King James Version

Exodus 21:2

If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.

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Hebrew

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כִּ֤יkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…תִקְנֶה֙tiqnehpurchaseקָנָהverb, qal, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “purchase”, an unfinished actionH7069to erect, i.e. create; by extension, to procure, especially by purchase (causatively, sell); by implication to ownattain, buy(-er), teach to keep cattle, get, provoke to jealousy, possess(-or), purchase, recover, redeem, [idiom] surely, [idiom] verily.עֶ֣בֶדevedservantעֶבֶדnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “servant”, the ordinary formH5650a servant[idiom] bondage, bondman, (bond-) servant, (man-) servant.עִבְרִ֔יivriHebrewעִבְרִיnoun, gentilic, masculine, singular, absolute — “Hebrew”, the ordinary formH5680an Eberite (i.e. Hebrew) or descendant of EberHebrew(-ess, woman).שֵׁ֥שׁsheshsixשֵׁשׁadjective, cardinal, feminine, singular, absolute — “six”, the ordinary formH8337six (as an overplus beyond five or the fingers of the hand); as ord. sixthsix(-teen, -teenth), sixth.שָׁנִ֖יםshanimyearשָׁנֶהnoun, common, feminine, plural, absolute — “year”, the ordinary formH8141a year (as a revolution of time)[phrase] whole age, [idiom] long, [phrase] old, year([idiom] -ly).יַעֲבֹ֑דyaavodkeep in bondageעָבַדverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “keep in bondage”, an unfinished actionH5647to work (in any sense); by implication, to serve, till, (causatively) enslave, etc.[idiom] be, keep in bondage, be bondmen, bond-service, compel, do, dress, ear, execute, [phrase] husbandman, keep, labour(-ing man, bring to pass, (cause to, make to) serve(-ing, self), (be, become) servant(-s), do (use) service, till(-er)…וּבַ֨שְּׁבִעִ֔תuvashviitand in seventhשְׁבִיעִיconjunction, preposition, with the article, adjective, ordinal, feminine, singular, absolute — “and in seventh”, the ordinary formH7637seventhseventh (time).יֵצֵ֥אyetsebring forthיָצָאverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “bring forth”, an unfinished actionH3318to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.[idiom] after, appear, [idiom] assuredly, bear out, [idiom] begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come (abroad, out, thereat, without), [phrase] be condemned, depart(-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact, fail…לַֽחָפְשִׁ֖יlachafeshito freeחׇפְשִׁיpreposition, with the article, adjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “to free”, the ordinary formH2670exempt (from bondage, tax or care)free, liberty.חִנָּֽםchinamwithout a causeחִנָּםadverb — “without a cause”H2600gratis, i.e. devoid of cost, reason or advantagewithout a cause (cost, wages), causeless, to cost nothing, free(-ly), innocent, for nothing (nought, in vain.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

If thou buy a Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve; and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

If thou buy a Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.

Young’s Literal Translation

'When thou buyest a Hebrew servant — six years he doth serve, and in the seventh he goeth out as a freeman for nought;

World English Bible

“If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free without paying anything.

Darby Translation

If thou buy a Hebrew bondman, six years shall he serve; and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.

Douay-Rheims

If thou buy a Hebrew servant, six years shall he serve thee: in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

If thou buy a Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve; and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

If thou buy a Hebrew servant, six years shall he serve thee, and in the seventh year he shall go forth free for nothing.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἐὰν κτήσῃ παῖδα Ἐβραῖον, ἓξ ἔτη δουλεύσει σοι· τῷ δὲ ἑβδόμῳ ἔτει ἀπελεύσεται ἐλεύθερος δωρεάν.