Exodus 21:7
““If a man sells his daughter to be a female servant, she shall not go out as the male servants do.”
What does Exodus 21:7 mean?
This law addresses what happens when an Israelite family, facing desperate poverty, sells a daughter into servitude. Unlike male slaves who could be released after six years of service, this verse indicates that a daughter's situation was different, likely because she might become integrated into the household through marriage or have different protections than male servants. The passage that follows (verses 8-11) actually extends protections to these young women, requiring that if their master didn't treat them as wives or if they were sold to someone else, they had to be released. It's a difficult passage for modern readers, reflecting the economic realities of ancient times when families had few options during famine or debt, but it shows the law attempting to establish boundaries and dignity even within an exploitative system.