And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.
Kidnapping a person is forbidden, whether the victim is then sold or is still held in the offender's possession, and the offense carries the death penalty in either case. It belongs with the laws that protected the lives and persons of servants and set limits to the authority masters were allowed to exercise over them. It is one of the statutes, judgments, commandments, and added precepts given through Moses for the children of Israel to govern their dealings with one another and to give particular direction for conduct. Unlike the Decalogue, these further directions were given privately to Moses for him to pass on to the people.
They were added because minds blinded and debased by slavery were not ready to grasp fully the far-reaching principles of the ten precepts. Their work is to illustrate, apply, and enlarge the principles and obligations of the Ten Commandments so that those commandments are more fully understood and enforced, thus guarding the sacredness of the Ten Commandments. In doing so they guard against injustice and guide right dealing between people, showing care for the people and the high standard of what is required. These statutes and judgments were to be strictly obeyed, and had all read them carefully and obeyed them the state of things now seen in the world would not exist.
Kidnapping a person is forbidden, whether the victim is then sold or is still held in the offender's possession, and the offense carries the death penalty in either case. It belongs with the laws that protected the lives and persons of servants and set limits to the authority masters were allowed to exercise over them. It is one of the statutes, judgments, commandments, and added precepts given through Moses for the children of Israel to govern their dealings with one another and to give particular direction for conduct. Unlike the Decalogue, these further directions were given privately to Moses for him to pass on to the people.
They were added because minds blinded and debased by slavery were not ready to grasp fully the far-reaching principles of the ten precepts. Their work is to illustrate, apply, and enlarge the principles and obligations of the Ten Commandments so that those commandments are more fully understood and enforced, thus guarding the sacredness of the Ten Commandments. In doing so they guard against injustice and guide right dealing between people, showing care for the people and the high standard of what is required. These statutes and judgments were to be strictly obeyed, and had all read them carefully and obeyed them the state of things now seen in the world would not exist.