger's family, 48 after that he is sold he may be redeemed; one of his brethren may redeem him;

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Exodus 12:44, Psalms 2:8, Psalms 2:9, Isaiah 14:1, Isaiah 14:2, Revelation 2:26, Revelation 2:27

Reciprocal: Exodus 21:2 - an Hebrew Numbers 31:18 - keep alive for yourselves Deuteronomy 5:14 - thy manservant

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have,.... Such it seems were allowed them, if they had need of them; but if they had them, they were to be not of the nation of Israel, but of other nations; this is an anticipation of an objection, as Jarchi observes; if so, who shall I have to minister to me? The answer follows, they

[shall be] of the heathen that are round about thee, of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids; that is, of the Ammonites, Moabites, Edomites, and Syrians, as Aben Ezra, that were their neighbours, that lived round about them, of any but the seven nations, which they were ordered utterly to destroy; wherefore Jarchi observes it is said, "that are round about thee"; not in the midst of the border of your land, for them they were not to save alive, Deuteronomy 20:16.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Property in foreign slaves is here distinctly permitted. It was a patriarchal custom Genesis 17:12. Such slaves might be captives taken in war (Numbers 31:6 following; Deuteronomy 20:14), or those consigned to slavery for their crimes, or those purchased of foreign slave-dealers. The price of a slave is supposed to have varied from thirty to fifty shekels. See Leviticus 27:3-4, note; Exodus 21:32, note; Zechariah 11:12-13, note; Matthew 26:15, note. It was the object of Moses, not at once to do away with slavery, but to discourage and to mitigate it. The Law would not suffer it to be forgotten that the slave was a man, and protected him in every way that was possible at the time against the injustice or cruelty of his master. See the notes at Exodus 21:0.

Leviticus 25:46

Your bondmen forever - i. e. they were not necessarily to be released in the sabbatical year nor at the Jubilee.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile