Strikes, Murders, and Curses: How Seriously God Takes Slavery

Exploring What the Bible REALLY Says About Slavery

Photo by Sander Sammy on Unsplash

It’s easy to see the evil in murder.

Few people argue against severe punishment for murder, especially premeditated murder. Taking the life of an innocent person is simply wrong. We all agree on this.

But the fascinating bit is that Exodus 21 lumps slavery in with murder. God considers both murder and slavery to be stealing away innocent life — and God gives both the same punishment.

Exodus 21 continues:

Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death. But if he did not lie in wait for him, but God let him fall into his hand, then I will appoint for you a place to which he may flee. But if a man willfully attacks another to kill him by cunning, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.

Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death.

Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death.” (Exodus 21:12-16 ESV).

This last verses, Exodus 21:16, is one of the three foundational verses abolishing slavery. Anyone who steals a person (to make them a slave), anyone who sells them (as a slave), and anyone who possesses them (as a slave) “shall be put to death.”

But God does not give this command in a void.

Exodus 21:12-14 clarifies that this is the same punishment given to premeditated murder. If a person “willfully attacks another to kill him,” that murderer is sentenced to death.

If you kill someone — anyone — your life is forfeit. To us, this sounds normal. In the ancient world, it was revolutionary. No longer could elites kill slaves or servants without fear of reprisal. No longer could those in power disregard the lives of those without it.

Any person who killed any other person was subject to the death penalty.

In this law, God provided revolutionary equality. God held every life at the same level, the same importance. The taking of any life — highborn or lowborn — resulted in the same penalty.

If the murderer meant to kill, he receives the death penalty.

But if the killer did not intend to kill anyone, he has legal recourse to flee and find refuge. In this, God manages to find mercy in the midst of justice. Accidental death, killing in self defense, or killing in defense of another did not carry the same penalty as premeditated murder.

Verse 13 speaks of “a place to which he may flee” — a city of refuge that the murderer may flee to, in order to preserve his life. The Scriptures explain this plan in detail:

“Say to the people of Israel, ‘Appoint the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses, that the manslayer who strikes any person without intent or unknowingly may flee there. They shall be for you a refuge from the avenger of blood. He shall flee to one of these cities and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city and explain his case to the elders of that city. Then they shall take him into the city and give him a place, and he shall remain with them. And if the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not give up the manslayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor unknowingly, and did not hate him in the past. And he shall remain in that city until he has stood before the congregation for judgment, until the death of him who is high priest at the time. Then the manslayer may return to his own town and his own home, to the town from which he fled.’” (Joshua 20:2–6 ESV).

God doesn’t sweep the murder away, as though it should be forgiven and forgotten. Even if the death is entirely accidental, the victim is still dead. The family still desires justice, sending the “avenger of blood” after the murderer.

Because of this, the one responsible still suffers punishment. They can flee to a city of refuge to save their life, but they must still make their case and submit to the judgment of the congregation. The city of refuge will protect the killer from the avenger of blood, ensuring that justice takes the place of emotional revenge. Likewise, the city of refuge will hear the full details of the case and apply appropriate judgment.

Exodus 21:15 applies the same punishment to familial attacks:

Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death. (Exodus 21:15 ESV).

This word, “strikes,” is the same one used in verse 12, “Whoever strikes a man so that he dies…” The intent seems to be the same: an adult child attacks his parents strikes them, in a way that could kill them.

If the parents died, verses 12-14 would apply. A premeditated murder results in the death penalty.

Yet even if the parents survive the attack, this attacker is sentenced to death. Not only does qualify as attempted murder, but it breaks what should be the most solid bond in society, that of parents and children.

In this culture, family is everything. One of the ten greatest commands shaping this society commands, “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you (Exodus 20:12 ESV).

Your clan determined your safety, your strength, your opportunities, your longevity. Your family’s health determined your clan’s health. Attacking parents not only destroyed that particular family, but weakened the entire clan. It made the clan less able to defend itself and lowered their esteem in the wider society. Who wants to partner with a clan whose members are killing each other?

When a person not only breaks the bonds that hold society together, but also attempts murder, that person is removed from society, whether or not their attack succeeds.

The same applies whether they attack their parents physically or verbally:

Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death (Exodus 21:17 ESV).

We may have a hard time feeling the force of this verse, as “cursing” today means “saying a few swear words at.” We have a hard time understanding why the death penalty is necessary for swearing.

But of course, cursing in ancient Israel had nothing to do with swearing.

To curse someone was to wish death upon them, often invoking spiritual powers to accomplish that death. In Numbers 22, the Moabites and Midianites hired Balaam to curse Israel, saying:

Come now, curse this people for me, since they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them from the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.” (Numbers 22:6 ESV)

They didn’t want Balaam to swear at Israel. They wanted Balaam to curse Israel spiritually, thereby enabling its destruction. God prevented Balaam from cursing Israel, because Israel rested under God’s own protection.

This example demonstrates that a curse was a real attack, a genuine effort to destroy. God takes such things seriously, not allowing Balaam to curse, because his curse would have been effective in bringing about destruction, had it been uttered.

A child who curses their parents is not a kid who says some bad words.

A child who curses their parents is one who is earnestly seeking their death, often invoking spiritual powers to destroy their parents.

This, again, is attempted murder of the people who should be most sacred to you. It carries the same consequence.

How seriously does God take slavery?

As seriously as God takes murder.

How grievous an offense is it to enslave someone against their will?

It is the same as murdering them. It carries the same penalty: death.