Exodus 21: 20: The Punishment Of Non-Hebrew Slaves
In the Old Testament, there are no laws that explicitly call for the punishment of Hebrew masters who murdered their non-Hebrew slaves. Furthermore, the Hebrew term for slave (ebed) makes no distinction between Hebrew and non-Hebrew slaves. It is employed to refer to both Hebrew slaves and non-Hebrew slaves. Certainly, then, the verse could easily be referring to non-Hebrew slaves. These facts, coupled with the fact that shed blood could not go unavenged in Israelite society, strongly suggest that Exodus 21:20 was designed to punish Hebrew slave masters who murdered their non-Hebrew slaves. However, since there would not have been any kin present to avenge non-Hebrew slaves who were slain by their Hebrew masters, an important question must
…show more content…
The removal of pollutants from the land was achieved only through the death of the heifer. Thus, that spilled blood could not go unavenged in Israelite society is evident from an examination of Deuteronomy 21:1-9. Additionally, in this passage one encounters the notion that the entire Israelite legal community was responsible for avenging the blood of murdered persons when the blood vengeance could not function. This is further echoed in the Babylonian Talmud: Tract Sanhedrin which states, “If he (the murdered man) has no avenger of blood, the Beth din (rabbinical court) must appoint one…” Thus, in ancient Israelite society evidence shows that the entire Israelite legal community was responsible for avenging the blood of a slain person when the blood vengeance was incapable of functioning. Ultimately, in the case of a non-Hebrew slave who was murdered, there would be no kin present to avenge his death. When blood went unavenged in Israelite society, evidence shows that it was understood to pollute the land and that in order for the land not to be polluted, the entire Israelite legal community had to intervene to avenge the death of the slain person. There are no laws in the Old Testament that explicitly call for the punishment of Hebrew masters who murdered their non-Hebrew
The removal of pollutants from the land was achieved only through the death of the heifer. Thus, that spilled blood could not go unavenged in Israelite society is evident from an examination of Deuteronomy 21:1-9. Additionally, in this passage one encounters the notion that the entire Israelite legal community was responsible for avenging the blood of murdered persons when the blood vengeance could not function. This is further echoed in the Babylonian Talmud: Tract Sanhedrin which states, “If he (the murdered man) has no avenger of blood, the Beth din (rabbinical court) must appoint one…” Thus, in ancient Israelite society evidence shows that the entire Israelite legal community was responsible for avenging the blood of a slain person when the blood vengeance was incapable of functioning. Ultimately, in the case of a non-Hebrew slave who was murdered, there would be no kin present to avenge his death. When blood went unavenged in Israelite society, evidence shows that it was understood to pollute the land and that in order for the land not to be polluted, the entire Israelite legal community had to intervene to avenge the death of the slain person. There are no laws in the Old Testament that explicitly call for the punishment of Hebrew masters who murdered their non-Hebrew