Foreigners, Objections, and Rebuttals
Exploring what the Bible Really Says About Slavery
In Leviticus 25 — the chapter that critics say supports slavery — we find this:
Now if your countryman becomes destitute and cannot support himself among you, then you are to help him as you would a foreigner or stranger, so that he can continue to live among you (Leviticus 25:35).
God has already established a baseline of kindness and charity in Israel. Foreigners and strangers received extremely good treatment from Israel. God had established this expectation so well that He can appeal to the good treatment foreigners receive as a way to teach Israel how to treat their fellow Israelites.
When a fellow Israelite becomes destitute, treat them well — as well as you’re already treating the foreigners and strangers among you. This is the heart of God, and it is not a heart of slavery.
The passage continues:
Do not take any interest or profit from him, but fear your God, that your countryman may live among you. You must not lend him your silver at interest or sell him your food for profit. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God (Leviticus 25:36–38).
These details clarify how well Israel treated foreigners, and therefore, how well they are to treat their brethren who become destitute. Don’t extort them, don’t exact interest from them, don’t treat them as profit centers. Don’t use them as a means for your own gain, but also, don’t ignore them. Do business with them; sell them food. Provide for them. But don’t use their desperation to pad your pocket.
Simply: Love them. Don’t use them.
The passage continues:
If a countryman among you becomes destitute and sells himself to you, then you must not force him into slave labor. Let him stay with you as a hired worker or temporary resident; he is to work for you until the Year of Jubilee. Then he and his children are to be released, and he may return to his clan and to the property of his fathers (Leviticus 25:39–41).
The temporary residents — foreigners — are treated alongside hired workers at the same level that native Israelites are to be treated. This means they cannot be slaves, because the passage itself forbids treating people at this level as slaves.
Foreigners and hired workers serve at a level far above slavery. Hired workers are not slaves. They’re hired, they’re paid for their work, and they retain their personal rights and liberties. Likewise, foreigners who serve as temporary residents are not slaves. They live in Israel temporarily — they can leave whenever they wish. They do not serve as slaves, but at a level far above slavery — a level that maintains their rights and freedoms.
Because of this, God can tell Israel not to enslave destitute Israelites, but instead to let them serve at a level far above slavery — the level foreigners and hired workers serve at.
The Objection
Some may respond to this, arguing: “But this refers to foreigners traveling in Israel, or foreigners who freely hire themselves out as workers. It doesn’t refer to foreigners who have been made slaves.”
At first, this objection seems to carry some weight. How do we know these passages are intended to refer to all foreigners? It would make sense that these passages applied to “free” foreigners, but not to the “working class” foreigners — slaves.
It would make sense — except for Deuteronomy.
The Rebuttal
Deuteronomy clarifies Leviticus, stating:
For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awesome God, showing no partiality and accepting no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and widow, and He loves the foreigner, giving him food and clothing. So you also must love the foreigner, since you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt (Deuteronomy 10:17-19 BSB).
God defines “foreigner” for us. He does not limit this word to “free” foreigners, to the wealthy or powerful or notable or protected. “Foreigner” includes anyone not native to a country — even if they’re being treated as slaves, as the Israelites were in Egypt.
God commands His people to “love the foreigner,” remembering how dearly they wanted to be loved when they were foreigners, and enslaved because of it.
This command includes every foreigner in the land, even those serving as ebedim. Any foreigner serving as an ebed is to be loved as Israel wanted themselves to be loved in Egypt.
There is no possibility of slavery in such a command.
There is only love — love given to an equal, love given to someone who deserves it as much as we want it.
With this groundwork laid, we’re finally read to dig into the most contentious passage on slavery in the entire Bible.