Exodus 21:11Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Some interpreters suggest that the three elements refer to garments, sustenance, and cohabitation; however, Knobel and the majority of the Rabbinic scholars perceive this passage within the broader context of verses 8, 9, and 10. This interpretation implies that the master who acquired the young woman was to: (1) allow her to be redeemed by a Hebrew, who must also adhere to the regulations of concubinage concerning her; (2) cohabit with her and, if he married her, not deny her her marital rights; or (3) bestow her upon his son and treat her as a daughter. Cook, from whom this interpretation is derived, asserts that the law merely formalized the longstanding practice of concubinage.