Exodus 21:8

Exodus 21:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)If she please not her master, who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her.
• New International Version (NIV)If she does not please the master who has selected her for himself, he must let her be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, because he has broken faith with her.
• English Standard Version (ESV)If she does not please her master, who has designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has broken faith with her.
• New King James Version (NKJV)If she does not please her master, who has betrothed her to himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has dealt deceitfully with her.

Context of Exodus 21:8

6Then his master must take the slave to stand in front of the judges. He must lead the slave to stand beside the door, or the wood that holds the door. Then the master must push the sharp point of a tool through the slave's ear. After that, he will serve his master for all his life. 7Perhaps a man may sell his daughter to someone as a slave. She is not free to leave her master after six years, as the male slaves are. Her master has chosen her for himself. If she does not make her master happy, he must let her family buy her back from him. He cannot sell her to a foreign person. He has not done what he promised to her. 9If the master had chosen the girl to marry his son, he must take care of her like his own daughter. 10If the master marries another woman as well, he must still take care of the first woman. He must continue to give her food and clothes. He must not refuse to sleep with her.

Exodus 21:8 word by word

אִם־רָעָ֞ה בְּעֵינֵ֧י אֲדֹנֶ֛יהָ אֲשֶׁר־ל֥וֹ יְעָדָ֖הּ וְהֶפְדָּ֑הּ לְעַ֥ם נָכְרִ֛י לֹא־יִמְשֹׁ֥ל לְמָכְרָ֖הּ בְּבִגְדוֹ־בָֽהּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• If she pleaseעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eye: appearanceH5869
• If she pleaseרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: harmfulH7451
• not her masterאָדוֹן'âdôn 'âdôn · lordH113
• who hath betrothedיָעַדyâ‛ad · to appointH3259
• her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemedפָּדָהpâdâh · to ransomH6299
• to sellמָכַרmâkar · to sellH4376
• her unto a strangeנׇכְרִיnokrîy · foreignH5237
• nationעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• he shall have no powerמָשַׁלmâshal · to ruleH4910
• seeing he hath dealt deceitfullyבָּגַדbâgad · to act treacherouslyH898

Cross-references for Exodus 21:8

• Genesis 28:8So Esau then understood that his father, Isaac, did not like the Canaanite women.
• Judges 14:3His parents replied, ‘You do not need to go to the Philistines to get a wife. They are not the Lord's people. There is surely someone among our own relatives or other Israelites that you would like to marry.’ But Samson said to his father, ‘You must get her for me. She is the right girl for me to marry.’
• 1 Samuel 8:6When Israel's leaders said, ‘Choose a king who will lead us,’ Samuel was not happy. So he prayed to the Lord.
• 1 Samuel 18:8Saul did not like this song. He became very angry. He thought, ‘The women say that David has killed tens of thousands of men. But they say that I have only killed thousands of men. They will soon want David to be their king.’
• Deuteronomy 20:7Has anyone promised to marry a woman? If he has not married her yet, he may go home too. If not, he may die in the battle. Then another man will marry her.’
• Deuteronomy 21:11You may see among them a beautiful woman that you want to take as your wife.
• Exodus 8:29Then Moses said, ‘I will leave you now, and I will pray to the Lord. Tomorrow, all the flies will go away from you, your officers and your people. But be careful! Do not deceive us, as you did before. You must really let the people go away to offer sacrifices to the Lord.’
• Judges 9:19If you have really been faithful to Gideon and his family today, I pray that Abimelech will make you happy! I pray that you will make Abimelech happy, too!
• Job 6:15But you, my friends, have not helped me when I need you. You are like streams that quickly become dry. There is no water when you need it.
• Malachi 2:11Judah's people have turned against God. As a result, people have done disgusting things in Jerusalem and in all Israel. You have spoiled the holy place, the temple that the Lord loves. You have turned away from the Lord and you worship foreign gods.

Commentaries on Exodus 21:8

• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7-9A female slave was treated differently from a male slave. She may have been sold with the expectation that she would become a concubine (a secondary wife). Releasing her after seven years would not necessarily protect her. If she were sent away, she might have to return to her father. Her father had already sold her, which suggests he did not want her. Marriage would also be unlikely for a former concubine. She might even be forced into prostitution. For…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 7-367-11. if a man sell his daughter--Hebrew girls might be redeemed for a reasonable sum. But in the event of her parents or friends being unable to pay the redemption money, her owner was not at liberty to sell her elsewhere. Should she have been betrothed to him or his son, and either change their minds, a maintenance must be provided for her suitable to her condition as his intended wife, or her freedom instantly granted.Read the comment

Topics related to Exodus 21:8

• Children
• Concubinage
• Daughter
• Divorce
• Servant
• Wife

In the dictionaries

• Book
• Concubine
• Crucifixion
• Determine
• Freedom
• Gore
• Push
• Quit
• Ransom
• Wont

Commentaries on Exodus 21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings