Exodus 21 Study Notes
General
If one man injured another in a quarrel and the injured man recovered, what did the attacker owe him (21:18-19)?
Answer: Payment for the work time he lost and the cost of making sure he was fully healed
If two men fought and one hit his opponent with a rock or his fist, and the injured man did not die but had to stay in bed, the attacker was not put to death, provided the injured man eventually got up and walked about outdoors leaning on a staff (21:18-19). But the attacker was not simply let off: he had to pay for the time the injured man lost from work and make sure he was completely healed. The law required that people repair the harm they caused (Numbers 5:6-7). Paul sums up the spirit behind laws like this: love does no harm to its neighbor (Romans 13:10).
- Exodus 21:18-19 (BSB)“If men are quarreling and one strikes the other with a stone or a fist, and he does not die but is confined to bed, then the one who struck him shall go unpunished, as long as the other can get up and walk around outside with his staff. Nevertheless, he must compensate the man for his lost work and see that he is completely healed.”If a man injured in a quarrel survives and recovers, the one who struck him must pay for his lost time and see him fully healed.
- Numbers 5:6-7 (BSB)““Tell the Israelites that when a man or woman acts unfaithfully against the LORD by committing any sin against another, that person is guilty and must confess the sin he has committed. He must make full restitution, add a fifth to its value, and give all this to the one he has wronged.”A person who wrongs another must confess and make full restitution to the one wronged.
- Romans 13:10 (BSB)“Love does no wrong to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”Love does no wrong to a neighbor and so fulfills the law.
Theological
What obligation does 21:18-19 lay on one who injures another in a quarrel when the victim recovers?
Answer: Compensation for lost time and provision for full healing
Where a quarrel leaves the victim bedridden but not dead, and he afterward walks abroad with his staff, the assailant is exempt from capital liability but must compensate him for lost time and ensure his thorough healing (21:18-19). The principle is restitution proportioned to the harm done, consistent with the law's broader requirement to make amends to the one wronged (Numbers 5:6-7), and it expresses the love that harms no neighbor (Romans 13:10).
- Exodus 21:18-19 (BSB)“If men are quarreling and one strikes the other with a stone or a fist, and he does not die but is confined to bed, then the one who struck him shall go unpunished, as long as the other can get up and walk around outside with his staff. Nevertheless, he must compensate the man for his lost work and see that he is completely healed.”If a man injured in a quarrel survives and recovers, the one who struck him must pay for his lost time and see him fully healed.
- Numbers 5:6-7 (BSB)““Tell the Israelites that when a man or woman acts unfaithfully against the LORD by committing any sin against another, that person is guilty and must confess the sin he has committed. He must make full restitution, add a fifth to its value, and give all this to the one he has wronged.”A person who wrongs another must confess and make full restitution to the one wronged.
- Romans 13:10 (BSB)“Love does no wrong to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”Love does no wrong to a neighbor and so fulfills the law.
General
What is the main principle behind life for life and eye for eye in 21:23-25?
Answer: The penalty given by the judges must match the harm done, and not go beyond it
When serious injury resulted, the law required a penalty matching the injury, such as an eye for an eye (21:23-25; compare Leviticus 24:19-20). This principle, sometimes called the law of retaliation, was a rule for judges, not permission for private revenge; the court is named in the very case that introduces it (21:22). Its purpose was to make punishment fair and to set a limit: the penalty must fit the harm and must not go beyond it. Jesus later warned against using this rule to justify personal revenge (Matthew 5:38-39). Paul likewise tells believers not to take revenge themselves (Romans 12:19), while recognizing that God has given governing authorities the task of punishing wrongdoing (Romans 13:4).
- Exodus 21:23-25 (BSB)“But if a serious injury results, then you must require a life for a life— eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, and stripe for stripe.”The penalty for serious injury is to correspond to the harm: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, and so on.
- Leviticus 24:19-20 (BSB)“If anyone injures his neighbor, whatever he has done must be done to him: fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. Just as he injured the other person, the same must be inflicted on him.”Restates the principle that the penalty must match the injury inflicted.
