Shadowland: Redemption: Week 20

Laws of Servants, Personal Injury, and Property Damage

• 21:1 "judgements" - as opposed to the commandments just given. Psalm 19:7-9
• 21:2 "in the seventh he shall go out free" - In the American Colonies we also limited servitude to 7 years. Israel stopped observing this law beginning with the kings. As judgement drew nigh, even their repentance was a joke. Jeremiah 34:8-11. The first permanent slave in the American Colonies was the case of John Casor in 1655. Before then, service was limited to 7 years - even for kidnapped African slaves. This did not end when the United States were formed, and the "Civil War" (actually war of secession) was prophesied by John Brown as a judgement on the United States for slavery in 1859.
• 21:6 "pierce his ear" - speaking of Christ, Psalm 40:6, the psalmist says "mine ear hast thou digged". Jesus voluntarily chose to remain in the form of a servant forever, Phillipians 2:6-11, for the love of his wife and children.
• 21:7 literally, "bondwoman" - the same word as for Hagar. This effectively prohibits "temporary marriages" as practiced under Islam.
• 21:13 A provision for manslaughter.
• 21:16 Dealth penalty for kidnapping
• 21:15,17 "Honor your father and mother" is very serious.
• 21:18 medical liability
• 21:20 Death penalty for killing your servant
• 21:21 "he is his money" - beating your servant throws your own money down the drain.
• 21:22 In this scenario, the injury to the woman is accidental as she attempts to interfere in a fight.
• 21:26 Any permanent injury to a servant terminates their service.
• 21:28 Liability for accidental injury from "heavy equipment".
• 21:29 Death penalty for criminal negligence, with a provision for a civil penalty at the option of the victims family. The ransom of a servant is fixed at 30 shekels - again foreshadowing Christ, the suffering Servant. Matthew 26:15
• 21:33 Liability for property damage.
• 21:35 Shared cost of accidental damage
• 21:36 Civil liability for negligence.