Exodus 21:8

6 Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.

7 And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do.

If she please not her master, who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her.

9 And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.

10 If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
If she is displeasing in the eyes of her master who had designated her for himself, he must allow her to be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, since he has broken faith with her.
KJV
If she please not her master, who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her.
WEB
If she doesn’t please her master, who has married her to himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has dealt deceitfully with her.
ASV
If she please not her master, who hath espoused her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a foreign people he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her.
DARBY
If she is unacceptable in the eyes of her master, who had taken her for himself, then shall he let her be ransomed: to sell her unto a foreign people he hath no power, after having dealt unfaithfully with her.
BLB
If she is displeasing in the eyes of her lord who has betrothed her to himself, then he shall redeem her. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, in his dealing deceitfully with her.
ÅB
Dersom hun mishager sin herre, som hadde utsett henne for seg selv, da skal han la henne få kjøpe seg fri; til et fremmed folk skal han ikke ha rett til å selge henne, siden han har vært troløs mot henne.
OTB
Hvis hun ikke behager sin herre som har valgt henne for seg selv, må han la henne bli løskjøpt. Han har ingen rett til å selge henne til fremmede folk, på grunn av sin utroskap mot henne.
B1930
Dersom hun mishager sin herre, som hadde utsett henne for sig selv, da skal han la henne få kjøpe sig fri; til et fremmed folk skal han ikke ha rett til å selge henne, siden han har vært troløs mot henne.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • Judges 14:3

    Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.

    Read in context
  • Judges 9:19

    If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you:

    Read in context
  • Malachi 2:11–15

    Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the LORD which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god.

    Read in context
  • Genesis 28:8

    And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father;

    Read in context
  • Deuteronomy 21:11–14

    And seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife;

    Read in context
  • Deuteronomy 20:7

    And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her.

    Read in context
  • Exodus 8:29

    And Moses said, Behold, I go out from thee, and I will intreat the LORD that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, to morrow: but let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.

    Read in context
  • 1 Samuel 18:8

    And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?

    Read in context