I have not run across the word for "Slave" in the Hebrew texts. Look at the text below, the bottom three words on the left, and you will see for yourself. That is another point that gets missed in translation. Even though we call people who are forced to serve slaves, the the word doesn't appear in Hebrew as far as I am aware.
That's fascinating. I always thought the Hebrew word "Obed" meant slave, but it really does mean "worker", or "employee", sometimes translated as "servant" depending on the context. A more accurate term might be "Bond-Servant", meaning a covenant has been made where a person works to pay off a debt, but they still receive wages in the form of food, clothing, shelter. The more generous the master, the better the wages were, but servitude is still required or "bonded" for a proscribed time. (Not much different than people today who work for a living wage and never leave no matter any mistreatment.)
Apparently (at some point) the food provided by the Egyptians was very nice and abundant, as the Israelite later groan about eating apportioned manna (angel's food), when they once had a variety of free and unlimited food in Egypt. I wonder if at the beginning of their "servitude" in Egypt, it was a very good deal, like a black friday special or something. All you can eat, abusive servitude for life, sign here!
We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. Numbers 11:5
Shopping spree at the grocery store!
we sat by the flesh-pots, when we did eat bread to the full; Exodus 16:3
Unlimited fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks and onions and garlic would be very expensive today. Like a mouse excited about free cheese, perhaps we should be careful not to take the bait.
He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. Deuteronomy 8:3
"ma" means what and "na" means now (or sometimes please). I would translate it "what now?" or "what's this now?" or even "Wow, what's this new stuff?" Another expample of usage is "Shalom. Ma shlomcha (shlomech - for women), meaning "Hello. How are you?" or more literally, "Hello (peace). What is the state of your well being?"
Throughout history, people have been enslaved by a tactic called "bread and circuses" where they distract us and then, while you are celebrating all the cool free stuff you are getting, they do something tricky behind the scenes and pow, your freedom is gone. We must be careful of what we take from the government. It is somewhat like telling kids not to take candy from strangers. It is really that simple. Thanks for stopping in again. I really like your well thought out comments.