54. Did the Bible Approve Slavery or Try to Remedy It? (Old Testament Slavery)

When the Old Testament talks about slavery, is the Bible approving it—or addressing a broken reality with legal remedies?This episode continues our series on slavery in the Old Testament by turning to some of the Bible’s hardest passages in Genesis, Deuteronomy, and Exodus 21. Dr. Mark Chavalas explores the world behind these laws, asking whether the “if…then” structure of biblical case law should always be read as permission—or whether many of these laws are actually responses to situations that were already unjust, messy, and morally broken.Rather than offering easy answers, this conversation wrestles with the tension head-on. From Hagar and Sarah to Deuteronomy’s runaway slave law to the controversial “slave wife” passage in Exodus 21, this episode asks what biblical law is trying to do inside an ancient world shaped by hierarchy, poverty, patriarchy, and survival.Sources and themes discussed:Genesis 16; Genesis 21; Genesis 29–30Deuteronomy 21; Deuteronomy 23Exodus 21 Leviticus 25Joseph Fleishman on Exodus 21:7–11👍 SUPPORT THE BURIED BIBLE: ⁠@Patreon⁠Instagram : ⁠@buriedbiblepodcast ⁠⁠TikTok : ⁠⁠@buriedbiblepodcast⁠⁠💬 Got Questions: [email protected]