- Matthew 5:38-39 (BSB)“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also;”Jesus forbids His followers to use this principle as a license for personal revenge.
- Romans 12:19 (BSB)“Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.””Believers must not avenge themselves but leave vengeance to God.
- Romans 13:4 (BSB)“For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not carry the sword in vain. He is God’s servant, an agent of retribution to the wrongdoer.”God appoints governing authority to punish wrongdoers, the proper place for judicial penalties.
Theological
What principle does lex talionis in 21:23-25 establish?
Answer: Judicial penalty proportioned to the injury, neither less nor more
The talion formula (21:23-25; Leviticus 24:19-20) establishes proportionate justice: the penalty corresponds to the injury and may not exceed it. It operates within a judicial setting, as the court's role in 21:22 shows, and functions as a limit on punishment rather than a license for vendetta. Christ forbids His disciples to turn it into a warrant for personal retaliation (Matthew 5:38-39), and Paul both prohibits private vengeance (Romans 12:19) and assigns the punishment of wrongdoers to the governing authority as God's servant (Romans 13:4).
- Exodus 21:23-25 (BSB)“But if a serious injury results, then you must require a life for a life— eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, and stripe for stripe.”The penalty for serious injury is to correspond to the harm: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, and so on.
- Leviticus 24:19-20 (BSB)“If anyone injures his neighbor, whatever he has done must be done to him: fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. Just as he injured the other person, the same must be inflicted on him.”Restates the principle that the penalty must match the injury inflicted.
- Matthew 5:38-39 (BSB)“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also;”Jesus forbids His followers to use this principle as a license for personal revenge.
- Romans 12:19 (BSB)“Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.””Believers must not avenge themselves but leave vengeance to God.
- Romans 13:4 (BSB)“For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not carry the sword in vain. He is God’s servant, an agent of retribution to the wrongdoer.”God appoints governing authority to punish wrongdoers, the proper place for judicial penalties.
General
When was the owner of an ox that killed someone himself held liable (21:28-29)?
Answer: When his ox was a known gorer, he had been warned, and he still did not keep it penned up
If an ox killed a person by goring, it was stoned and its flesh could not be eaten, yet its owner bore no guilt (21:28). God had said long before that He would require an accounting for human life even from an animal (Genesis 9:5). If, however, the ox was known to gore, and the owner had been warned but did not keep it under control, then the owner was guilty and faced death too (21:29). Because he had not killed on purpose, a ransom payment could be set instead, and he could pay it to spare his life (21:30), unlike a deliberate murderer, for whom no ransom was allowed (Numbers 35:31). The same rule applied if the victim was a son or daughter (21:31). God holds people responsible for dangers they know about and ignore (Deuteronomy 22:8).
- Exodus 21:28-31 (BSB)“If an ox gores a man or woman to death, the ox must surely be stoned, and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the ox shall not be held responsible. But if the ox has a habit of goring, and its owner has been warned yet does not restrain it, and it kills a man or woman, then the ox must be stoned and its owner must also be put to death. If payment is demanded of him instead, he may redeem his life by paying the full amount demanded of him. If the ox gores a son or a daughter, it shall be done to him according to the same rule.”An ox that kills is stoned; the owner is liable only if he was warned of its habit and failed to restrain it, though a ransom may be set, and the rule covers sons and daughters too.
- Genesis 9:5 (BSB)“And surely I will require the life of any man or beast by whose hand your lifeblood is shed. I will demand an accounting from anyone who takes the life of his fellow man:”God requires an accounting for human lifeblood even from an animal.
- Deuteronomy 22:8 (BSB)“If you build a new house, you are to construct a railing around your roof, so that you do not bring bloodguilt on your house if someone falls from it.”A homeowner must build a railing on his roof so he does not bring bloodguilt on his house, the same principle of responsibility for foreseeable danger.
- Numbers 35:31 (BSB)“You are not to accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who deserves to die; he must surely be put to death.”No ransom may be taken for a deliberate murderer, which sets the negligent owner's case in 21:30 apart.
