Bondage

bon ́dā̇j: Used in two senses in Scripture, a literal and a metaphorical sense.

(1) In the former sense it refers (a) to the condition of the Hebrews (עבדה, ‛ăbhōdhāh) in Egypt (Exodus 1:14 the King James Version; Exodus 2:23 and often) which is frequently called “the house of bondage” (“slaves,” עבדים, ‛ăbhādhīm), Exodus 13:3, 14; 20:2; Deuteronomy 5:6 and often. It also refers to the condition of the Hebrews in Babylonia (Isaiah 14:3, the King James Version) and in Persia (Ezra 9:8 f), where a slightly different form of the same root (עבדוּת, ‛abhedhūth) is used in the original. In both these cases the bondage was not so much personal as national. As a rule individuals were not subject to individuals, but the whole Hebrew people were subject to the Egyptian, Babylonian and the Persian states. They were forced to labor on public works, and otherwise, and were denied their own freedom when the exigencies of state seemed to demand it. The former word ‛ăbhōdhāh is also used in Nehemiah 5:18 as descriptive of the subject and depressed conditions of the Hebrews in Palestine during the earlier years after their return from captivity, when they were still living under Persian suzerainty. (b) The word bondage (‛ăbhādhīm) is also used to describe the slavery into which the poor Jews were being forced by their more prosperous brethren in the earlier years under the Persians in Palestine (Nehemiah 5:5). Here true personal, though temporary, slavery is meant. (c) Marriage is once referred to as a bondage (1 Corinthians 7:15) (verb δουλόω, doulóō).

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Author: International Std. Bible Encyclopedia

Keywords: Bondage

Source: James Orr (editor), The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 5 volume set.

Page indexed by: inWORD Bible Software.