Exodus 21:2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Thus, the active life becomes essential, whereas the contemplative life is subject to individual preference. The former represents bondage, while the latter embodies liberation. Hence, it is written to Moses that if you hire a Hebrew servant, he should work for you for six years, but in the seventh year, you must set him free. If a man enters alone, he shall leave alone; if his wife accompanies him, she will also leave with him. If his master gives him a wife and she bears children, then the wife and children belong to his master, and he shall go out alone. But if the servant declares his love for his master, his wife, and his children, wishing to remain with them, then his master shall bring him before God’s judgment, take him to the door or the doorpost, and pierce his ear with an awl—thereby requiring him to serve forever (Ex. 21:2, Ex. 21:3-7). We have provided an extensive illustration to delineate the contrast between bondage and freedom in both types of life. However, it should not be cumbersome to elaborate on this (illustration) to reinforce what we have conveyed. The term Hebrew suggests temporariness. A Hebrew servant is acquired when an individual, having mentally transitioned from this present age, surrenders to the servitude of Almighty God. For one who has learned to transcend this age yearns to serve the true God. In this way, Moses ascended to behold the vision (Ex. 3:3). Likewise, David, witnessing the wicked flourishing and rising like the cedars of Lebanon, transcended them, recognizing their transience (Psalm 36:35). When we focus on the power of the wicked, we mistakenly regard it as significant, unless we redirect our thoughts toward the eternal age. The Hebrew servant, once purchased, is mandated to labor for six years, after which he shall be set free in the seventh year. What does the number six represent if not the completeness of the active life? And what does the seventh signify if not the contemplative life? Therefore, he serves for six years, and in the seventh year, he transitions into the freedom of the contemplative life that he has attained through diligent service. It is also important to observe that he is set free without any payment; for those who, in humility, declare themselves bondsservants after all they have accomplished (Luke 17:10), have undoubtedly received both their active life and their contemplative existence freely through grace.

The term of service for a Hebrew bondservant was capped at six years, but it could be shorter if the seventh sabbatical year was approaching, as noted in Leviticus 25:40, where it states, "until the year of jubilee let the impoverished and sold brother work for thee." It seems likely that when sold due to debt, the bondservant's price was adjusted based on the years remaining until the jubilee, similar to how the price for land was computed based on the remaining years of its income until the jubilee (Leviticus 25:15). Different guidelines applied to non-Israelite bondservants (Leviticus 25:44-46).