Theological
Under what conditions does 21:28-29 make an ox's owner liable for a death?
Answer: When the ox was known to gore, the owner had been warned, and he failed to confine it
A goring ox that kills is stoned and its flesh left uneaten, while an owner without prior knowledge is acquitted (21:28), reflecting God's requirement of an accounting for human lifeblood even from a beast (Genesis 9:5). Culpable negligence changes the case: if the ox was a known gorer, the owner forewarned, and the animal unconfined, the owner is liable to death (21:29), though a ransom may be imposed and paid for his life (21:30), in contrast to the deliberate murderer for whom no ransom is permitted (Numbers 35:31). The rule extends to sons and daughters (21:31). Responsibility for foreseeable danger is the principle, as in the roof-parapet law (Deuteronomy 22:8).
- Exodus 21:28-31 (BSB)“If an ox gores a man or woman to death, the ox must surely be stoned, and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the ox shall not be held responsible. But if the ox has a habit of goring, and its owner has been warned yet does not restrain it, and it kills a man or woman, then the ox must be stoned and its owner must also be put to death. If payment is demanded of him instead, he may redeem his life by paying the full amount demanded of him. If the ox gores a son or a daughter, it shall be done to him according to the same rule.”An ox that kills is stoned; the owner is liable only if he was warned of its habit and failed to restrain it, though a ransom may be set, and the rule covers sons and daughters too.
- Genesis 9:5 (BSB)“And surely I will require the life of any man or beast by whose hand your lifeblood is shed. I will demand an accounting from anyone who takes the life of his fellow man:”God requires an accounting for human lifeblood even from an animal.
- Deuteronomy 22:8 (BSB)“If you build a new house, you are to construct a railing around your roof, so that you do not bring bloodguilt on your house if someone falls from it.”A homeowner must build a railing on his roof so he does not bring bloodguilt on his house, the same principle of responsibility for foreseeable danger.
- Numbers 35:31 (BSB)“You are not to accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who deserves to die; he must surely be put to death.”No ransom may be taken for a deliberate murderer, which sets the negligent owner's case in 21:30 apart.
General
According to 21:2, how long was a Hebrew servant to serve before going free?
Answer: Six years, and in year seven he was released without paying anything
God's laws here regulated a form of servitude that already existed in the ancient world, often entered through poverty or debt. A Hebrew bought as a servant was to serve six years and then, in year seven, be released at no cost (21:2). If he came in single, he left single; if he came in married, his wife left with him (21:3). If his master had given him a wife during his service, she and their children stayed with the master (21:4), which leads into the next law about a servant who chooses to stay. Deuteronomy adds that the master must send him away with generous gifts, because the LORD had redeemed Israel from their own slavery in Egypt (Deuteronomy 15:12-15), and Leviticus forbids treating a poor fellow Israelite as a slave laborer (Leviticus 25:39-40). These laws regulated, limited, and restrained an existing practice rather than endorsing the institution of slavery.
- Exodus 21:2-4 (BSB)“If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free without paying anything. If he arrived alone, he is to leave alone; if he arrived with a wife, she is to leave with him. If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free.”A Hebrew servant serves six years and goes free in the seventh without payment; the law also addresses a wife he brought or was given.
- Deuteronomy 15:12-15 (BSB)“If a fellow Hebrew, a man or a woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you must set him free. And when you release him, do not send him away empty-handed. You are to furnish him liberally from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress. You shall give to him as the LORD your God has blessed you. Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you; that is why I am giving you this command today.”The restated law requires releasing the servant and sending him away generously, remembering Israel's own redemption from slavery.
- Leviticus 25:39-40 (BSB)“If a countryman among you becomes destitute and sells himself to you, then you must not force him into slave labor. Let him stay with you as a hired worker or temporary resident; he is to work for you until the Year of Jubilee.”An Israelite who sells himself through poverty must not be forced into slave labor but treated like a hired worker.
