Exodus 21:9

This verse is often misinterpreted as endorsing the commodification or harsh enslavement of young girls without protections, overlooking the immediate context in Exodus 21:7-11 that limits such servitude to Hebrews, requires humane treatment equivalent to daughters or free women, and provides release options if obligations like clothing, food, or conjugal rights are neglected; critics detached from its cultural and redemptive framework misread it as divine sanction for perpetual abuse or child trafficking, ignoring its role in regulating and humanizing debt-based servitude among God's covenant people.

Exodus 21:9 establishes a protective measure within Mosaic Law for a female Hebrew servant sold by her father into a household; if the master designates her for his son through betrothal, she must be treated 'after the manner of daughters,' granting her the rights, provisions, and dignity afforded to family members, including food, clothing, and marital obligations, underscoring God's concern for justice, fairness, and the vulnerable in ancient indentured servitude rather than exploitation.