Leviticus 25:42
in Leviticus 25Because the Israelites are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt, they are not to be sold as slaves.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For they are my servants, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: they shall not be sold as bondmen.
KJV
For they are my servants, which I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: they shall not be sold as bondmen.
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This verse in Leviticus 25
Commentary
5 notes on this verseFor they are my servants - As God redeemed every Israelite out of Egyptian bondage, they were therefore to consider themselves as his property, and that consequently they should not alienate themselves from him. It was in being his servants, and devoted to his work, that both their religious and political service consisted. And although their political liberty might be lost, they knew that their spiritual liberty never could be forfeited except by an utter alienation from God. God therefore claims the same right to their persons which he does to their lands; See the note on Lev 25:23.
This site's exposition
For they are my servants
on Leviticus 25:42-43
The ground of the rule is a prior ownership. They are my servants is the same claim made over the ground at verse 23, and a man already owned by God is beyond another man's power to sell. Ruling with rigour is forbidden and the fear of God is put in its place, which is the second time in the chapter that the check on the stronger party is what he thinks of God. Paul takes the sentence up at 1 Corinthians 7:23, ye are bought with a price, be not ye the servants of men.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
God had redeemed them out of Egypt, and therefore they must never be exposed to sale as bondmen. The apostle applies this spiritually ( 1 Cor. vii. 23 ), You are bought with a price, be not the servants of men, that is, "of the lusts of men, no, nor of your own lusts;" for, having become the servants of God, we must not let sin reign in our mortal bodies, Rom. vi.
); that is, "it must not be looked upon that his master that bought him had as absolute a property in him as in a captive taken in war, that might be used, sold, and bequeathed, at pleasure, as much as a man's cattle; no, he shall serve thee as a hired servant, whom the master has the use of only, but not a despotic power over." And the reason is, They are my servants,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
For they are my servants, which I brought forth out of the land of Egypt,....
The words behind it
12 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| עֲבָדַ֣י | ʾavadai | [are] servants my | H5650 → | 799 times |
| הֵ֔ם | hem | they | H1992 → | 553 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הוֹצֵ֥אתִי | hotzeti | I brought out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| אֹתָ֖ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מֵאֶ֣רֶץ | meeretz | from [the] land of | H776 → | 2504 times |
| מִצְרָ֑יִם | mitzrayim | Egypt | H4714 → | 641 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִמָּכְר֖וּ | yimakheru | they will be sold | H4376 → | 80 times |
| מִמְכֶּ֥רֶת | mikeret | a sale of | H4466 → | |
| עָֽבֶד׃ | ʾaved | a slave | H5650 → | 799 times |
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
עֲבָדַ֣י[are] servants my
ʾavadaiH5650 →799 times
הֵ֔םthey
hemH1992 →553 times
אֲשֶׁר־whom
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
הוֹצֵ֥אתִיI brought out
hotzetiH3318 →1067 times
אֹתָ֖ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
מֵאֶ֣רֶץfrom [the] land of
meeretzH776 →2504 times
מִצְרָ֑יִםEgypt
mitzrayimH4714 →641 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יִמָּכְר֖וּthey will be sold
yimakheruH4376 →80 times
מִמְכֶּ֥רֶתa sale of
mikeretH4466 →
עָֽבֶד׃a slave
ʾavedH5650 →799 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Romans 6:22But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the fruit you reap leads to holiness, and the outcome is eternal life.
it leads to
- 1 Peter 2:16
Live in freedom, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.
- Romans 6:18
You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
- Romans 8:2
For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set you free from the law of sin and death.
- Galatians 5:13
For you, brothers, were called to freedom; but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Rather, serve one another in love.
- John 8:32
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
- 1 Peter 2:16
Through
Leviticus 25:55For the Israelites are My servants. They are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.
it leads to
- Isaiah 43:3
For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your place.
- Luke 1:74–75
deliverance from hostile hands, that we may serve Him without fear,
- Exodus 20:2
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
- Isaiah 43:3
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies5
On this verse
About Leviticus
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.