Reference: Freedom
Easton
The law of Moses pointed out the cases in which the servants of the Hebrews were to receive their freedom (Ex 21:2-4,7-8; Le 25:39-42,47-55; De 15:12-18). Under the Roman law the "freeman" (ingenuus) was one born free; the "freedman" (libertinus) was a manumitted slave, and had not equal rights with the freeman (Ac 22:28; comp. Ac 16:37-39; 21:39; 22:25; 25:11-12).
See Verses Found in Dictionary
When thou shalt acquire a servant who is a Hebrew, six years, shall he serve, - but in the seventh shall he go out freely - for nought. If, by himself, he came in, by himself, shall he go out, - if he was married, then shall his wife go out with him. read more. If his lord gave him a wife, and she have borne him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her lords, and, he shall go out by himself.
And when a man shall sell iris daughter to be a handmaid, she shall not go out according to the out-going of the men-servants, If she is uncomely in the eyes of her lord, who hath not assigned her in marriage, then shall he suffer her to be redeemed: to a strange people, shall he not have power to sell her in that he hath dealt treacherously with her.
And when thy brother waxeth poor with thee, and so selleth himself unto thee, thou shalt not bind him with the bondage of a bondman: as a hired servant, as a settler, shall he remain with thee, - until the year of the jubilee, shall he serve with thee: read more. then shall he go forth from thee, he and his sons with him, - and shall return unto his family, and unto the possession of his fathers, shall he return. For, my bondmen, they are, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt, - they shall not sell themselves with the sale of a bondman.
And, when the hand of the sojourner and settler with thee getteth possessions, and thy brother with him, waxeth poor, - and so he selleth himself to the sojourner who is a settler with thee, or to one who hath taken root, of the family of the sojourner, after that he hath sold himself, a right of redemption, pertaineth to him, - one of his brethren, may redeem him; read more. or, his uncle or his uncle's son, may redeem him, or, a near flesh-relation of his, of his family, may redeem him, or, his own hand may have gotten enough, and, so he may redeem himself. Then shall he reckon with him that bought him, from the year that he was sold to him, unto the year of the jubilee, - and the silver for which he was sold shall be by the number of years, according to the days of a hired servant, shall he be with him. If there is yet a multitude of years, according to them, shall he return, as his redemption price, of the silver of him that bought him. Or, if there is but a small remainder of years, until the year of the jubilee, then shall he reckon to himself, according to the years thereof, shall he return his price of redemption. As a servant hired year by year, shall he be with him, he shall not rule over him with rigour, before thine eyes. But if he be not redeemed in any of these ways, then shall he go out in the jubilee year, he, and his sons with him. For, unto me, are the sons of Israel, bondmen, my bondmen, they are, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt. I, Yahweh, am your God.
When thy brother a Hebrew man (or a Hebrew woman) selleth himself unto thee, then shall he serve thee six years, - and in the seventh year, shalt thou let him go out free from thee; and when thou lettest him go out free, from thee, thou shalt not let him go out empty: read more. thou shalt, richly load, him out of thy flock, and out of thy threshing-floor and out of thy wine-vat, - of that wherewith Yahweh thy God hath blessed thee, shalt thou give unto him; and thou shalt remember that a servant, thou wast in the land of Egypt, and that Yahweh thy God, redeemed thee, - for this cause, am I commanding thee this thing, to-day. And it shall be, if he shall say unto thee, I will not go away from thee, - because he loveth thee, and thy household, because he is well off with thee, then shalt thou take an awl and thrust it through his ear unto the door, so shall he be thy servant all his life. And unto thine handmaid also, shalt thou do thus. It shall not be hard in thine eyes when thou lettest him go out free, from thee; for to the double of the hire of a hireling, hath he served thee six years, - -so will Yahweh thy God bless thee, in all that thou doest.
But, Paul, said unto them - Beating us, in public, uncondemned, men that are Romans, they thrust us into prison; - and, now, by stealth, are they thrusting us forth? Nay, verily! but let them come, themselves, and lead us out! And the constables reported unto the magistrates these words; and they were struck with fear, when they heard that they were, Romans; read more. and came, and besought them, and, leading them out, went on to request them to depart from the city.
And Paul said - I, indeed, am a Jew, of Tarsus in Cilicia, - a citizen, of no obscure city; but I beseech thee, give me leave to speak unto the people!
But, when they had stretched him out with straps, Paul said unto the by-standing centurion - A Roman, and uncondemned, is it allowed you to be scourging?
And the captain answered - I, for a large sum, this citizenship acquired! And, Paul, said - But, I, am even, free- born!
If then, on the one hand, I am doing wrong, and, anything worthy of death, have committed, I excuse not myself from dying; but, on the other hand, if there is, nothing, in the things whereof these are accusing me, no man, hath power to give, me, unto them as a favour: - Unto Caesar, I appeal! Then Festus, having conversed with the council, answered - Unto Caesar, hast thou appealed? Unto Caesar, shalt thou go.