Bible Strands
Deuteronomy 15:17
then take an awl and pierce it through his ear into the door, and he will become your servant for life. And treat your maidservant the same way.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Moses instructs the Israelites on the plains of Moab regarding the permanent release ritual for a Hebrew slave who voluntarily chooses to remain after six years of service.
The words — The text commands the use of הַמַּרְצֵעַ (ha-martze'a, "the awl") and דֶּלֶת (delet, "door") to describe piercing the ear against the doorframe as a physical marker.
The thread — This practice aligns with Leviticus 25:39, which forbids forcing a destitute countryman into slave labor, and 1 Samuel 1:22, where Hannah vows to bring her child before the LORD after weaning.
Why it lands — The command requires the master to execute a permanent binding ritual without regarding the arrangement as a hardship, establishing a tangible sign of lifelong voluntary service.
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
King James Version
Then thou shalt take an aul, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise.
Cross-references
- Leviticus 25:39 If a countryman among you becomes destitute and sells himself to you, then you must not force him into slave labor.
- 1 Samuel 1:22 but Hannah did not go. “After the boy is weaned,” she said to her husband, “I will take him to appear before the LORD and to stay there permanently.”