Exodus 21:20

Smite his servant. In ancient times a slave was considered the absolute property of his master, and might be mistreated, abused, or even killed without legal interference. In Rome a master could deal with his servant as he pleased, selling, punishing, or slaying him. The laws of Moses, however, greatly improved the condition of native slaves and granted them certain legal rights. Although the discipline of slaves at times called for smiting them, God required that it be inflicted within reason. A “maid” would ordinarily be chastised by her mistress, or by a higher servant under the authority of the mistress. Criminals in the East have often been put to death by the bastinado. Beating with rods might prove fatal to some because of a particularly sensitive nervous system. Inasmuch as the master had paid a sum of money for the slave, if the slave lived a day or two after the beating, the owner was not held for punishment.