Bible Strands

Deuteronomy 15:16

But if your servant says to you, ‘I do not want to leave you,’ because he loves you and your household and is well off with you,

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — Moses instructs Israel on the manumission of Hebrew servants, grounding the regulation in the nation's past redemption from Egyptian bondage.

The words — The phrase אֵצֵא מֵעִמָּךְ ('e.Tze me.'i.Ma/kh) literally renders "I will go out from with you," introduced by the declarative verb יֹאמַר (yo.Mar) meaning "he will say." The conjunction כִּי (ki) functions twice here to establish the servant's stated reasons: affection and material well-being.

The thread — This legal scenario runs parallel to Exodus 21:5, which addresses the same covenantal provision for a servant who voluntarily chooses lifelong service over standard release.

Why it lands — The text mandates that a master must honor a servant's documented refusal to depart when the servant cites love and sustained benefit. It establishes that enduring servitude requires a clear, voluntary declaration rather than assumed compliance.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְהָיָה֙ve./ha.Yahand/ it will beכִּֽי־ki-thatיֹאמַ֣רyo.Marhe will sayאֵלֶ֔יךָ'e.Lei./khato/ youלֹ֥אlo'notאֵצֵ֖א'e.Tze'I will go outמֵעִמָּ֑ךְme./'i.Ma/khfrom/ with <the>/ youכִּ֤יkiforאֲהֵֽבְךָ֙'a.he.ve./Khahe loves/ youוְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>בֵּיתֶ֔ךָbei.Te./khahousehold/ yourכִּי־ki-forט֥וֹבTovit has been goodל֖וֹl/ofor <the>/ himעִמָּֽךְ׃'i.Ma/khwith/ you

King James Version

And it shall be, if he say unto thee, I will not go away from thee; because he loveth thee and thine house, because he is well with thee;

Cross-references