How to Treat Servants

Millions of migrant workers work as servants in foreign lands today; many suffer hardships and even abuse. In ancient Israel, God gave rules to ensure that servants were treated justly. In this passage we find some basic principles.

If someone became bankrupt and owed money, it was possible in ancient economies for the debt to be settled by the bankrupt person working as a servant for the creditor. In this way, he was also provided with daily necessities such as food and shelter. There was some good in this arrangement but it could be abused, as it often was. To prevent abuses, God's Law stipulated that such a servant was indebted for six years, after which he was free (2). If a man offered his daughter as "payment" for his debt, the Law, again, guarded the rights of the woman (7-11). God's Law not only prevented abuses but pointed to a better way: it promoted goodness and kindness in the way servants were to be treated. For example, a master could let his servant have a family, thus treating him with dignity (4). A master could treat his servant so well that the servant may voluntarily choose to remain in his master's service for life instead of leaving as a free man after six years—indicated by piercing his ear (5,6).

Those over whom we have economic power, such as domestic servants in many countries, must be treated not only fairly, but kindly. These principles are reiterated in the New Testament in many of the parables of Jesus (Matt. 18:26, 27; 20:1-16; Luke 19:11-19) and in the writings of Paul (Eph. 6:9; Col. 4:1; Phi. 8-21). Christians must show the way in helping their society become fairer and more compassionate.