Which has more value, a slave or an animal?

Question

Let us look at Exodus 23:12 "Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest and the slave born in your household, and the alien as well, may be refreshed." We can obviously see from this verse that the slave and the animal have the same value. A human slave in the Bible is an animal and not a human being. This verse puts the animals and the slave in the same category. It doesn't separate them.

Consider the following from the book of Exodus:

Let us look at Exodus 21:28 "If a bull gores a man or a woman to death, the bull must be stoned to death, and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the bull will not be held responsible."

Let us also look at Exodus 21:29 "If, however, the bull has had the habit of goring and the owner has been warned but has not kept it penned up and it kills a man or woman, the bull must be stoned and the owner also must be put to death."

Let us look at Exodus 21:31 "This law also applies if the bull gores a son or daughter."

Now, let us look at this verse Exodus 21:32 "If the bull gores a male or female slave, the owner must pay thirty shekels of silver to the master of the slave, and the bull must be stoned. (but not to death)"

Notice how in Exodus 21:28, if a bull gores a normal human being, then it must be put to death. Also, notice that Exodus 21:29 punishes the owner for not stopping the bull's habit by stoning him to death when his bull kills a normal human being.

Notice however, that in Exodus 21:32, if a bull gores a slave male or female to death, then the bull will only be stoned but not to death. Unlike in Exodus 21:28, the bull will survive.

I think we can conclude from the above that according to the Bible, even an animal has more value in it than a human slave.

If you don't get the point, simply don't answer...!

Answer 1

of course, an animal has a good value..!!

Answer 2

All stoning is stoning to death. And according to that, your son has the same value as an ox- see Exodus 20:10.

Answer 3

yeah, and i suppose "the alien" is also looked at like that. or is the bible just attacking slaves? i suppose they were also african, right? you are a nut. this is not what this is saying at all. slaves were mentioned so they were included in honoring the sabbath. they could have been left out so they continued to work for 7 days. would you rather it was like that?

Answer 4

Really? Did Jesus die for the animals?
Again, taking the passages out of the O/T and trying to make them seem like we should have slaves, etc. is out of context.

Answer 5

I think you're confusing theology and cannon. Theology is what the faith is about; cannon is the application of that in legal terms.

Slave or free, humans have eternal life; animals do not.

Answer 6

OK. Point?

Civilization is usually a poor rendering of God's love. What else is new?

Answer 7

Is there a point? Slavery was common during that time frame, is there really a point you are trying to convey, seriously?

Answer 8

i would say in a since that an animal is a slave....with better benefits

Answer 9

I believe in the Bible but I don't care for that part

Answer 10

simply the animal