Slavery in the Old Testament

Kevin Giles (Australian evangelical Anglican priest and theologian who was in parish ministry for over 40 years. Giles studied at Moore Theological College in Sydney, Durham University, England and Tubingen University, Germany), "The Biblical Argument for Slavery: Can the Bible Mislead? A Case Study in Hermeneutics," http://www.gospelstudies.org.uk/biblicalstudies/pdf/eq/1994-1_003.pdf

Kevin Giles traces how southern evangelicals interpreted and made a case for slavery based on “some of the plainest declarations of the word of God.” He makes a case for how the establishment, practice, and regulation of slavery was founded or supported by precepts from the Bible. One of three things is true, he argues:

(1) Southern evangelicals were mistaken in their interpretation of scripture;

(2) The Bible does support slavery, and slavery should not be condemned because the word of God trumps modern ideas of equality, social justice, or personal rights;

(3) By appealing to the Bible supporters of slavery were right in determining the intent of the writers, but wrong in their doctrine, because the Bible must be read understanding the context in which it was written.

Jewish Virtual Library (the most comprehensive online resource on Jewish history, politics and culture, to provide a one-stop shop for users from around the world seeking answers to questions on subjects ranging from anti-Semitism to Zionism), "Slavery," https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/slavery

The Jewish Virtual Library describes in detail limitations on slavery in ancient Israel. Those who may become slaves are carefully described (including prisoners of war, debtors, and criminals), as well as furnishings that released slaves must be provided with. Also included is rules regarding the treatment of all slaves.

John K. Goodrich (Professor of Bible at Moody Bible Institute, MDiv and ThM from the Talbot School of Theology, PhD from Durham University), "From Slaves of Sin to Slaves of God: Reconsidering the Origin of Paul’s Slavery Metaphor in Romans 6," https://www.academia.edu/1926455/_From_Slaves_of_Sin_to_Slaves_of_God_Reconsidering_the_Origin_of_Pauls_Slavery_Metaphor_in_Romans_6_Bulletin_for_Biblical_Research_23_4_2013_509_30

John Goodrich reorients the lens through which we view Paul’s slavery metaphor in Romans 6. He argues that though Paul was living and preaching to people deeply entrenched in the culture of the Greco-Roman world, it should also be examined through the Jewish perspective. The Jewish slavery metaphor originated from the Exodus story in which the Israelites were not completely manumitted, but they were freed from the mastery from Pharaoh and voluntarily became “slaves of God”, a term which functioned as an “emblem of theological identification” and emphasized their exclusive devotion to God. Paul’s term δοῦλος, carries a rich history steeped in images and echoes from the Old Testament, but they also reflect the culture in which Paul and contemporary Christians were living. So, Goodrich concludes, urging scholars to look at Paul’s metaphor in the Jewish and Hellenistic contexts.

Jon Burke (Independent researcher, Bachelor of Arts (Classics), University of Tasmania. Master of Information Management, Monash University), "Slavery in the Old Testament," https://bibleapologetics.wordpress.com/slavery-in-the-bible-15/

Jon Burke argues that the slavery mentioned in the Bible is nothing like the slavery of the 19th century plantations. Burke classifies and addresses the following forms of servitude: chattel slavery, indentured servitude, bridal contracts, and vassalage.

Chattel slavery describes a situation where the enslaved person is legally rendered the personal property of the slave owner. While chattel slavery was present in the Ancient Near East (ANE), it was not the only form of servitude described by the word "slavery."

Indentured servitude describes a situation where a person agrees to work for another for a specified time especially in return for payment of travel expenses and maintenance. This was entirely voluntary and the Law of Moses provided some protection those in indentured servitude from exploitation.

Thirdly, bridal contracts provided women with a higher status in society and financial security. While referred to as a “master/servant” relationship, the term ‘servant’ was used because she was bound to the marital contract, and obligations had to be fulfilled by both parties. The Law of Moses also protected the woman’s rights if the husband did not provide sufficient care.

Lastly, vassalage placed a weaker state in service to a more powerful state through suzerainty treaties (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzerainty). This did not affect the daily lives of citizens, besides an additional tax, military or labor project draft. However, the dominant state was obligated to take care of its vassal states.

Thomas Schirrmacher (Th.D. in Ethics at Whitefield Theological Seminary, President of the International Council of the International Society for Human Rights, and Associate Secretary General for Theological Concerns), "Slavery in the Old Testament, in the New Testament, and Today," https://www.academia.edu/7648239/Slavery_in_the_Old_Testament_in_the_New_Testament_and_Today_With_special_research_on_The_Role_of_Evangelicals_in_the_Abolition_of_Slavery_

Thomas Schirrmacher investigates slavery in the Bible, its trajectory in history, and compares it against slavery within Islam. Schirrmacher argues that the term “slave” should be understood as a “bounded laborer” and their rights were protected under the law. He reframes the slave/master relationship by characterizing a master as one who “does not own the slave/servant but rather his or her work.” He also enumerates how the Bible limited slavery to protect the rights and humanity of the slaves.

In early Christianity, Schirrmacher shows how slaves were incorporated into the congregation and were able to become clerics or bishops. He also explains how evangelicals played a major role in the abolition of 19th century American slavery.

Lastly, Schirrmacher compares biblical slavery to slavery in the Islamic world. He attests that Arab Muslims were the largest group of slave traders in history and their society both operated on and thus necessitated slavery. This disparity between “Christian” and “Islamic” implementations of servitude, argues Burke, is largely neglected in religious and historical criticism.

Laura Rominger (Ph.D. candidate in history at the University of Notre Dame. Her dissertation, “From Sin to Crime: Evangelicals, Politics, and Public Moral Order in the Nineteenth-Century Upper South,” examines links between evangelical church discipline and the rise of moral legislation in the nineteenth-century upper South, and how these interconnections shaped regional debates over the role of ministers and churches in public affairs), "The Bible, Common Sense, and Interpretive Context: A Case Study In the Antebellum Debate Over Slavery," https://search.proquest.com/docview/229940083?pq-origsite=gscholar&fromopenview=true

Laura Rominger recounts a thirty-two debate of two reverends held in 1845 concerning the question: “is slave-holding sinful?” This debate illuminated the arguments of the two camps and served as a microcosm for the national debate over slavery.

First, Rominger considered the education and personal convictions held by each reverend. Rev. Jonathan Blanchard, a New-Englander, advocated for the abolition of slavery as he viewed both slavery and the slave-holder sinful. Adversely, Rev. Nathan Rice, a southerner, argued that slavery was not inherently sinful either socially or individually.

While both used the Bible as an authoritative text, Rice rested his argument on the literal understanding of the words while Blanchard relied on the text’s general principles.

The full text of the Blanchard-Rice debate can be found here.

NBC News, "Slave Bible Removed Passages to Instill Obedience and Uphold Slavery," https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvKUOuYn1-c

Bibles given to slaves by their holders in the 1800s sometimes removed the majority of the Old Testament, including the Exodus story, and portions of the New, like Galatians 3:28. ("There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”) Presumably, this was done to remove any passages that they thought minimized the morality of slavery and to prevent any kind of uprising that may be inspired by Scripture. Moses declaring "let my people go" continues to be a rallying cry of oppressed peoples.