KJV ORIGINAL
And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant:
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
If your fellow Israelite who lives near you becomes poor and has to sell himself to you as a servant, don't treat him like a slave.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
God is instructing His people to treat fellow Israelites who become servants with dignity, not as slaves.
📚 Historical Context
This verse is part of the Sabbatical and Jubilee laws given to Israel through Moses around 1440 BC. In ancient times, people who fell into extreme poverty often had to sell themselves into servitude to survive. Unlike surrounding nations that treated such people as permanent slaves, God established special protections for Israelites who found themselves in this situation.
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