◄ Deuteronomy 23:15 ►
Do not return a slave to his master if he has taken refuge with you.
Study Bible
If a slave
The Hebrew word for "slave" here is "עֶבֶד" (eved), which can mean a servant or bondman. In ancient Israel, slavery was a recognized institution, but it was distinct from the harsh slavery seen in other cultures. The Mosaic Law provided protections for slaves, reflecting a more humane approach. This word sets the stage for understanding the social and legal context of ancient Israel, where even those in servitude had rights and could seek protection.

has sought refuge
The phrase "sought refuge" implies a deliberate action by the slave to escape from a situation of oppression or danger. The Hebrew root "נוס" (nus) means to flee or escape. This highlights the agency of the individual seeking safety and the moral responsibility of the community to provide sanctuary. It underscores the biblical principle of compassion and protection for the vulnerable, aligning with the broader scriptural theme of God as a refuge for the oppressed.

with you
The phrase "with you" indicates a personal responsibility placed upon the individual or community. In the context of ancient Israel, this would mean that the Israelites were to embody God's justice and mercy. The personal pronoun emphasizes the direct involvement and moral obligation of the believer to act in accordance with God's laws, reflecting His character in their actions.

do not hand him over
The command "do not hand him over" is a direct prohibition, emphasizing the protection of the fugitive slave. The Hebrew verb "סגר" (sagar) means to deliver or give up. This instruction reflects a counter-cultural stance, as returning escaped slaves was common in other ancient Near Eastern societies. The command underscores the value of human life and dignity, and the importance of justice over economic or social convenience.

to his master
The term "master" here is "אֲדוֹן" (adon), which can mean lord or owner. In this context, it refers to the person who claims ownership over the slave. The verse challenges the absolute authority of the master, placing divine law above human ownership. This reflects the biblical theme that all people are ultimately accountable to God, who is the true Master and Lord over all creation.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Moses
The author of Deuteronomy, who is delivering God's laws to the Israelites.

2. Israelites
The chosen people of God, receiving the law as they prepare to enter the Promised Land.

3. Slave
A person who has escaped from their master and seeks refuge.

4. Master
The owner from whom the slave has fled.

5. Promised Land
The land of Canaan, which the Israelites are about to enter and where these laws will be applied.
Teaching Points
Value of Human Dignity
The command not to return a runaway slave underscores the importance of human dignity and freedom. It reflects God's concern for the oppressed and marginalized.

Compassion and Refuge
Providing refuge to those in need is a recurring biblical theme. This law encourages the Israelites to act with compassion and offer protection to those seeking safety.

Justice Over Legalism
The law prioritizes justice and mercy over strict adherence to social norms or legalistic practices. It challenges believers to consider the spirit of the law in their actions.

God's Sovereignty and Protection
By allowing a slave to find refuge, the Israelites acknowledge God's sovereignty in providing protection and justice for all individuals, regardless of their social status.

Application in Modern Context
In today's world, this principle can be applied to issues of asylum, human trafficking, and social justice, urging believers to advocate for and protect the vulnerable.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Deuteronomy 23:15 reflect God's character and His concern for justice and mercy?

2. In what ways can we apply the principle of providing refuge to those in need in our current societal context?

3. How does the treatment of runaway slaves in Deuteronomy 23:15 connect with the New Testament teachings on equality and freedom in Christ?

4. What are some modern-day situations where we might be called to offer protection and refuge to others, and how can we respond biblically?

5. How does understanding the historical and cultural context of this law enhance our interpretation and application of it today?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 21:16
This verse condemns the act of kidnapping and selling a person, highlighting the value of human freedom and dignity.

Philemon 1:10-16
Paul’s letter to Philemon regarding Onesimus, a runaway slave, emphasizes Christian love and reconciliation.

Galatians 3:28
This verse speaks to the equality of all in Christ, transcending social statuses such as slave and free.

