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Lunar New Year Visitation (Tuesday 16th Feb):The Bible And Slavery (Part III)
Written by Rev E M Wee
08 February 2010
Biblical slave owners included the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Boaz and King Solomon. Among the slaves named in the Bible were Hagar, Sarah’s Egyptian hand-maid who was used by her as a surrogate mother (Gen. 16: 1-4), and Eliezer of Damascus, Abraham’s chief steward who was charged with finding a bride for Isaac (Gen. 24: 1-9). Bilhah and Zilpah, , handmaids to Leah and Rachel, were given to Jacob as concubines; their children ranked equally with those of Jacob’s children on the basis that they were acting as surrogates of their mistress.
By God’s gracious providence, Joseph, sold by his brothers for twenty pieces of silver, (Gen. 37: 25-28) rose from the depths of the dungeon to be second to Pharaoh in Egypt.
It is important to note that most of these biblical references to slave ownership predate the handing down of the Mosaic Law at Mount Sinai following the Exodus.
Last Updated: 08 February 2010
