Does the Bible condone slavery?
The Old Testament (Torah) was given to the Jewish people by God on Mount Sinai after their release from bondage in Egypt. This is marked by Jews as the holiday of Shavuot. This is the first instance of an anti-slavery sentiment in Judeo-Christian thought.[1]
The first ever instance of freeing a nation from bondage was that of God's freeing the Israelites from slavery with the 10 Plagues. This sets an important precedent contextually for the Bible. The simple precedent of God freeing a nation from bondage lends credence to the belief that God is against slavery.
Contextually, it is important to note that the Torah was received from God directly after freedom from bondage, as it contains that said instance of the dismantling of slavery from the Nation of Israel. This attitude towards freedom and slavery is carried over into theological thought of Biblical scholars.
Maimonides, also known as Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, was a Biblical commentator who wrote the Avadim, which contains instructions on how to treat slaves and servants. [Avadim 9:1-9:8] This commentary's branch of thought is notable for its condoning of what we think of as chattel slavery. Among the list of things stated, he mentions: granting bills of releases (6), compulsion to feed the slaves of others who have been mistreated and the requirement to provide opportunities for slaves to eat (7), compulsion to not give physical distress to slaves through intense labor and the feeding of a slave as if he was a member of your family (8), and not cursing or lashing out at a slave (8).
The Psalms also record anti-Chattel beliefs, saying "Behold, as the eyes of slaves to the hand of their masters, as the eyes of a handmaid to the hand of her mistress, so are our eyes to the Lord our God, until He favors us.", meaning that it is against the denigration of slaves [Psalms 123:2].