מִמְכֶּרֶת
a sale
Definition
The Hebrew noun מִמְכֶּרֶת (mimkereth) refers specifically to the state or condition of being sold into servitude. It denotes a sale transaction that results in a person becoming the property of another, typically in the context of debt slavery or indentured servitude. This term appears only in Leviticus 25:42, where God forbids the Israelites from selling their fellow Israelites into such a permanent, degrading state of ownership. The word emphasizes the transfer of a person as property, distinct from a temporary or voluntary servitude arrangement.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in Leviticus 25:42. It occurs within the legal and covenantal context of the 'Year of Jubilee' laws, which govern the treatment of impoverished Israelites. The usage is specific to the prohibition against treating a fellow Israelite as a permanent slave to be bought and sold. The context contrasts Israelite servitude with that of foreign slaves, establishing a key distinction in status based on covenant identity.
Etymology
מִמְכֶּרֶת (mimkereth) is the feminine form of the noun מִמְכָּר (mimkar, H4465), which means 'a sale' or 'thing sold.' Both nouns derive from the root verb מָכַר (makar, H4376), meaning 'to sell.' The feminine form here likely carries an abstract or intensive sense, focusing on the state or condition resulting from the sale, particularly when applied to a person.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it touches on the concepts of human dignity, covenant identity, and redemption. In Leviticus 25:42, God prohibits the sale of Israelites into permanent slavery because 'they are my servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt.' This grounds human value and freedom in God's prior act of redemption. Understanding this Hebrew term enriches the reading of passages about slavery and servitude by highlighting that a believer's ultimate identity and ownership belong to God, not to any human master. This principle underlies later biblical teachings on spiritual freedom.
In the ancient Near East, debt slavery was a common economic reality. People could be sold, or sell themselves, to settle debts. However, Israelite law, as seen in Leviticus 25, placed unique restrictions on this practice for fellow covenant members. The term מִמְכֶּרֶת reflects the cultural reality of a person being treated as transferable property, but the biblical text radically limits this by affirming the inherent dignity of those redeemed by God. The modern concept of chattel slavery differs, but the underlying economic desperation leading to such sales was a shared reality.
עֶבֶד (eved, H5650) — a general term for 'slave' or 'servant,' focusing on the person's status, not the transaction. מִמְכָּר (mimkar, H4465) — the masculine form meaning 'a sale,' often of goods or property, less specific to persons. מָכַר (makar, H4376) — the root verb 'to sell.'
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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