Leviticus 19:33-34
These verses instruct the Israelites to treat foreigners living among them with kindness, reflecting the broader principle of compassion.
Sermons
Sympathy for the OppressedD. Davies Deuteronomy 23:15, 16
The Escaped SlaveJ. Marrat.Deuteronomy 23:15-16
The Hebrew Fugitive LawR.M. Edgar Deuteronomy 23:15, 16
Various PreceptsJ. Orr Deuteronomy 23:15-23
People
Aram, Balaam, Beor, Moses
Places
Beth-baal-peor, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Pethor
Topics
Bondman, Deliver, Delivered, Escaped, Flight, Master, Refuge, Servant, Shut, Slave
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Deuteronomy 23:15

     5319   fugitives
     7447   slavery, in OT

Deuteronomy 23:15-16

     5491   refugees
     5825   cruelty, God's attitude

Library
Appendix v. Rabbinic Theology and Literature
1. The Traditional Law. - The brief account given in vol. i. p. 100, of the character and authority claimed for the traditional law may here be supplemented by a chronological arrangement of the Halakhoth in the order of their supposed introduction or promulgation. In the first class, or Halakhoth of Moses from Sinai,' tradition enumerates fifty-five, [6370] which may be thus designated: religio-agrarian, four; [6371] ritual, including questions about clean and unclean,' twenty-three; [6372] concerning …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

That the Employing Of, and Associating with the Malignant Party, According as is Contained in the Public Resolutions, is Sinful and Unlawful.
That The Employing Of, And Associating With The Malignant Party, According As Is Contained In The Public Resolutions, Is Sinful And Unlawful. If there be in the land a malignant party of power and policy, and the exceptions contained in the Act of Levy do comprehend but few of that party, then there need be no more difficulty to prove, that the present public resolutions and proceedings do import an association and conjunction with a malignant party, than to gather a conclusion from clear premises. …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Here Then Shall These Persons in their Turn be in Another More Sublime Degree...
28. Here then shall these persons in their turn be in another more sublime degree of righteousness outdone, by them who shall so order themselves, that every day they shall betake them into the fields as unto pasture, and at what time they shall find it, pick up their meal, and having allayed their hunger, return. But plainly, on account of the keepers of the fields, how good were it, if the Lord should deign to bestow wings also, that the servants of God being found in other men's fields should …
St. Augustine—Of the Work of Monks.

Lessons for Worship and for Work
'Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. 2. Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth; therefore let thy words be few. 3. For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words. 4. When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for He hath …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Introductory Note to the Works of Origen.
[a.d. 185-230-254.] The reader will remember the rise and rapid development of the great Alexandrian school, and the predominance which was imparted to it by the genius of the illustrious Clement. [1865] But in Origen, his pupil, who succeeded him at the surprising age of eighteen, a new sun was to rise upon its noontide. Truly was Alexandria "the mother and mistress of churches" in the benign sense of a nurse and instructress of Christendom, not its arrogant and usurping imperatrix. The full details …
Origen—Origen De Principiis

Excursus on Usury.
The famous canonist Van Espen defines usury thus: "Usura definitur lucrum ex mutuo exactum aut speratum;" [96] and then goes on to defend the proposition that, "Usury is forbidden by natural, by divine, and by human law. The first is proved thus. Natural law, as far as its first principles are concerned, is contained in the decalogue; but usury is prohibited in the decalogue, inasmuch as theft is prohibited; and this is the opinion of the Master of the Sentences, of St. Bonaventura, of St. Thomas …
Philip Schaff—The Seven Ecumenical Councils

Jesus Defends Disciples who Pluck Grain on the Sabbath.
(Probably While on the Way from Jerusalem to Galilee.) ^A Matt. XII. 1-8; ^B Mark II. 23-28; ^C Luke VI. 1-5. ^b 23 And ^c 1 Now it came to pass ^a 1 At that season ^b that he ^a Jesus went { ^b was going} on the { ^c a} ^b sabbath day through the grainfields; ^a and his disciples were hungry and began ^b as they went, to pluck the ears. ^a and to eat, ^c and his disciples plucked the ears, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands. [This lesson fits in chronological order with the last, if the Bethesda …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

