Exodus 21:9
“If he marries her to his son, he shall deal with her as a daughter.”
What does Exodus 21:9 mean?
This passage addresses what happens when a man sells his daughter into servitude to pay a debt, and the buyer then arranges for her to marry his son. The law protects her by requiring that she be treated as a family member would be, not as a mere servant or possession. She's to receive the care, respect, and provision due to a daughter in the household. In the context of ancient Near Eastern law codes, this was actually a protective measure for vulnerable people in desperate circumstances. It acknowledges a harsh reality (families in poverty had few options) while insisting on basic dignity and rights. For us today, it shows that even in imperfect systems, God's concern is for the vulnerable to be treated as people, not things.