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How did the treatment of Hebrew slaves differ from the treatment of foreign slaves in ancient Hebrew law?

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Marble bust of Pythagoras, the ancient Greek mathematician and philosopher, showing a bearded man with a head covering and calm expression. — History of ethics Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras, portrait bust.

In ancient Hebrew law, the treatment of slaves was distinguished by the status of the individual, specifically whether they were a fellow Hebrew or a foreigner. While Hebraic law did not differentiate between patricians and commoners—unlike the Babylonian Code of Hammurabi—it explicitly stipulated that foreigners could be treated in ways that were not permissible for fellow Hebrews.1

A primary legal distinction was the requirement for manumission: Hebrew slaves were required to be freed without ransom in the seventh year, a protection not extended to foreign slaves.1

Despite these differences, ancient Hebrew law also incorporated a broader, humane concern for the vulnerable, which applied to various groups. This moral framework included requirements such as:
* Allowing slaves to rest on the seventh day.1
* Promptly paying hired servants to meet their pressing needs.1
* Protecting widows, orphans, and the blind or deaf from being wronged.1
* Providing loans to the poor.1

This ethical approach was rooted in the principle of reciprocity, famously summarized by the injunction to "love thy neighbour as thyself," which reflected a commitment to treating others with kindness and justice.1