20If a man lies carnally with a slave girl promised to another man but who has not been redeemed or given her freedom, there must be due punishment. But they are not to be put to death, because she had not been freed. 21The man, however, must bring a ram to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting as his guilt offering to the LORD. 22The priest shall make atonement on his behalf before the LORD with the ram of the guilt offering for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven the sin he has committed.
“This is the situation described: A slave girl is engaged to marry a free man, and then a different man has sex with her. Normally, the penalty was death; but because the woman was a slave and was presumed to be not free to resist (or guarded by a father), the penalty was not death. Yet, she was not marriable to her fiancée, so he must be reimbursed (the punishment mentioned). Then the moral guilt would be settled by sacrifice, and presumably, the man who had sex with her would be obliged to marry her.” (Guzik)
“It is worth noting that only the man was considered blameworthy, not the female slave. Being a slave, the woman may have felt she had little recourse in resisting a male who was a free man and thus more powerful both in the social and economic spheres.” (Rooker)
Why does the Bible deal with slavery? Because it exists!
Paul deals with a runaway slave named Onesimus.
Philemon 1: 10I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whose father I became while I was in chains. 11Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me. 12I am sending back to you him who is my very heart.
13I would have liked to keep him with me, so that on your behalf he could minister to me in my chains for the gospel. 14But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your goodness will not be out of compulsion, but by your own free will. 15For perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back for good— 16no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a beloved brother. He is especially beloved to me, but even more so to you, both in person and in the Lord.
17So if you consider me a partner, receive him as you would receive me. 18But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to my account. 19I, Paul, write this with my own hand. I will repay it—not to mention that you owe me your very self.
The Bible is the book of life about life!
Are you troubled by a situation and don’t know what to do? Open the Bible and study it, lay your heart open to the Lord and ask Him to show you how to deal with it. You will find the answer as the Bible deals with all aspects of life.
Blessings, David
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