Refuting the Claim of Biblical Support for Slavery

The claim that the Bible supports slavery is often based on misunderstandings of ancient practices and the biblical text itself. While the Mosaic Law recognized the existence of slavery, it did not originate the practice but rather sought to regulate it and mitigate its harshness ^{[1, 3]}. The conditions under which a Hebrew might enter servitude included poverty, theft, or paternal authority ^[3]. However, this form of servitude, often translated as "servant," "bondman," or "bondservant," has no direct parallel to modern conceptions of slavery ^[1].

The Hebrew and Greek terms often translated as "slave" in older English versions of the Bible, such as the King James Version, are more accurately rendered as "servant" or "bondservant" in many contexts ^[1]. For instance, in Jeremiah 2:14, the word "slave" appears in the Authorized Version but is not present in the original Hebrew ^[1]. Similarly, in Revelation 18:13, "slaves" translates a Greek word meaning "bodies," referring to persons ^[1].

Jewish tradition distinguishes between the servitude experienced by the Israelites in Egypt and true slavery. Abraham Ibn Ezra notes that the Israelites were forced to work "as if they were their slaves," but they were not considered true slaves. They maintained their own homes, families, and culture, indicating a different status than that of typical slaves ^[10]. Nehemiah 5:5 also describes a situation where Israelites were forced into bondage, highlighting the distress and lack of power to prevent it ^[2].

The New Testament, while not directly attacking the institution of slavery as a social practice, establishes principles that fundamentally alter the nature of social relationships ^[8]. For example, Paul advises slaves in 1 Corinthians 7:21 to not be troubled by their status, and if freedom is possible, to use it ^[5]. This counsel is understood by some commentators as encouraging contentment in one's existing condition, even if undesirable, rather than an endorsement of slavery itself ^[5]. The spirit of the Gospel is seen as inherently hostile to slavery in all its forms, leading to its gradual disappearance under Christian influence ^[1].

Theological perspectives further clarify the distinction. John Calvin, in his Institutes of the Christian Religion, discusses the "slavery of the will" in a theological sense, referring to humanity's spiritual condition rather than literal social bondage ^[4]. Charles Hodge, in his Systematic Theology, similarly uses "slavery" in a metaphorical sense when discussing the human condition under sin ^{[6, 9]}. Thomas Aquinas, from a Catholic scholastic perspective, argues that while slavery is a matter of positive law, it cannot override natural law. Therefore, a slave's right to marry, which is part of natural law, does not require the master's consent ^[7]. This demonstrates a recognition of inherent human rights that transcend the legal status of slavery.

Sources

Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Slave — Jer. 2:14 (A.V.), but not there found in the original. In Rev. 18:13 the word "slaves" is the rendering of a Greek word meaning "bodies." The Hebrew and Greek words for slave are usually rendered simply "servant," "bondman," or "bondservant." Slavery as it existed under the Mosaic law has no modern parallel. That law did not originate but only regulated the already existing custom of slavery (Ex. 21:20, 21, 26, 27; Lev. 25:44-46; Josh. 9:6-27). The gospel in its spirit and genius is hostile to slavery in every form, which under its influence is gradually disa”
Nehemiah “Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children as their children. Behold, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters have been brought into bondage. Neither is it in our power to help it; for other men have our fields and our vineyards.” -- Nehemiah 5:5”
Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Slave — The institution of slavery was recognized, though not established, by the Mosaic law with a view to mitigate its hardship and to secure to every man his ordinary rights. I. Hebrew slaves.-- + The circumstances under which a Hebrew might be reduced to servitude were-- (1) poverty; (2) the commission of theft; and (3) the exercise of paternal authority. In the first case, a man who had mortgaged his property, and was unable to support his family, might sell himself to another Hebrew, with a view both to obtain maintenance and perchance a surplus sufficient to re”
CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 41: 272 CHAPTER 5. THE ARGUMENTS USUALLY ALLEGED IN SUPPORT OF FREE WILL REFUTED. Objections reduced to three principal heads:—I. Four absurdities advanced by the opponents of the orthodox doctrine concerning the slavery of the will, stated and refuted, sec. 1–5. II. The passages of Scripture which they pervert in favour of their error, reduced to five heads, and explained, sec. 6–15. III. Five other passages quoted in defence of free will expounded, sec. 16–19. Sections. 1. Absurd fictions of opponents first refuted, and then certain ”
1 Corinthians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 Corinthians 7:21: care not for it--Let it not be a trouble to thee that thou art a servant or slave. use it rather--Continue rather in thy state as a servant (Co1 7:20; Gal 3:28; Ti1 6:2). The Greek, "But if even thou mayest be made free, use it," and the context (Co1 7:20, Co1 7:22) favors this view [CHRYSOSTOM, BENGEL, and ALFORD]. This advice (if this translation be right) is not absolute, as the spirit of the Gospel is against slavery. What is advised here is, contentment under one's existing condition (Co1 7:24), though an undesirable one, since in our uni”
CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 126: substance of the Virgin Mary.” This is involved in the Scriptural statement that He was born of a woman, which can only mean that He was born in the sense in which other children of men are born of women. This is essential to his true humanity, and to that likeness to men which makes them his brethren, and which was se cured by his taking part in flesh and blood. ( Heb. ii. 14 .) The incarnation of the Son of God, his stooping to take into personal and perpetual union with Himself a nature infinitely lower than his own, was an act of uns”
theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Supplement (Supplementum), Of the Impediment of the Condition of Slavery, Art. 2: Article: Whether a slave can marry without his master's consent? I answer that, As stated above (Article [1], ad 3), the positive law arises out of the natural law, and consequently slavery, which is of positive law, cannot be prejudicious to those things that are of natural law. Now just as nature seeks the preservation of the individual, so does it seek the preservation of the species by means of procreation; wherefore even as a slave is not so subject to his master as not to be at li”
Colossians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Colossians 3:22: 3:22-24 Slaves have earthly masters whom they must obey. Slavery was central to the life and economy of the ancient world, and the New Testament never attacks the practice as such. However, Christian faith establishes relationships that change the nature of the social structure (see Phlm 1:15-16). • and that the Master you are serving is Christ: All Christians, both slave and free, serve a higher Master, whose will is paramount.”
CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 103: the law. The victim bore the sin of the offerer, and died in his stead. An expiation was thereby effected by the suffering of a vicarious punishment. This also determines the nature of the work of Christ. If He was an offering for sin, if He saves us from the penalty of the law of God, in the same way in which the sin offering saved the Israelite from the penalty of the law of Moses, then He bore the guilt of our sins and endured the penalty in our stead. We may not approve of this method of salvation. The idea of the innocent bearing th”
Sefaria (Jewish (Rationalist)) “Abraham Ibn Ezra on Exodus 13:3: [OUT OF THE HOUSE OF BONDAGE.] This indicates that the Egyptians forced them to work as if they were their slaves. 9 Hence Scripture speaks of the place/house of bondage. However, the Israelites were not true slaves. They were a separate nation. They lived in their own houses, not in the homes of their masters; they had a family life and a culture. I.E. apparently comments thus so that people would not think of the ancient Israelites in the same way that they thought of contemporary slaves, i.e., as mean people. Cf. Aristotle’s Politics , 1:5, “From the hour of”

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