Exodus 21:4

If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself.

Exodus 21:4 (KJV)

Context

This verse belongs to the Book of the Covenant, a collection of laws God gave to Israel through Moses after the exodus from Egypt. The preceding verse establishes the baseline: if a servant entered service single, he leaves single; if he entered with a wife, she leaves with him. Exodus 21:4 then presents a specific scenario. If the master himself gave the servant a wife during his time of service, and that wife bore him sons or daughters, then the wife and her children belong to the master, and the servant goes out free by himself.

Meaning

Biblical slavery was a regulated institution in the ancient Near East, distinct from modern racial slavery. These laws did not endorse the institution but provided a framework to govern it. The wife in view is described as a Canaanitish woman, a slave given by the master for the purpose of producing more slaves, since children born into the household were considered the master’s property. The verse reflects the harsh reality of family separation under ancient servitude. Although the husband is freed, the wife and children continue under the master’s care and authority, which imposes significant limitations on their freedom and agency. The law highlights the power imbalance inherent in the master-servant relationship.

Biblical connections

The immediate context is crucial. The following verse, Exodus 21:5, shows the servant’s potential response: if he declares his love for his master, his wife, and his children, he may choose to remain a servant for life, a decision formalized by having his ear pierced with an awl at the doorpost. This subsequent verse frames the difficult choice presented in verse 4, highlighting the servant’s love for his family as a legitimate reason to forgo his own freedom.

Application

This difficult text confronts readers with the painful realities of ancient servitude and the limits of legal regulation within a fallen social order. It also reveals the depth of family love, a bond so strong that a man might choose lifelong service rather than separation from those he loves. The law’s careful attention to such cases demonstrates God’s concern for order and protection even within imperfect institutions, while pointing forward to the fuller revelation of freedom and human dignity found in Christ.