^21:5But if the servant should declare,¹¹ ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out¹² free,’ ^21:6then his master must bring him to the judges,¹³ 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.¹⁴

Read in Logos

Footnotes

11 The imperfect with the infinitive absolute means that the declaration is unambiguous, that the servant will clearly affirm that he wants to stay with the master. Gesenius says that in a case like this the infinitive emphasizes the importance of the condition on which some consequence depends ( §113.o).
12 Or taken as a desiderative imperfect, it would say, “I do not want to go out free.”
13 The word is הָאֱלֹהִים (ha’elohim). S. R. Driver (Exodus, ) says the phrase means “to God,” namely the nearest sanctuary in order that the oath and the ritual might be made solemn, although he does say that it would be done by human judges. That the reference is to Yahweh God is the view also of F. C. Fensham, “New Light on Exodus 21:7 and 22:7 from the Laws of Eshnunna,” 78 (1959): 160–61. Cf. also , , , , , . Others have made a stronger case that it refers to judges who acted on behalf of God; see C. Gordon, “אלהים in its Reputed Meaning of Rulers, Judges,” 54 (1935): 134–44; and A. E. Draffkorn, “Ilani/Elohim,” 76 (1957): 216–24; cf. , .
14 Or “till his life’s end” (as in the idiom: “serve him for good”).

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,’ then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

“But if the slave declares, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I do not want to leave as a free man,’ his master is to bring him to the judges and then bring him to the door or doorpost. His master will pierce his ear with an awl, and he will serve his master for life.

NLTNew Living Translation

But the slave may declare, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children. I don’t want to go free.’ If he does this, his master must present him before God. Then his master must take him to the door or doorpost and publicly pierce his ear with an awl. After that, the slave will serve his master for life.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

But if the slave explicitly says, “I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,” his master will present him to God and bring him to the door or to the doorpost, and his master will pierce his ear with an awl, and he will serve him forever.

KJV 1900King James Version

And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free: Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.

Public Domain