- Jeremiah 34:14 (BSB)“Every seventh year, each of you must free his Hebrew brother who has sold himself to you. He may serve you six years, but then you must let him go free. But your fathers did not listen or incline their ear.”Jeremiah cites the seventh-year release and rebukes Israel for failing to keep it.
Theological
What term of service does 21:2 set for a Hebrew servant?
Answer: Six years, with release in year seven without payment
These ordinances regulate an existing ancient institution, typically debt-servitude, rather than establishing it. The Hebrew servant serves six years and goes free in the seventh without paying (21:2); he leaves with the wife he brought (21:3), though a wife given by the master remains with her children in the master's household (21:4), setting up the provision of 21:5-6. Deuteronomy 15:12-15 requires a generous send-off grounded in Israel's own redemption from Egyptian bondage, and Leviticus 25:39-40 forbids imposing slave labor on an impoverished Israelite. Jeremiah 34:14 shows the release was binding and that its neglect was condemned. The law regulated, limited, and restrained an existing practice rather than endorsing the institution of slavery.
- Exodus 21:2-4 (BSB)“If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free without paying anything. If he arrived alone, he is to leave alone; if he arrived with a wife, she is to leave with him. If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free.”A Hebrew servant serves six years and goes free in the seventh without payment; the law also addresses a wife he brought or was given.
- Deuteronomy 15:12-15 (BSB)“If a fellow Hebrew, a man or a woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you must set him free. And when you release him, do not send him away empty-handed. You are to furnish him liberally from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress. You shall give to him as the LORD your God has blessed you. Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you; that is why I am giving you this command today.”The restated law requires releasing the servant and sending him away generously, remembering Israel's own redemption from slavery.
- Leviticus 25:39-40 (BSB)“If a countryman among you becomes destitute and sells himself to you, then you must not force him into slave labor. Let him stay with you as a hired worker or temporary resident; he is to work for you until the Year of Jubilee.”An Israelite who sells himself through poverty must not be forced into slave labor but treated like a hired worker.
- Jeremiah 34:14 (BSB)“Every seventh year, each of you must free his Hebrew brother who has sold himself to you. He may serve you six years, but then you must let him go free. But your fathers did not listen or incline their ear.”Jeremiah cites the seventh-year release and rebukes Israel for failing to keep it.
General
What does 21:16 say about someone who kidnaps another person?
Answer: He must be executed, whether he has already sold the person or still has him
Kidnapping, stealing a person, was a capital crime: the kidnapper was to be executed whether he had already sold his victim or was caught with the person still in his possession (21:16). Deuteronomy repeats this law (Deuteronomy 24:7), and Paul lists slave traders, people who steal human beings, among the lawbreakers God's law condemns (1 Timothy 1:10). Joseph, sold by his own brothers, later described himself as a kidnapping victim (Genesis 40:15). This law stands directly against the kind of slave trading that captured and sold people, which the Bible treats as a grave sin.
- Exodus 21:16 (BSB)“Whoever kidnaps another man must be put to death, whether he sells him or the man is found in his possession.”Kidnapping a person is a capital crime, whether the victim has been sold or is still held.
- Deuteronomy 24:7 (BSB)“If a man is caught kidnapping one of his Israelite brothers, whether he treats him as a slave or sells him, the kidnapper must die. So you must purge the evil from among you.”Repeats the death penalty for kidnapping a fellow Israelite to enslave or sell him.
- 1 Timothy 1:10 (BSB)“for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave traders and liars and perjurers, and for anyone else who is averse to sound teaching”Paul lists slave traders, literally man-stealers, among those the law condemns.
- Genesis 40:15 (BSB)“For I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing for which they should have put me in this dungeon.””Joseph describes himself as having been kidnapped from his homeland, the very crime this law condemns.
Theological
What does 21:16 prescribe for kidnapping?
