Exodus 21:8

Exodus 21:8 in other versions

• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)If she does not satisfy her owner, he must allow her to be bought back again. But he is not allowed to sell her to foreigners, since he is the one who broke the contract with her.

Context of Exodus 21:8

6Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever. 7And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do. 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. 9And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters. 10If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.

Exodus 21:8 word by word

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

• 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 28:8And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father;
• Judges 14:3Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.
• 1 Samuel 8:6But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord.
• 1 Samuel 18:8And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?
• Deuteronomy 20:7And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her.
• Deuteronomy 21:11And seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife;
• Exodus 8:29And Moses said, Behold, I go out from thee, and I will intreat the Lord that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, to morrow: but let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.
• Judges 9:19If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you:
• Job 6:15My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, and as the stream of brooks they pass away;
• Malachi 2:11Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the Lord which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god.

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