Thou shalt not deliver unto his master the servant which is escaped from his master unto thee:
You must not return a slave who has escaped from their master and come to you for help.
This verse commands God's people to protect escaped slaves rather than sending them back to their masters.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses was delivering a series of laws to the Israelites as they prepared to enter the Promised Land after their exodus from Egypt, emphasizing how they should live as a distinct nation under God's covenant. This verse specifically addressed the treatment of escaped slaves in ancient Near Eastern societies, where slavery was common, instructing the Israelites not to return such individuals to their masters as a way to protect the vulnerable and reflect God's concern for the oppressed. It stood in contrast to the practices of surrounding cultures, highlighting the humanitarian aspects of Israelite law based on their own history of bondage.
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