Exodus 21:7-11

Hebrew female slaves. The law for female slaves is different. A female slave does not receive her freedom at the end of six years (v.7); still, she cannot be sold to a non-Israelite; and if her master, before actually taking her as his concubine, finds he does not like her she must be redeemed (v.8). If her master has bought her for his son she must have the usual rights of a daughter (v.9). If her master take another concubine, she is in no respect to be defrauded of her food, dress, and conjugal rights (v.10): if these be withheld, her freedom must be given her unconditionally (v.11). The reason for the different treatment of female slaves is to be found in the fact that a female slave was as a rule (v.8) her master's concubine; she stood consequently to her master in a relation which could not suitably be terminated at the end of six years. Concubinage was common among the ancient Hebrews (among the patriarchs, Genesis 16:3; Genesis 22:24; Genesis 30:3; Genesis 30:9; Genesis 36:12; in the time of the Judges, Judges 8:31; Judges 9:18; Judges 19:1 ff.; and among the early kings, 2 Samuel 3:7; 2 Samuel 5:13; 2 Samuel 15:16; 2 Samuel 21:11; 1 Kings 11:3), as it was also among the Babylonians in the age of Ḥammurabi (Code, §§ 144 7 1 [186]), and as it is still in Mohammedan countries (see e.g. Lane, Modern Egyptians, i. 122, 227, 232 f.).

[186] Cf. the interesting case attested by two contemporary contract-tablets (Pinches, OT. in the Light of Ass. and Bab. records and legends, p. 174 f.; Cook, Moses and Ḥamm. p. 113 f.): a man marries his wife's sister, to become her waiting-maid.