Exodus 21:27
“If he strikes out his male servant’s tooth, or his female servant’s tooth, he shall let him go free for his tooth’s sake.”
What does Exodus 21:27 mean?
When a master knocked out a servant's tooth, that person was to be released from servitude. This law was part of a larger code protecting enslaved people from abuse, establishing that physical injury carried real consequences for the master's power and profit. The rule shows an ancient society trying to set limits on what owners could do to those under their control. A missing tooth was visible, undeniable proof of harm, and the law treated it seriously enough to grant freedom. For someone in a vulnerable position with few rights, this meant their suffering wasn't invisible or worthless to the legal system. It's a reminder that even in societies built on servitude, people eventually recognized that human dignity has limits beyond which abuse cannot simply continue.