Ecclesiastes 2:7

     7 I bought male and female slaves
        and had other slaves who were born in my house.
       I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. (NIV)

The Hebrew words here are ‘ebed (male slave, or simply slave) and shiphchah, "female slave." Solomon also says that other slaves were born in his house, a fair translation of the Hebrew phrase "and there were sons of the house for me," meaning that some of his slaves were not captured, bought or given, but born into slavery under his roof. I want it to be clear that Solomon isn't using terms that could be misunderstood, as if he is misquoted while talking about paid employees. Solomon was a slaveholder, and a slave owner. He also mentions vast herds and flocks because Solomon had to feed his thousand wives and his many, many slaves.

What does the Bible say about slavery? God acknowledges that slavery exists; he does not command it, but he does regulate the rights of slaves in the Law of Moses. When that law was given on Mount Sinai, God's people had only just been freed from slavery in Egypt a few months before. Abraham moved in a culture of slavery (Genesis 20:17) and himself owned one slave, who was freed when she became his concubine (Genesis 21:10). Some of King David's subjects were slave owners (2 Samuel 6:20).

In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul makes a specific point to slaves who become Christians that their new faith does not necessarily mean that they can demand their freedom (1 Corinthians 7:21), "although," he adds, "if you can gain your freedom, do so." It is sometimes argued that Jesus or Paul should have condemned slavery. But Christianity doesn't change governments or regulate nations. It changes hearts and in fact make all of us willing servants (the New Testament writers even said "slaves") of Christ. The point of the Bible is not to make the world a better place. The point is to bring us to faith so that we trust in our saving God with the ultimate goal of eternal life in heaven.