Answer: Death, whether the victim has been sold or is found in the kidnapper's possession
Man-stealing is a capital crime whether the victim has already been sold or is found in the kidnapper's possession (21:16), a law restated in Deuteronomy 24:7. Paul includes slave traders, man-stealers, among those the law condemns (1 Timothy 1:10), and Joseph's own lament that he was stolen from his homeland (Genesis 40:15) illustrates the crime. The ordinance condemns outright the seizing and selling of human beings, which Scripture treats as a grave sin.
- Exodus 21:16 (BSB)“Whoever kidnaps another man must be put to death, whether he sells him or the man is found in his possession.”Kidnapping a person is a capital crime, whether the victim has been sold or is still held.
- Deuteronomy 24:7 (BSB)“If a man is caught kidnapping one of his Israelite brothers, whether he treats him as a slave or sells him, the kidnapper must die. So you must purge the evil from among you.”Repeats the death penalty for kidnapping a fellow Israelite to enslave or sell him.
- 1 Timothy 1:10 (BSB)“for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave traders and liars and perjurers, and for anyone else who is averse to sound teaching”Paul lists slave traders, literally man-stealers, among those the law condemns.
- Genesis 40:15 (BSB)“For I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing for which they should have put me in this dungeon.””Joseph describes himself as having been kidnapped from his homeland, the very crime this law condemns.
General
According to 21:20, what was to happen if a master beat his servant with a rod, causing the servant's death?
Answer: The master was to be punished
If a master struck his male or female servant with a rod, causing death, the master was to be punished (21:20). The next verse adds that if the servant got up again after one or two days, the master was not punished, and the text gives the reason: the servant was his property (21:21). This is a regulation within an existing ancient practice, and the Bible states it plainly without holding it up as an ideal. What stands out is that the law did not leave a servant's life at the master's mercy: killing a servant brought punishment, and other laws freed a servant for serious injury (21:26-27). Scripture teaches that masters answer to God, who made servant and master alike (Job 31:13-15), and the New Testament commands masters to give up threats and treat servants fairly, knowing they themselves serve a heavenly Master (Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 4:1).
- Exodus 21:20-21 (BSB)“If a man strikes his manservant or maidservant with a rod, and the servant dies by his hand, he shall surely be punished. However, if the servant gets up after a day or two, the owner shall not be punished, since the servant is his property.”A master whose beating kills a servant must be punished; if the servant survives a day or two, the master is not punished, since the servant is his property.
- Job 31:13-15 (BSB)“If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or maidservant when they made a complaint against me, what will I do when God rises to judge? How will I answer when called to account? Did not He who made me in the womb also make them? Did not the same One form us in the womb?”Job recognizes that God will judge how masters treat their servants, since the same God formed both in the womb.
- Ephesians 6:9 (BSB)“And masters, do the same for your slaves. Give up your use of threats, because you know that He who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with Him.”Masters must give up threats, since both they and their servants have the same impartial Master in heaven.
- Colossians 4:1 (BSB)“Masters, supply your slaves with what is right and fair, since you know that you also have a Master in heaven.”Masters must supply what is right and fair, knowing they too answer to a Master in heaven.
Theological
What does 21:20 require when a master's beating with a rod causes a servant's death?
Answer: The master must be punished
A master whose beating kills a servant is to be punished (21:20); if the servant is able to rise again after one or two days, the master escapes punishment, the text reasoning that the servant counts as his property (21:21). The Bible reports this regulation of an existing institution plainly rather than commending the institution. The significant point is the limit it placed on masters: a servant's life was protected by law, and grievous injury freed the servant (21:26-27). Scripture grounds such limits in the common creaturehood of master and servant and God's judgment of masters (Job 31:13-15), a principle the New Testament presses on believing masters, who answer to the same impartial Master in heaven (Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 4:1).
- Exodus 21:20-21 (BSB)“If a man strikes his manservant or maidservant with a rod, and the servant dies by his hand, he shall surely be punished. However, if the servant gets up after a day or two, the owner shall not be punished, since the servant is his property.”A master whose beating kills a servant must be punished; if the servant survives a day or two, the master is not punished, since the servant is his property.
