Deuteronomy 23:15
“You shall not deliver to his master a servant who has escaped from his master to you.”
What does Deuteronomy 23:15 mean?
This command challenged the ancient world's normal practice of returning escaped slaves to their owners, treating it as a matter of justice rather than property law. Moses is telling the Israelites that if someone flees slavery and seeks refuge among them, they must not send that person back to face punishment or recapture. It's a recognition that freedom and safety matter more than enforcing someone else's claim to another person's labor. For those walking through hardship or feeling trapped, this verse reminds us that God's heart moves toward the vulnerable and the desperate. It suggests that offering shelter and protection to someone fleeing harm isn't just kindness, it's part of living out justice as God sees it.