Leviticus 25:44Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Consequently, the Mosaic law instituted time-limited servitude for Jews only, permitting the acquisition of slaves from neighboring nations for permanent, hereditary ownership. The actions of the Israelites during the acquisition of slaves from surrounding nations, their treatment of captives, and their general attitude toward others reveal a troubling reality that reflects the aforementioned order.

For instance, the entire populace of the Gibeonites was condemned by the Israelites to perpetual servitude, as declared by their victorious leader: “Cursed are ye, without end ye shall be slaves, chopping wood and drawing water for the house of my God” (Habakkuk 9:23). After conquering Midian, the Israelites executed all captives, young and old, and killed all the women, sparing only the maidens—totaling thirty-two thousand—for slavery, as commanded by Moses (Numbers 31:17-18). When King David captured Rabbah, the Ammonite capital, he subjected its inhabitants to brutal treatment, employing saws, iron threshing instruments, iron axes, and even fiery furnaces (2 Kings 12:31). The Psalms express a similar sentiment: “O daughter of Babylon, of the wicked... Blessed is he that taketh and breaketh thy infants against a stone” (Psalm 136:8-9).

It is abundantly clear that with the redemption of humanity through Christ, the prior superiority of the nation of Israel over other peoples was abolished. The Lord became the ransom for every Christian, uniting believers from all nations as spiritual kin—“there is neither Jew nor Greek, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free, but Christ is all and in all” (Colossians 3:11). Thus, the civil law of Moses found no applicability among Gentile Christians, and Jews who embraced Christianity were called to abandon this law, which distinguished them from other nations based on fleshly superiority. Saint John the Baptist warned the Pharisees: “Do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’” (Matthew 3:9). The Jews clung tightly to their transient carnal advantage and rejected Christianity in favor of it. They anticipated that the Messiah would fulfill the earthly benefits promised by the Mosaic law, and upon hearing the call to renounce such advantages through the message of the Cross, they turned away from the Lord.

Even today, had they established an independent state, they would likely conduct themselves according to the ancient laws when dealing with other nations. The holy fathers of the Orthodox Church interpret the Mosaic law not as a literal directive but through a pro-formative and sacramental lens. It serves as a shadow concerning Christianity, providing a partial, obscured representation rather than a complete depiction of the truth. The animosity the Jews felt toward foreigners symbolizes the vehement rejection that our inner selves must adopt against various sins. The ruthless annihilation of Gentile nations commanded by the Mosaic law serves as an allegory for the New Testament command to Christians to diligently eradicate all sinful thoughts and inclinations within themselves (Matthew 5).

The enduring and hereditary servitude of foreign slaves reflects the ongoing struggle against passions, guiding the Christian community toward mastery over them. The reference to the “daughter of Babylon” signifies the sinful influences within humanity that perpetuate diverse active sins. “Blessed is the man who kills sins in their infancy, at the initial thought, before they mature and take hold.” The rock symbolizing the destruction of such ‘infants’ represents the Gospel Doctrine, which instructs believers to reject sinful thoughts (Matthew 15:19), and beyond.