A frequent misinterpretation portrays this verse as divine endorsement of brutal, lifelong chattel slavery akin to 19th-century American practices, overlooking its regulation of temporary, voluntary debt servitude among Israelites with mandatory release after six years and protections for family unity; another error assumes it applies universally to all slaves without distinction, ignoring contextual limits to fellow Hebrews and separate rules for foreigners, thus distorting the law's intent to humanize and limit exploitation rather than institutionalize it indefinitely.
Exodus 21:2
King James Version (1769)
2 If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.
This passage establishes a key provision in Mosaic Law for Hebrew servants sold into indentured service due to poverty or debt, mandating their release after six years of service, free of charge in the seventh year, underscoring God's emphasis on justice, mercy, and the restoration of personal freedom among His covenant people, preventing perpetual bondage and promoting periodic redemption as a humane alternative to ancient Near Eastern customs.