Exodus
Exodus 21:2–6
2If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free without paying anything. 3If he arrived alone, he is to leave alone; if he arrived with a wife, she is to leave with him. 4If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free.
5But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children; I do not want to go free,’ 6then his master is to bring him before the judges.a And he shall take him to the door or doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he shall serve his master for life.
Footnotes
- a 21:6 Or before God
Word by word
Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.
Exodus 21:2
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| If | כִּ֤י | kî | Conjunction | H3588 burning, branding |
| you buy | תִקְנֶה֙ | ṯiq·neh | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | H7069 get, acquire |
| a Hebrew | עִבְרִ֔י | ‘iḇ·rî | Noun - proper - masculine singular | H5680 Hebrew |
| servant | עֶ֣בֶד | ‘e·ḇeḏ | Noun - masculine singular | H5650 slave, servant |
| he is to serve you | יַעֲבֹ֑ד | ya·‘ă·ḇōḏ | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | H5647 work, serve |
| for six | שֵׁ֥שׁ | šêš | Number - feminine singular | H8337 six |
| years | שָׁנִ֖ים | šā·nîm | Noun - feminine plural | H8141 year |
| But in the seventh | וּבַ֨שְּׁבִעִ֔ת | ū·ḇaš·šə·ḇi·‘iṯ | Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article; Number - ordinal feminine singular | H7637 seventh |
| he shall go | יֵצֵ֥א | yê·ṣê | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | H3318 go or come out |
| free | לַֽחָפְשִׁ֖י | la·ḥā·p̄ə·šî | Preposition-l, Article; Adjective - masculine singular | H2670 free |
| without paying anything | חִנָּֽם׃ | ḥin·nām | Adverb | H2600 out of favour |
Exodus 21:3
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| If | אִם־ | ’im- | Conjunction | H518 if |
| he arrived alone | יָבֹ֖א | yā·ḇō | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | H935 come in, come, go in, go |
| he is to leave alone | יֵצֵ֑א | yê·ṣê | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | H3318 go or come out |
| if | אִם־ | ’im- | Conjunction | H518 if |
| he | ה֔וּא | hū | Pronoun - third person masculine singular | H1931 he, she |
| arrived with a wife | אִשָּׁה֙ | ’iš·šāh | Noun - feminine singular | H802 woman, wife, female |
| is to leave | וְיָצְאָ֥ה | wə·yā·ṣə·’āh | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular | H3318 go or come out |
| with him | עִמּֽוֹ׃ | ‘im·mōw | Preposition; third person masculine singular | H5973 with |
Exodus 21:4
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| If | אִם־ | ’im- | Conjunction | H518 if |
| his master | אֲדֹנָיו֙ | ’ă·ḏō·nāw | Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singular | H113 lord |
| gives | יִתֶּן־ | yit·ten- | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | H5414 give, put, set |
| him | ל֣וֹ | lōw | Preposition; third person masculine singular | |
| a wife | אִשָּׁ֔ה | ’iš·šāh | Noun - feminine singular | H802 woman, wife, female |
| and she bears | וְיָלְדָה־ | wə·yā·lə·ḏāh- | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular | H3205 bear, bring forth, beget |
| him | ל֥וֹ | lōw | Preposition; third person masculine singular | |
| sons | בָנִ֖ים | ḇā·nîm | Noun - masculine plural | H1121 son |
| or | א֣וֹ | ’ōw | Conjunction | H176 or |
| daughters | בָנ֑וֹת | ḇā·nō·wṯ | Noun - feminine plural | H1323 daughter |
| the woman | הָאִשָּׁ֣ה | hā·’iš·šāh | Article; Noun - feminine singular | H802 woman, wife, female |
| and her children | וִילָדֶ֗יהָ | wî·lā·ḏe·hā | Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural construct; third person feminine singular | H3206 child, son, boy, youth |
| shall belong to | תִּהְיֶה֙ | tih·yeh | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular | H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be |
| her master | לַֽאדֹנֶ֔יהָ | la·ḏō·ne·hā | Preposition-l; Noun - masculine plural construct; third person feminine singular | H113 lord |
| and | וְה֖וּא | wə·hū | Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - third person masculine singular | H1931 he, she |
| shall go free | יֵצֵ֥א | yê·ṣê | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | H3318 go or come out |
Exodus 21:5
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| But if | וְאִם־ | wə·’im- | Conjunction | H518 if |
| the servant | הָעֶ֔בֶד | hā·‘e·ḇeḏ | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H5650 slave, servant |
| declares | אָמֹ֤ר | ’ā·mōr | Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute | H559 utter, say |
| I love | אָהַ֙בְתִּי֙ | ’ā·haḇ·tî | Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular | H157 love |
| my master | אֲדֹנִ֔י | ’ă·ḏō·nî | Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular | H113 lord |
| and my wife | אִשְׁתִּ֖י | ’iš·tî | Noun - feminine singular construct; first person common singular | H802 woman, wife, female |
| and children | בָּנָ֑י | bā·nāy | Noun - masculine plural construct; first person common singular | H1121 son |
| I do not | לֹ֥א | lō | Adverb - Negative particle | H3808 not |
| want to go | אֵצֵ֖א | ’ê·ṣê | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular | H3318 go or come out |
| free | חָפְשִֽׁי׃ | ḥā·p̄ə·šî | Adjective - masculine singular | H2670 free |
Exodus 21:6
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| then his master | אֲדֹנָיו֙ | ’ă·ḏō·nāw | Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singular | H113 lord |
| is to bring him | וְהִגִּישׁ֤וֹ | wə·hig·gî·šōw | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine singular | H5066 draw near, approach |
| before | אֶל־ | ’el- | Preposition | H413 motion to |
| the judges | הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים | hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm | Article; Noun - masculine plural | H430 God |
| And he shall take him | וְהִגִּישׁוֹ֙ | wə·hig·gî·šōw | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine singular | H5066 draw near, approach |
| to | אֶל־ | ’el- | Preposition | H413 motion to |
| the door | הַדֶּ֔לֶת | had·de·leṯ | Article; Noun - feminine singular | H1817 door |
| or | א֖וֹ | ’ōw | Conjunction | H176 or |
| doorpost | הַמְּזוּזָ֑ה | ham·mə·zū·zāh | Article; Noun - feminine singular | H4201 door-post, gate-post |
| and pierce | וְרָצַ֨ע | wə·rā·ṣa‘ | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular | H7527 bore, pierce |
| his ear | אָזְנוֹ֙ | ’ā·zə·nōw | Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular | H241 ear |
| with an awl | בַּמַּרְצֵ֔עַ | bam·mar·ṣê·a‘ | Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular | H4836 boring-instrument, awl |
| Then he shall serve his master | וַעֲבָד֖וֹ | wa·‘ă·ḇā·ḏōw | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine singular | H5647 work, serve |
| for life | לְעֹלָֽם׃ס | lə·‘ō·lām | Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular | H5769 long duration, antiquity, futurity |
Cross-references
Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.
Exodus 21:2 Deuteronomy 15:12–15 · Deuteronomy 15:18 · Exodus 12:44 · Jeremiah 34:8–17 · Deuteronomy 31:10 · Nehemiah 5:1–5 · Nehemiah 5:8 · Leviticus 25:39–45 · Deuteronomy 15:1 · Exodus 22:3
Exodus 21:5 2 Corinthians 5:14–15 · Deuteronomy 15:16–17
Exodus 21:6 Deuteronomy 15:17 · Leviticus 25:40 · Deuteronomy 19:17–18 · 1 Samuel 28:2
Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.
Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.