For to me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt. I am Yahweh your God.
Parallel translations
- KJV For unto me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
- BSB For the Israelites are My servants. They are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.
- NKJV For the children of Israel are servants to Me; they are My servants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.
- NASB For the sons of Israel are My servants; they are My servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.
- NLT For the people of Israel belong to me. They are my servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.
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
Israel could not be permanently enslaved because they already belong to God, who redeemed them from Egypt. Their true Master is the LORD.
Overview
This gives the theological foundation for the whole law of servitude: the Israelites are God's servants, freed from Egypt to serve Him alone. No human owner can claim final title over those who belong to Yahweh. This anticipates the believer's identity as one bought by Christ and now His glad bondservant rather than sin's slave.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Lev 25:42For they are my servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt. They shall not be sold as slaves.
- Gal 5:13For you, brothers, were called for freedom. Only don’t use your freedom for gain to the flesh, but through love be servants to one another.
- 1 Cor 9:21to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law.
- Ps 116:16Yahweh, truly I am your servant. I am your servant, the son of your servant. You have freed me from my chains.
- Exod 13:3Moses said to the people, “Remember this day, in which you came out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand Yahweh brought you out from this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten.
- 1 Cor 9:19For though I was free from all, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more.
- Rom 6:17–18But thanks be to God, that, whereas you were bondservants of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were delivered.
- Rom 6:14For sin will not have dominion over you. For you are not under law, but under grace.
- Isa 43:3For I am Yahweh your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I have given Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
- Rom 6:22But now, being made free from sin, and having become servants of God, you have your fruit of sanctification, and the result of eternal life.
- 1 Cor 7:22–23For he who was called in the Lord being a bondservant is the Lord’s free man. Likewise he who was called being free is Christ’s bondservant.
- Exod 20:2“I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
- Luke 1:74–75to grant to us that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, should serve him without fear,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Every sacrifice, every priest, and every day of atonement points beyond itself to the one perfect offering and the great High Priest who, by his own blood, makes the unclean holy once for all.
How Leviticus 25:55 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.