You shall not deliver to his master a servant who has escaped from his master to you.
Parallel translations
- KJV Thou shalt not deliver unto his master the servant which is escaped from his master unto thee:
- BSB Do not return a slave to his master if he has taken refuge with you.
- NKJV “You shall not give back to his master the slave who has escaped from his master to you.
- NASB “You shall not hand over to his master a slave who has escaped from his master to you.
- NLT “If slaves should escape from their masters and take refuge with you, you must not hand them over to their masters.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
An escaped slave who flees to Israel must not be returned to his master. Israel was to be a refuge for the oppressed.
Overview
This humane law, remarkable in the ancient world, protected runaway slaves rather than returning them to bondage. It reflects God's compassion for the oppressed, rooted in Israel's own deliverance from slavery in Egypt. The provision shows the LORD as a refuge for the afflicted and foreshadows the gospel freedom Christ brings to all who flee to Him (Matt 11:28).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 2
- 1 Sam 30:15David said to him, “Will you bring me down to this troop?” He said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me and not deliver me up into the hands of my master, and I will bring you down to this troop.”
- Obad 1:14Don’t stand in the crossroads to cut off those of his who escape. Don’t deliver up those of his who remain in the day of distress.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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Christ at the center
Moses promised a Prophet like himself to whom Israel must listen (18:15); Jesus is that Prophet, the one who keeps the covenant we broke and becomes the curse for us by hanging on a tree (Gal 3:13).
How Deuteronomy 23:15 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.