“Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour; but shalt fear thy God.”
Do not rule over them ruthlessly, but fear your God. The prohibition on ruling ruthlessly over the Israelite debt-slave is grounded in the fear of God: the one who fears God cannot treat God's servant ruthlessly. The same ruthlessness prohibition (the same word) appears in Exodus 1:13–14 to describe Egypt's treatment of Israel — the covenant community is commanded not to be Egypt. The Exodus community that experienced ruthless labor exploitation is commanded to provide its indentured servants with the opposite.
COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS
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