That it is not Lawful for the Well Affected Subjects to Concur in Such an Engagement in War, and Associate with the Malignant Party.
That It Is Not Lawful For The Well Affected Subjects To Concur In Such An Engagement In War, And Associate With The Malignant Party. Some convinced of the unlawfulness of the public resolutions and proceedings, in reference to the employing of the malignant party, yet do not find such clearness and satisfaction in their own consciences as to forbid the subjects to concur in this war, and associate with the army so constituted. Therefore it is needful to speak something to this point, That it is …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Canaan
Canaan was the inheritance which the Israelites won for themselves by the sword. Their ancestors had already settled in it in patriarchal days. Abraham "the Hebrew" from Babylonia had bought in it a burying-place near Hebron; Jacob had purchased a field near Shechem, where he could water his flocks from his own spring. It was the "Promised Land" to which the serfs of the Pharaoh in Goshen looked forward when they should again become free men and find a new home for themselves. Canaan had ever been …
Archibald Sayce—Early Israel and the Surrounding Nations

Brief Directions How to Read the Holy Scriptures once Every Year Over, with Ease, Profit, and Reverence.
But forasmuch, that as faith is the soul, so reading and meditating on the word of God, are the parent's of prayer, therefore, before thou prayest in the morning, first read a chapter in the word of God; then meditate awhile with thyself, how many excellent things thou canst remember out of it. As--First, what good counsels or exhortations to good works and to holy life. Secondly, what threatenings of judgments against such and such a sin; and what fearful examples of God's punishment or vengeance …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

Commerce
The remarkable change which we have noticed in the views of Jewish authorities, from contempt to almost affectation of manual labour, could certainly not have been arbitrary. But as we fail to discover here any religious motive, we can only account for it on the score of altered political and social circumstances. So long as the people were, at least nominally, independent, and in possession of their own land, constant engagement in a trade would probably mark an inferior social stage, and imply …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

Nature of Covenanting.
A covenant is a mutual voluntary compact between two parties on given terms or conditions. It may be made between superiors and inferiors, or between equals. The sentiment that a covenant can be made only between parties respectively independent of one another is inconsistent with the testimony of Scripture. Parties to covenants in a great variety of relative circumstances, are there introduced. There, covenant relations among men are represented as obtaining not merely between nation and nation, …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Scriptures Showing the Sin and Danger of Joining with Wicked and Ungodly Men.
Scriptures Showing The Sin And Danger Of Joining With Wicked And Ungodly Men. When the Lord is punishing such a people against whom he hath a controversy, and a notable controversy, every one that is found shall be thrust through: and every one joined with them shall fall, Isa. xiii. 15. They partake in their judgment, not only because in a common calamity all shares, (as in Ezek. xxi. 3.) but chiefly because joined with and partakers with these whom God is pursuing; even as the strangers that join …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Appeal to the Christian Women of the South
BY A.E. GRIMKE. "Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not within thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place: but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this. And Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer:--and so will I go in unto the king, …
Angelina Emily Grimke—An Appeal to the Christian Women of the South

The Tenth Commandment
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.' Exod 20: 17. THIS commandment forbids covetousness in general, Thou shalt not covet;' and in particular, Thy neighbour's house, thy neighbour's wife, &c. I. It forbids covetousness in general. Thou shalt not covet.' It is lawful to use the world, yea, and to desire so much of it as may keep us from the temptation …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Deuteronomy
Owing to the comparatively loose nature of the connection between consecutive passages in the legislative section, it is difficult to present an adequate summary of the book of Deuteronomy. In the first section, i.-iv. 40, Moses, after reviewing the recent history of the people, and showing how it reveals Jehovah's love for Israel, earnestly urges upon them the duty of keeping His laws, reminding them of His spirituality and absoluteness. Then follows the appointment, iv. 41-43--here irrelevant (cf. …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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