24:7 stealing . . . his brothers. The chief purpose of kidnapping was the enslavement of others for profit. To sell fellow Israelites into slavery in other countries was forbidden on pain of death, probably because such slaves were cut off from the life of the covenant community (itself a form of “death,” Ex. 12:19 and Lev. 7:20 notes). Indentured slavery was allowed within Israel, but was tempered in several important ways (15:12 note). Paul condemns slave traders (“enslavers”) together with other violators of the Ten Commandments (1 Tim. 1:10).