Exodus 21:3

If he came in by himselfe, he shal goe out by himselfe: if he were married, then his wife shall goe out with him. Exodus 21:3 (KJV)

Exodus 21:3 belongs to the Covenant Code, often called the Book of the Covenant, a collection of statutes given through Moses for the Israelites. These laws address a wide range of social, civil, and criminal matters that governed daily life in ancient Israel.

The verse deals specifically with the treatment of Hebrew servants at the time of their release. “If he came in by himself” refers to a servant who entered into servitude without a wife, perhaps because of debt or other hardship. “He shall go out by himself” means that when his term of service ends, he departs the household alone if he had no spouse. “If he were married, then his wife shall go out with him” indicates that a servant who was already married when he entered service is to leave the land together with his wife, who must also be a Hebrew.

Historically, this provision reflects the social structure of ancient Israel, where the legal status of a servant’s family members was tied to the servant’s own condition. The law provides a mechanism for married couples to remain together after the period of servitude concludes. It also clarifies that if a master supplied a wife for the servant during his service, that wife and any children born to her remain the master’s property, and the servant departs alone.

While the Bible contains regulations concerning servitude, it does not present slavery as an ideal institution. The statutes were intended to limit the harshness of the practice within its cultural context. When interpreting this passage, it is helpful to view it through the broader biblical themes of love, compassion, and the teachings of Jesus Christ, who urged believers to treat all people with dignity and respect.