Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1852-02-25
FOR THE SPECTATOR.
Letters to Northern Unionists ON
the Scripture View of Slavery.
LETTER MO. @.


fsreat meanings ofEBED-lst. A .domes-
tic slaue.-2d. A subject Of a sovereign,
political slape.-3d. A servant Of God,
auho is His property.-Figuratire usage of
the ,cord.-.No English term corresponds
to il, t. .... -. 3" w
RESPECTED FRiEyps,-W will now ex-
anime the Hebrew word which,in relation to
slavery is gilmore importance than any other.
Il is e6ed. 1t Is .sometimes spelled differ
emily in the attempt to represent all the
letters of the original. I give it in the sim
pie form, in which it is found in our. Bible.
1t is, found. as a proper name Judg. 9: 26,
"Gaai the son of Ebed;" and it forms part
of the naiie 5f Etsd:melech, Jer. 38: T.
This word is of FREQUENT occurrence ; and it
is translated by the expressions bond-man,
bond-seruant, man-serrant, and simply SER
uant the latter Being Used in the greater
number of instances. 1t would be tedious
to refer to all the passages, in which the
word is used Sit is not necessary it will
be sufficient 10 cite some from each of the
several classes of texts, which illustrate The
several shades of meaning, which are at
tached to Il; !: -. -.
1st. In many passages, the word ebed in
contestably signifies domestic Stare. 1t is
applied to men who are bought and sold.
Ex. l2: "A, every mans seryant. that is
bought for money" Ex. 21:2, plf thou
buy an Hebrew serrani." Deut. 70: 6s,
".Ye shall be sold unto your enemies for
5ond2men and bUnd:women. Gen. At: 19-
Lev. 25: 40, 44-Neh. 5: 5-8-Est. z: A.
The word is found in lists ofproperty. Gen.
80: 43, "And the man Jacob increased
exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maid
servants, and men-seruantS, and camels, and
asses Gen. - ,16, and go IA, and "A:
So, and 80: 5-Deut. s.: 21-1 Kings 8: "a,
1t is applied to those who are expressly de-
clared to be property. Ex. Fl: 2l-Lev:
25: 44-47.-To those who are transferred
bv gift. Gen. 20; IA, "And Abimeleck
took sheer, and oxen, and men.seruants, and
women:servants, and gave them unto A
braham."' ."'-Compensaticn was to- be given
to themaster, when his cbed was killed, Ex.
21: 32.-The name is applied to one who
was enslaved, and who could be emancpa-
ted. Gen. 43: 18, ''That he may seek oc-
casion against us, and fall upon US, and take
us for bond-men." A: 9, 'We also will be
my lords 5ond-men"- 10, 16, II, SO and
Al 25-Ex. 21: 2. 7, 26, 27-Lev. 26: 13
-Neh. 5:5; .",We bring into bondage our
sons and our daughters to be sertants.,"-
Job. 8: 19-Jer. 81: 10, II, 16.-The
condition of the ebed is contrasted with that
of freeman. Ex. 21: 81 Kings g: ~.
With the condition of hired servant. Lev.
25 80, 40, Thou shalt not compel him to
serve as bond.serudnt: but as an hired SER
vant and as a sojourner he shall be with
thee" v. 6. Deut Is: IS, "He. the SER
rant mentioned in the preceding verse,
hath been worth double hired servant to
thee" Job. 7: 2, GAS Serram earnestly
desitcih the shadow; 1.-THE shades of even
ing, when he may rest from his labor :: and
as an hlreIing looketh for the reward of his
work." Ex. 12: 44-The term is applied
to those who are to be treated as slaves
Prov. 90: 10, "a servant VIII no. be, COR
rected by words" V. 21-It is used in
connexion with an,ah in such manner as
to show that il means slave. Ex. 20: 10,
"In it, thou shalt not do any work, thou,
nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy man
ssrramt, nor thy maid-seruan'." v. II. Ez-
ra 2: IS, "Beside their servants and their
maids.' Job 81: 13, eff l did despise the
cause of nv man-Serrant or of my n,aid-ser-
uam." Ex. 21: 20, 26, II, 32-Lev. 25,;
6, 44-Deut. 5: IA, 21, and 10: IL 18, and
Is: II, and 16: II 14-Neh. 7: 67-Job
19: Is, 16.-In similar manneris it used
in connexlon with shiphchah. l Sam. 8: 16,
Samuel says to the people, of the king
whom they proposed, to make; "He will
take Your men-seruani", and your maid-ser-
panis," sand put them to his work." Joel
q: 20, "Upon the servants and upon the
hand-maids in those days, will I pour out
my Spirit" Gen. 70: is, and 90: IA, and
"a: 35, and 80: 43, and 80: 5-Deut. %:
68-2 Kings 5: 26-Est. 7: 4-Ps. 1913: 2
Prov. 80 22-Eccl. 2: lis. "a: 3
Jer. "a: 9, 10, II, .16. Since amah and
shiphchah mean female slaves. as was prov
ed in my last letter ebed, when used in
such a connexion, plainly means male
slave. Finally the term ebed is applied to
those who are known to have been slaves.
To Canaan, Gen. 9: 20, 27. To the Isra-
elites in Egypt Dett: e:21, we were
Pharaoh's 5ond-men in Egypt" Is: Is,
"Thou vast bond-man" in Egypt-Deut.
16: ID, and "a: 1S, 22-Lev. 26: 13. That
country Is repeatedly styled beth ededimi The
house of bond-mpn. So it is translated, Deut
7: 8-Jer. "a: 13. The same Hebrew ex-
preston is rendered hot.se Of bondage, Elk.
20: 2-Deut. IS: 6, and g.: -, and 8; IA,
and l3: 1O-Judg. 6: 8. In some Of these
passages, the marginal reading is house Of
ssruanis. Joseph. In his state Of bondage, is
called ebed, Gen. 80: II, 19, and Al: IL.
The texts above referred to,-and the
list might be increased, present more than
one hundred arguments from the Hebrew
Bible, tolproye that .sbed fneahs domestic
slave. This was probably its primary and
proper meaning. By itself, without any
explanatory words; it was deemed suffi-
ciently explicit for legal enactments. But
in popular language, it was used with some
variety Of signifcation, which it is import
ant 10 notice. ,.a....
3D.. fhe term is sometimes employed to
designate the subject Of a Sovereign; one
who is in a state of political slavery
The sovereign may be nation. Sam.
17:9 Goliath says to the Israelites, re-
specting tho champion whom he wishes to
be sent to fight with him: "If he be able to
fight with me, and to kill me, then will we
be- your sertauis but. if l prevail against
hun, and kill him, then shall ye be oir
servants, and serve .us" The sovereign
may be monarch. l Sam. 8: IT,, Samuel
On No TO tho nnnnle snaakino of their future