The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-11-03

Il
) 25: 44-46--snd claim from this, that i
Jews bought adult slaves from third ps
son, and held them as property; and tran
United them and their issue to the childrs
Of these Jews! We reply. I. If these Sc
wants had children, it is clear from Gel
IL; 1918, and Exod. IL: "A. that the,
children, and their parents had To be ci
eumcised; and as such were made Jew
"enutled to all the privileges and immun
ties OF Jews-went out free at the Jubile
as the Jew did; (see Lev. rs: 1O.l S
there was no hereditary sevitude as ours
only bond service for limited time, an
that, as we have seen, voluntary.
2. The Hebrew word Ebed, a form q
which, in Lev. 25: AZ. is rendered "bond
men," does not OF itself necessarily desis
nate slave; but denotes as our word sci
want, person who does service for another
without regard 10 the time for which, or tn
principles upon which he docs service -
Hence il may designste--
l. One who does voluntary service. ISe,
|. Kings, IL: z.
2. 1t may designate those who pay
tar or tributary service 10 another nation
as that of the Gibeonintes to the Jews, in
doing service for the house Of God; Isec
Josh. 9: 23,l yet having their own houses
property and families. and living in theil
own cities. See Josh. 10. 1; Ezra 2: 20
I'd Sam. 21: LA; Nshem. 7: 70.
3. 1t may designate slave as in Gen,
80: II.
4. 1t may designate one who binds him
self TO do service for another; as Exod. 21;
5, 8; or as the Jew who sold himself. thai
is bound himself to perform service to the
year Of Jubilee. See LEWIS: AL
And in the text under consideration the
word designates the relation, and is trans
lated bondmen because the time of service
was fixed by law. la becoming servants
they bound themselves by law to serve unit
the Jubilee. We said the servant bound
himself, for from Lev. 25; As, we learn that
the Jews were TO buy, that is. procure ser.
vice Qor this is the primary import OF the
word rendered buy) from the strangers
dwelling IN their land, as we'll as those
round about them. And the words "chil.
dren of the stranger" in verse 25, nu,ans
adult Gentiles Just as the words children
OF Israel" in verse 20, means adult Israel
ties. Moreover, these persons called chill
dren Of the stranger, mad ''begot children in
the land" See verse 20 or these the
Jews were to buy, or procure service.
Now who sold these strangers? The
Jew dare not seize them, and do so. Such
an act was punished with death; [see Exod.
81; 10. Then it is clear thai they bound
themselves, or sold their service until the
Jubilee. Do you say these servants were
10 be possession and an Entertained and
therefore must have been held as slaves, as
We reply-lhe words posses
sion" and inheritance" are often used in
1 different limited serse-not designating
property tenure. God says concerning Is
-ael, 81 am their inheritance, and ye shall
give them no inheritance in Israel, am
heir possession" Eek. A: %,
Did Israel own or hold God as a slave
As property, because he is called their Sin
and possession" Certainly
not. So previous statutes, as we have seen,
orbid the idea that the Jews should have
IN absolute properly tenure in these Gen
lies, or strangers.
Again. Isaiah describing the return of the
Jews from captivity in Babylon, says; "tbe
strangers (Babylonians) will be joined with
hem, and they shall cleave to the house Of
Jacob; and Israel shall possess them in the
and of the Lord for servants and hand
maids" Isee lisa. IA: 1-2. The truth taught
$ that many Of the Babylonians would en-
,race the Jewish religion. To do so. they
would have to become circumcised, and
of the famiIy-"would be indu-
ed to become prosely ties; to be WILLING to
accompany them to their own homes. and
o become their servants there. "-BaInes.
Here possession denotes the service which
he Babylonians voluntarily rendered to the
Jews-'rhey cLAvE to the house Of jacob
Also the word forever" in the text I'M
der consideration, is not to be used as il
generally is, denoting perpetual property in
hese servants and their issue. For the
master did not live PerPetually-the ser
rant did not live perpetually-and as We
have seen, there was no such thing as he
reditary slavery. Q. children OF servants
were not held as slaves, but circumcised and
made Jews entitled to all the privileges Of
Jews" Also, the Jubilee terminated all
bond service. Josephus says even the ear
bored servant, and his wife and children
went out free then.
The passage correctly rendered is as FOL.
lows: always we shall serve yourselves
with them;' that is, you shall invariably
always procure your servants from among
The strangers among you and around YOU
Barnes gives a similar exposition OF the
text and you will see the same in the mar
gin Of the Bible, published by the Bible
Society.
Thus expounded, the text presents not
he Jewish code as simply refinement OF
previous barbarisms, still selfish and unjust,
but steps at once upon the broad ground Of
Justice and mutual benevolence, and harmo.
nises with principles and statutes previously
referred TO.
But did we even grant that the Patri-
archs, and the Israelites under the Mosaic
held slaves. that would be no
permit to US for the Patriarchs had concu-
bines: we may not therefore have.
Under the Mosaic economy. God COM
handed the Israelites 10 Stay the Amale-
kites. God as sovereign had right to
punish the Amalekites for their sins, with
The sword, if he chose. But may we, there
fore, without any such command, go and