In ancient Israel, the treatment and rights of strangers, or foreigners, were addressed within the Mosaic Law, reflecting a balance between integration and distinction. Among these laws were provisions concerning the purchase and release of Hebrew servants by strangers residing in Israel.

Biblical Context and Legal Framework

The Mosaic Law provided specific guidelines regarding servitude, which included the possibility for a Hebrew individual to become a servant to a foreigner living in Israel. This situation is addressed in Leviticus 25, where the laws concerning the Year of Jubilee and the redemption of property and persons are detailed.

Leviticus 25:47-55 :
"If a foreigner or temporary resident among you becomes rich, and your brother dwelling near him becomes poor and sells himself to the foreigner or to a member of the foreigner’s clan, he retains the right of redemption after he has sold himself. One of his brothers may redeem him: either his uncle or cousin or any close relative from his clan may redeem him. Or if he prospers, he may redeem himself. He and his purchaser will then count the time from the year he sold himself up to the Year of Jubilee, and the price of his sale will be based on the number of years, according to the rate paid to a hired hand. If many years remain, he must pay for his redemption in proportion to his purchase price. If only a few years remain until the Year of Jubilee, he is to calculate and pay his redemption according to his remaining years. He shall stay with him as a hired worker year by year; he must not rule over him harshly in your sight. Even if he is not redeemed in any of these ways, he and his children are to be released in the Year of Jubilee. For the Israelites are My servants. They are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God."

Key Aspects of the Law

1. Right of Redemption: A Hebrew servant sold to a foreigner retained the right to be redeemed by a relative or through his own means if he prospered. This provision ensured that the Hebrew servant's bondage was not permanent and underscored the value of kinship and community support.

2. Calculation of Redemption Price: The redemption price was calculated based on the number of years remaining until the Year of Jubilee, reflecting a fair and just approach to servitude. This calculation was akin to the wages of a hired worker, emphasizing the temporary nature of the servitude.

3. Release in the Year of Jubilee: Regardless of redemption, Hebrew servants were to be released in the Year of Jubilee. This year, occurring every fifty years, was a time of liberation and restoration, symbolizing God's ultimate sovereignty and the Israelites' identity as His servants.

4. Prohibition of Harsh Treatment: The law explicitly prohibited harsh treatment of Hebrew servants by their foreign masters, ensuring that the dignity and rights of the servant were respected. This provision highlighted the ethical standards expected within the community of Israel.

Theological Implications

These laws reflect the broader biblical themes of redemption, justice, and the sanctity of the covenant community. The treatment of Hebrew servants by foreigners was not only a matter of social justice but also a testament to the Israelites' unique relationship with God. The laws served as a reminder of their deliverance from Egypt and their identity as God's chosen people, called to live according to His statutes and exemplify His righteousness to the nations.Leviticus 25:47,48
And if a sojourner or stranger wax rich by you, and your brother that dwells by him wax poor, and sell himself to the stranger or sojourner by you, or to the stock of the stranger's family:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

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laws were as ... me to pray thus unconditionally respecting temporal concerns ...
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An Exposition on the First Ten Chapters of Genesis, and Part of ...
... Yea, let me add further, What laws have been made ... His being a creature, respecting
his manhood, and his birth ... unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel" (Amos 7 ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/an exposition on the first.htm

part ii
... to finish, then should not we, God's servants, labour for ... His mercy and merciful
in His might, for speedy ... forgave the rebellious and murmuring Hebrew people in ...
//christianbookshelf.org/calvin/my life in christ/part ii.htm

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