And if he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her according to the custom of daughters.
Parallel translations
- WEB If he marries her to his son, he shall deal with her as a daughter.
- KJV And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.
- BSB And if he chooses her for his son, he must deal with her as with a daughter.
- NKJV And if he has betrothed her to his son, he shall deal with her according to the custom of daughters.
- NLT But if the slave’s owner arranges for her to marry his son, he may no longer treat her as a slave but as a daughter.
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
If the master gave her to his son, he had to treat her as a daughter. The law secured full family standing for her.
Overview
Rather than being demoted, the woman was to receive the rights and dignity of a daughter in the household. This elevates her from servant to family member, showing God's concern for her honor and security. It reflects how God Himself takes the lowly and makes them sons and daughters through Christ (Gal. 4:5-7).
Cross-references & the web
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Christ at the center
The Passover lamb whose blood turns away death, the exodus through the sea, the manna, the rock, and the tabernacle where God dwells with his people all foreshadow Jesus — our Passover, our redemption, the bread from heaven, and God-with-us in the flesh.
How Exodus 21:9 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
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