Exodus 21.16
“He who kidnaps a man and sells him, or if he is found in his hand, shall surely be put to death.”

Deuteronomy 24.7
“If a man is found kidnapping any of his brethren of the children of Israel, and mistreats him or sells him, then that kidnapper shall die; and you shall put away the evil from among you.”

While slavery was allowed in ancient Israel, trade in slaves appears to have been discouraged. People became slaves, when they did, through poverty, theft, or war. But trade in slaves was not allowed, and the penalty for doing so was extreme.

Note also that not only the perpetrator of this transgression was guilty, but anyone who assisted him in his evil deed as well. Man-stealing was regarded with the same degree of abhorrence as murder, rape, and other capital crimes.

Forms of “man-stealing” today might include, besides literal slavery, identity theft, the international sex trade, impersonating another for sinful ends, fraud, and so forth.

T. M. Moore

The Law of God is the soil which, fertilized by the rest of God’s Word and watered by His Spirit, brings forth the fruit of Christian life. If you’d like to understand this process better, and how to make best use of the Law in your walk with and work for the Lord, order the book, The Ground for Christian Ethics, from our online store.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.