Exodus 21:11

"If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, and her marital rights."

Key Reflection

In ancient Israel, the legal code of Exodus 21:11 provided protections for female slaves who were granted freedom through manumission. If a master took another wife and was tempted to neglect his former slave-wife, this law ensured that her status and rights would not be diminished. The original audience would have understood this as a safeguard against the exploitation of freed women, ensuring they retained their basic necessities and marital privileges in a world where social mobility for females was limited.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

If he do not these three unto her -The words express a choice of one of three things. The man was to give the woman, whom he had purchased from her father, her freedom, unless (i) he caused her to be redeemed by a Hebrew masterExodus 21:8; or, (ii) gave her to his son, and treated her as a daughterExodus 21:9; or, (iii) in the event of his taking another wifeExodus 21:10, unless he allowed her to retain her place and privileges. These rulesExodus 21:7-11are to be regarded as mitigations of the then existing usages of concubinage.

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