Why was slavery allowed in the Old Testament?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Slavery in the Old Testament is often misunderstood when compared to modern forms of slavery. In Israel, it functioned primarily as a system of economic servitude, where individuals could voluntarily sell themselves into service to repay debt or escape poverty (Exodus 21:2-6; Leviticus 25:39-40). God regulated this practice to ensure justice: Hebrew servants were to be released in the seventh year, treated as hired workers rather than property, and provided for generously when freed (Deuteronomy 15:12-14). Kidnapping and slave-trading, by contrast, were strictly forbidden and punishable by death (Exodus 21:16).

Foreigners also found protection under God’s law, as runaway slaves were not to be returned to their masters but allowed to live freely among Israel (Deuteronomy 23:15-16). These commands revealed God’s concern for human dignity even in a fallen system. At the same time, Israel’s own redemption from Egypt served as the great reminder that God delivers His people from bondage (Exodus 20:2). Old Testament slavery points forward to the gospel. Just as God rescued Israel from Egypt, so He rescues His people from slavery to sin, providing the foundation for the New Testament’s fuller teaching on freedom in Christ (Romans 6:17-18).

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• One form of slavery in Israel was economic servitude, often called debt-slavery. If an Israelite became poor, he could sell himself into service temporarily as a way to survive and provide for his family. According to God’s Law, “When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing” (Exodus 21:2). Going “free,for nothing” meant that the slave did not pay for his release. They simply became free men and women at the seventh year. They also had the option to remain with his master out of love (Exodus 21:5-6). This provision in Israel functioned more like a time-limited indentured servitude system.
• Slaves in Israel were also to be treated with dignity and fairness. Leviticus 25:39-40 indicates that a fellow Israelite who became poor and sold himself “shall not be sold as a slave: he shall be with you as a hired worker.” Slaves were compensated for their work as opposed to being forced labor.
• This emphasis on fair treatment extended to basic human needs, including participation in Sabbath rest (Deuteronomy 5:14). Unlike the surrounding nations, where slaves could be treated as disposable property, God’s law ensured that Israel’s slaves were treated as fellow image-bearers deserving of rest and care.
• The law further commanded that freed Hebrew slaves be provided generously so they could have a new start to life. When a slave was freed, the former master was told, “You shall furnish him liberally out of your flock, out of your threshing floor, and out of your winepress. As the LORD your God has blessed you, you shall give to him” (Deuteronomy 15:14). In this way, the freed person would have the resources to escape the poverty that led them into servitude in the first place.
• Foreign slaves who escaped from a surrounding nation were also protected by Israel’s laws. Deuteronomy says, “You shall not give up to his master a slave who has escaped from his master to you. He shall dwell with you, in your midst, in the place that he shall choose within one of your towns, wherever it suits him. You shall not wrong him” (23:15-16). Rather than returning slaves to their terrible situation, Israel was to give them refuge, allowing them to live freely.
• God also placed strict prohibitions on kidnapping and slave-trading. Exodus 21:16 says, “Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death.” The death penalty was prescribed for kidnapping and forcing someone to be a slave. In God’s design for Israel, no one was to be treated as an object.
• At the same time, the Old Testament acknowledged that slavery was a consequence of living in a fallen world. Israel’s own history in Egypt was defined by harsh slavery. In fact, God continually used that background to remind the Israelites why they were to treat slaves fairly: because they themselves had been slaves (Leviticus 25:42; Deuteronomy 15:15).
• God indicted Israel for not always obeying the slavery laws: “afterward they turned around and took back the male and female slaves they had set free, and brought them into subjection as slaves” (Jeremiah 34:11). The result? “Therefore, thus says the Lord: You have not obeyed me by proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother and to his neighbor; behold, I proclaim to you liberty to the sword, to pestilence, and to famine, declares the LORD. I will make you a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth” (Jeremiah 34:17). God condemned the people to severe misery and death for disobeying Him.
• God’s deliverance of Israel from Egyptian slavery became the central event of Israel’s identity and worship (Exodus 20:2). The experience of slavery and freedom was intended to teach them about God’s justice, mercy, and saving power. It also prepared the way for the greater reality revealed in the New Testament—that God would one day free His people from the deeper slavery of sin through Christ.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• The New Testament also addresses slavery. It does not categorically condemn slavery but emphasizes how Christians should live faithfully and lovingly within its societal structures, respecting authorities while recognizing God as the ultimate master (Ephesians 6:5-8; Colossians 3:22-24; 1 Peter 2:19-20) and promoting fair treatment, freedom when possible (John 8:35; 1 Corinthians 7:21-24), and care for the vulnerable (James 1:27; Romans 15:26; Galatians 2:10; Matthew 6:2-3, 19:21, 26:11; Luke 14:13).
• Unlike the Old Testament, the New Testament emphasizes spiritual equality, teaching that a person’s status as a slave has no bearing on their salvation (1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:28) and that mutual love and brotherhood should govern relationships between masters and slaves (Ephesians 6:9; Philemon 1:9-17).
• While the Old Testament provides rules for slavery, the New Testament subverts its social acceptance through moral guidance and uses slavery metaphorically to illustrate the difference in bondage to sin versus being a slave to Christ (Matthew 21:33-41, 24:45-51, 25:14-30; Luke 14:16-24; 17:7-10).
• The New Testament also calls Christians to aid the poor and marginalized (Matthew 25:35-36; James 1:27), ultimately planting seeds for emancipation and ethical reform.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

When modern readers encounter references to slavery in the Old Testament, it can be troubling when pictured through the lens of recent history. But the Bible’s description of slavery is very different from the brutal, race-based slavery of past centuries. God’s laws restrained injustice, demanded fair treatment, and provided protections for the vulnerable. These commands reflected His concern for human dignity in a fallen world, even within a system that existed because of poverty and sin.

For Christians today, the lesson is to see how God’s Word always calls His people to live with justice, compassion, and generosity. If even slaves in Israel were to be treated with kindness and released with provision, how much more should we as believers today seek to uphold the dignity of every person made in God’s image? Therefore, rather than being embarrassed by the Old Testament’s references to slavery, see them as reminders of God’s mercy.

At the same time, the Old Testament’s use of slavery as a picture of redemption reminds us that the deepest form of slavery is spiritual. Just as God redeemed Israel from bondage in Egypt, so He redeems His people from slavery to sin through Christ. If you are an unbeliever, then know that you are the one who is currently enslaved. Your greatest need is deliverance from the death grip sin has on you. This world will pass away, including all of its evil systems. But you will live forever. Turn to Jesus and He will set free so that you will be free in this life and the one to come.

UNDERSTAND

• Slavery was a reality of the ancient world not an endorsement by God.
• Though slavery was common, God created regulations around it that included protections, fair treatment, and the possibility of freedom.
• Slavery points to spiritual redemption, showing God’s deliverance from sin and calling for ethical treatment and care of the marginalized.

REFLECT

• How does understanding that Old Testament slavery was regulated rather than endorsed by God affect the way you view its inclusion in the Bible?
• How are you called to reflect God’s concern for human dignity and care for the vulnerable in your daily life?
• How are you challenged or encouraged by the truth that God redeems us from slavery to sin?

ENGAGE

• How does recognizing the culture of the ancient world and the existence of slavery impact your understanding of slavery in the Bible?
• How can we see the ethical and protective regulations of Old Testament slavery as a reflection of God’s character and a foreshadowing of Christ’s redemption?
• How does God’s call to aid the marginalized today continue the principles seen in His Old Testament laws?