KJV ORIGINAL
And as a yearly hired servant shall he be with him: and the other shall not rule with rigour over him in thy sight.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
He should be treated like a worker hired for a year at a time. The master must not treat him harshly while you are watching.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
This verse is instructing that even servants should be treated with fairness and dignity, not harshly or cruelly.
📚 Historical Context
This verse is part of the Jubilee laws in Leviticus 25, which dealt with how Israelites who had fallen into debt slavery should be treated. Unlike foreign slaves, fellow Israelites were to be treated more like hired workers than property. These laws were designed to prevent permanent poverty and exploitation within the community of God's people.
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