Exodus 21:4

JPS-1917

אִם־אֲדֹנָיו֙ יִתֶּן־ל֣וֹ אִשָּׁ֔ה וְיָלְדָה־ל֥וֹ בָנִ֖ים א֣וֹ בָנ֑וֹת הָאִשָּׁ֣ה וִילָדֶ֗יהָ תִּהְיֶה֙ לַֽאדֹנֶ֔יהָ וְה֖וּא יֵצֵ֥א בְגַפּֽוֹ׃

If his master give him a wife, and she bear him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself.

— Exodus 21:4, JPS 1917

Cite This Verse

Exodus 21:4 (JPS 1917).

"Exodus 21:4." JPS 1917. Web.

Exodus 21:4, JPS 1917.

Commentaire de Rachi

Rachi — Exodus 21:4
אם אדניו יתן לו אשה. מִכָּאן שֶׁהָרְשׁוּת בְּיַד רַבּוֹ לִמְסֹר לוֹ שִׁפְחָה כְנַעֲנִית לְהוֹלִיד מִמֶּנָּה עֲבָדִים. אוֹ אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא בְיִשְׂרְאֵלִית? תַּ"לֹ הָאִשָּׁה וִילָדֶיהָ תִּהְיֶה לַאדֹנֶיהָ, הָא אֵינוֹ מְדַבֵּר אֶלָּא בִּכְנַעֲנִית, שֶׁהֲרֵי הָעִבְרִיָּה אַף הִיא יוֹצְאָה בְשֵׁשׁ – וַאֲפִלּוּ לִפְנֵי שֵׁשׁ אִם הֵבִיאָה סִימָנִין יוֹצְאָה – שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר אָחִיךָ הָעִבְרִי אוֹ הָעִבְרִיָּה (דברים ט"ו), מְלַמֵּד שֶׁאַף הָעִבְרִיָּה יוֹצְאָה בְשֵׁשׁ (מכילתא):

אם אדניו יתן לו אשה IF HIS LORD HAS GIVEN HIM A WIFE — From this we learn that if he has already an Israelite wife the master has the right to give him a Canaanitish handmaid with the object of raising slaves. Or perhaps this is not so, but Scripture by אשה is speaking about an Israelite woman?! Scripture, however, states: “the wife and her children shall be the master’s”, consequently the text can only be speaking of a Canaanitish woman, for a Hebrew maidservant goes free at the end of six years just as a Hebrew man-servant does — yea, even before the termination of six years she goes free if she shows symptoms of incipient puberty (cf. Rashi v. 7) — for it is said, (Deuteronomy 15:12) “[and if] thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, [be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years, then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee]”, which statement teaches you that a Hebrew woman also goes free after six years’ service (Mekhilta; Kiddushin 14b).

Autres traductions

MASORETIC

אִם־אֲדֹנָיו֙ יִתֶּן־ל֣וֹ אִשָּׁ֔ה וְיָלְדָה־ל֥וֹ בָנִ֖ים א֣וֹ בָנ֑וֹת הָאִשָּׁ֣ה וִילָדֶ֗יהָ תִּהְיֶה֙ לַֽאדֹנֶ֔יהָ וְה֖וּא יֵצֵ֥א בְגַפּֽוֹ׃

KOREN

If his master has given him a wife, and she has born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself.