Exodus 21: Group Study Handout

How to use: read Exodus 21 aloud together, then take the questions in order. One page is enough for an evening.

Overview

Yahweh gives ordinances for Hebrew servants. If a Hebrew servant is bought, he serves for six years. In the seventh year, he goes free (vv. 1-2). If he comes in alone, he leaves alone. If he is married, his wife leaves with him. If his master gives him a wife, she and her children belong to the master (vv. 3-4). A servant can choose to stay with his master forever if he loves him (vv. 5-6).

Key verse

“But if the servant shall plainly say, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children. I will not go out free;’
Exodus 21:5 (WEB)

Outline

Exodus 21:1–6 Ordinances for Hebrew Servants
Exodus 21:7–11 Regulations for Female Servants
Exodus 21:12–17 Laws on Personal Injury
Exodus 21:18–27 Rules for Injuries and Compensation
Exodus 21:28–36 Liability for Property Damage

Discussion questions

In v2, how long must a Hebrew servant serve before going free?
What punishment is prescribed for cursing one's father or mother in v17?
The treatment of a female servant in v8: what complications arise from her master's actions?
In v24, why is the phrase 'eye for eye' significant in the context of justice?
When have you faced a situation where a response seemed 'an eye for an eye'?

Go deeper

Passages that echo Exodus 21: Exodus 20, Numbers 35, Exodus 22.

Before next time: read Exodus 22.