Read Exodus 21 at Bible Gateway.
The majority of this chapter makes a Strong Theme:
Exo 21:1-27 {sx10+p} Restitution in cases of slavery, or when a person causes injury or death (‘You shall not commit murder’)
And the Strong Theme makes its own Chiastic Structure:
While the majority of this Strong Theme has to do with what constitutes murder, it opens and closes with conditions for a slave to go free. It’s all one overarching topic, but what does slavery have to do with death?
Torah has been teaching us that slavery is a metaphor for death (remember Joseph?) because slavery ends the life previously known. Here’s the glorious twist: this Strong Theme which explains murder, and imposes death, is literally “swallowed up” by its opening and closing paragraphs that slaves must go out free.
Why This Matters: If slavery is a metaphor for death, then freedom is a metaphor for life. Torah is preaching the Gospel of grace: death is swallowed up in life!
He will swallow up death forever, and YHVH God will wipe away tears from all faces. Isa 25:8
The Hebrew paragraphs for this chapter:
21:1-6 {s} Conditions for a Hebrew male slave to go out free
21:7-11 {s} Conditions for a Hebrew female slave to go out free
21:12-13 {s} Manslaughter is not murder
21:14 {s} Murder receives the death penalty
21:15 {s} Striking father or mother receives the death penalty
21:16 {s} Kidnapping receives the death penalty
21:17 {s} Cursing father or mother receives the death penalty
21:18-19 {s} Assault of a neighbor when he does not die
21:20-21 {s} Assault of a male or female slave when he does or does not die
21:22-25 {s} Assault of a woman with child when the child does or does not die
21:26-27 {p} Conditions for male or female slaves to go out free
21:28-32 {s} Restitution when an ox gores a person to death
21:33-34 {s} Restitution when a pit causes the death of an animal
21:35-36 {s} Restitution when an ox causes the death of an animal
If there are questions, these are good resources:
The Law of Love: The Gospel of Grace Revealed in the Commandments of God – Christine Miller
Exodus in Chiastic Structure – Christine Miller
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