KJV ORIGINAL
That every man should let his manservant, and every man his maidservant, being an Hebrew or an Hebrewess, go free; that none should serve himself of them, to wit, of a Jew his brother.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
Every person should set their Hebrew servants free—both men and women. No one should keep a fellow Jew as their servant.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
This verse is commanding that all Hebrew people who had become servants to other Hebrews should be released from their service.
📚 Historical Context
This occurred during King Zedekiah's reign when Jerusalem was under siege by Babylon. The king made a covenant with the people to free all Hebrew slaves according to the Law of Moses, which required Hebrew servants to be freed every seven years. This was likely done to seek God's favor during the crisis and to follow the forgotten requirements of their covenant with God.
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