Exodus 21:2-11, 26-27
In the Bible, if a woman is sold into slavery, the presumption was that she was to become someone's concubine--whether the master's, his son's, or another servant's--but that wasn't a given. Sometimes she would be a temporary laborer or a woman's personal servant (aka "handmaid").
A concubine was a wife who had been purchased as a slave. She had rights and was legally recognized as a man's wife, but that didn't nullify her status as his slave (which probably had inheritance implications for her firstborn son). As a bare minimum, a man owes three things to a concubine: food, clothing, and procreation. A concubine is allowed an unquestioned divorce if her husband doesn't meet his obligations to her.
If a man buys her to be a wife and then changes his mind, he must allow her to be redeemed by her family. V8 says he can't sell her to a foreigner, but this means anyone outside of her family, not just people from another nation. If a man buys a slave girl to marry his son, he must treat her as his own daughter. He can't treat her as a slave.
In God's Law, even slaves must be treated humanely. Biblical slavery was nothing like the slavery perpetrated in many other cultures even today.
This coming week, February 19-25 (28 Shevat-4 Adar), the Bible reading plan covers the portion Terumah (Offerings).
19 Feb Exodus 25:1-16 1 Chronicles 11:22-12:22 Luke 22:35-54 Psalm 63:1-11
20 Feb Exodus 25:17-30 1 Chronicles 12:23-14:7 Luke 22:55-71 Psalm 64:1-10
21 Feb Exodus 25:31-26:14 1 Chronicles 14:8-15:29 Luke 23:1-25 Psalm 65:1-13
22 Feb Exodus 26:15-30 1 Chronicles 16:1-43 Luke 23:26-49 Psalm 66:1-20
23 Feb Exodus 26:31-37 1 Chronicles 17:1-18:17 Luke 23:50-24:12 Proverbs 13:1-6
24 Feb Exodus 27:1-8 1 Chronicles 19:1-21:17 Luke 24:13-35 Proverbs 13:7-12
25 Feb Exodus 27:9-19 1 Kings 5:12-6:13 Luke 24:36-53 Proverbs 13:13-18
The complete annual Bible reading plan for 2022-23 (Hebrew year 5783) is available at this link:
https://thebarkingfox.com/2023..../02/17/weekly-bible-
This coming week, February 19-25 (28 Shevat-4 Adar), the Bible reading plan covers the portion Terumah (Offerings).
19 Feb Exodus 25:1-16 1 Chronicles 11:22-12:22 Luke 22:35-54 Psalm 63:1-11
20 Feb Exodus 25:17-30 1 Chronicles 12:23-14:7 Luke 22:55-71 Psalm 64:1-10
21 Feb Exodus 25:31-26:14 1 Chronicles 14:8-15:29 Luke 23:1-25 Psalm 65:1-13
22 Feb Exodus 26:15-30 1 Chronicles 16:1-43 Luke 23:26-49 Psalm 66:1-20
23 Feb Exodus 26:31-37 1 Chronicles 17:1-18:17 Luke 23:50-24:12 Proverbs 13:1-6
24 Feb Exodus 27:1-8 1 Chronicles 19:1-21:17 Luke 24:13-35 Proverbs 13:7-12
25 Feb Exodus 27:9-19 1 Kings 5:12-6:13 Luke 24:36-53 Proverbs 13:13-18
The complete annual Bible reading plan for 2022-23 (Hebrew year 5783) is available at this link:
https://thebarkingfox.com/2023..../02/17/weekly-bible-