Leviticus 25:43

Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour; but shalt fear thy God.

Cross-references

Leviticus 25:53 applies the same prohibition against ruthless rule to a Hebrew serving a foreign resident.

Leviticus 25:46 clarifies that ruthless rule is forbidden only over fellow Israelites, not over foreign slaves.

Leviticus 25:17 gives the broader command not to wrong one another and fear God, which the specific rule in verse 43 applies to masters.

Colossians 4:1 instructs masters to treat bondservants justly, knowing they have a Master in heaven, mirroring Leviticus 25:43.

Ephesians 6:9 commands masters to stop threatening, acknowledging a heavenly Master — a direct NT parallel to Leviticus 25:43's principle.

Malachi 3:5 Parallel

Malachi 3:5 condemns oppressing workers and not fearing God — a direct parallel to the prohibition here against ruling ruthlessly and the command to fear God.

Isaiah 58:3 Contrast

Isaiah 58:3 rebukes those who oppress workers while fasting, aligning with Leviticus 25:43's command not to rule harshly.

Isaiah 47:6 Contrast

Isaiah 47:6 condemns Babylon for showing no mercy to God's people, echoing the prohibition of harsh rule in Leviticus 25:43.

Exodus 5:14 Historical context

Exodus 5:14 depicts the beating of Israelite foremen, a concrete example of the harsh rule prohibited in Leviticus 25:43.

Exodus 3:9 Historical context

Exodus 3:9 emphasizes God hearing the cry of the oppressed, reinforcing why harsh rule is forbidden in Leviticus 25:43.

Exodus 3:7 Historical context

Exodus 3:7 reveals God's awareness of the affliction of His people, the harshness that Leviticus 25:43 forbids.

Exodus 2:23 Historical context

Exodus 2:23 shows the Israelites groaning under ruthless rule — the suffering that the prohibition aims to prevent.

Exodus 1:17 Parallel

Exodus 1:17 shows midwives fearing God and disobeying Pharaoh's harsh command, directly illustrating the 'fear God' in Leviticus 25:43.

Exodus 1:13 Contrast

Exodus 1:13 records the Egyptians ruling ruthlessly over Israel — the very behavior Leviticus forbids.

Job 31:13 Parallel

Job 31:13 demonstrates a righteous man's concern for his servants' rights — a positive example of not ruling ruthlessly as commanded here.

Exodus 1:21 Related theme

Exodus 1:21 shows God blessing the midwives because they feared Him, reinforcing the motivation behind Leviticus 25:43's command to fear God.

Genesis 42:18 Related theme

Genesis 42:18 shows Joseph claiming to fear God in his dealings — a positive example consistent with the command here to fear God when ruling.