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 bring him to the judges, and he will bring him to the door or the doorposts, and his master will pierce his ear with an awl, and he shall serve him forever. 7“If a man sells his daughter as a female servant, she will not go out as the male servants do. If she does not please her master, who has designated her for himself, then he must let her be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to a foreign nation, because he has dealt deceitfully with her. 9If he designated her for his son, then he will deal with her according to the customary rights of daughters. 10If he takes another wife, he must not diminish the first one’s food, her clothing, or her marital rights.

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 28:8Then Esau realized that the Canaanite women were displeasing to his father Isaac.
• Judges 14:3But his father and mother said to him, “Certainly you can find a wife among your relatives or among all our people! You should not have to go and get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines.” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, because she is the right one for me.”
• 1 Samuel 8:6But this request displeased Samuel, for they said, “Give us a king to lead us.” So Samuel prayed to the Lord.
• 1 Samuel 18:8This made Saul very angry. The statement displeased him and he thought, “They have attributed to David tens of thousands, but to me they have attributed only thousands. What does he lack, except the kingdom?”
• Deuteronomy 20:7Or who among you has become engaged to a woman but has not married her? He may go home, lest he die in battle and someone else marry her.”
• Deuteronomy 21:11if you should see among them an attractive woman whom you wish to take as a wife,
• Exodus 8:29Moses said, “I am going to go out from you and pray to the Lord, and the swarms of flies will go away from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people tomorrow. Only do not let Pharaoh deal falsely again by not releasing the people to sacrifice to the Lord.”
• Judges 9:19So if you have shown loyalty and integrity to Jerub-Baal and his family today, then may Abimelech bring you happiness and may you bring him happiness!
• Job 6:15My brothers have been as treacherous as a seasonal stream, and as the riverbeds of the intermittent streams that flow away.
• Malachi 2:11Judah has become disloyal, and unspeakable sins have been committed in Israel and Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the holy things that the Lord loves and has turned to a foreign 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