- Job 31:13-15 (BSB)“If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or maidservant when they made a complaint against me, what will I do when God rises to judge? How will I answer when called to account? Did not He who made me in the womb also make them? Did not the same One form us in the womb?”Job recognizes that God will judge how masters treat their servants, since the same God formed both in the womb.
- Ephesians 6:9 (BSB)“And masters, do the same for your slaves. Give up your use of threats, because you know that He who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with Him.”Masters must give up threats, since both they and their servants have the same impartial Master in heaven.
- Colossians 4:1 (BSB)“Masters, supply your slaves with what is right and fair, since you know that you also have a Master in heaven.”Masters must supply what is right and fair, knowing they too answer to a Master in heaven.
General
What did God provide for someone who killed another person without planning to, as in 21:13?
Answer: A place God would appoint where he could flee for safety
Anyone who struck and killed a man was to face the death penalty (21:12), because human beings are made in God's image (Genesis 9:6). But the law distinguished between murder and a killing that was not planned. If the killer had not lain in wait, and God allowed the death to happen through him, God would appoint a place of refuge for him (21:13). This was later fulfilled in the cities of refuge, which protected the unintentional killer from revenge until his case was judged (Numbers 35:11-12). Deuteronomy gives an example: an axe head flying off its handle and killing a neighbor (Deuteronomy 19:4-5). God's law weighs not only the act but the intention behind it.
- Exodus 21:12-13 (BSB)“Whoever strikes and kills a man must surely be put to death. If, however, he did not lie in wait, but God allowed it to happen, then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee.”Deliberate killing carries the death penalty, but for a killing that was not planned, God will appoint a place of refuge.
- Genesis 9:6 (BSB)“Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man his blood will be shed; for in His own image God has made mankind.”Grounds the penalty for shedding human blood in mankind's creation in God's image.
- Numbers 35:11-12 (BSB)“designate cities to serve as your cities of refuge, so that a person who kills someone unintentionally may flee there. You are to have these cities as a refuge from the avenger, so that the manslayer will not die until he stands trial before the assembly.”The cities of refuge protected an unintentional killer from the avenger until he stood trial.
- Deuteronomy 19:4-5 (BSB)“Now this is the situation regarding the manslayer who flees to one of these cities to save his life, having killed his neighbor accidentally, without intending to harm him: If he goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut timber and swings his axe to chop down a tree, but the blade flies off the handle and strikes and kills his neighbor, he may flee to one of these cities to save his life.”Gives an example of an accidental killing, a flying axe head, for which the cities of refuge were provided.
Theological
What provision does 21:13 make for an unpremeditated killing?
Answer: God will appoint a place to which the killer may flee
Homicide incurs the death penalty (21:12), grounded in the image of God (Genesis 9:6). Yet the law distinguishes intent: if the killer had not ambushed his victim but God brought the death about through his hand, God will appoint a place of refuge (21:13), realized in the cities of refuge that shielded the manslayer from the avenger pending trial (Numbers 35:11-12; Deuteronomy 19:4-5). The phrasing attributes even an accident to God's providence without excusing deliberate crime, and the law's justice attends to the heart's intent, not the outward act alone.
- Exodus 21:12-13 (BSB)“Whoever strikes and kills a man must surely be put to death. If, however, he did not lie in wait, but God allowed it to happen, then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee.”Deliberate killing carries the death penalty, but for a killing that was not planned, God will appoint a place of refuge.
- Genesis 9:6 (BSB)“Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man his blood will be shed; for in His own image God has made mankind.”Grounds the penalty for shedding human blood in mankind's creation in God's image.
- Numbers 35:11-12 (BSB)“designate cities to serve as your cities of refuge, so that a person who kills someone unintentionally may flee there. You are to have these cities as a refuge from the avenger, so that the manslayer will not die until he stands trial before the assembly.”The cities of refuge protected an unintentional killer from the avenger until he stood trial.
- Deuteronomy 19:4-5 (BSB)“Now this is the situation regarding the manslayer who flees to one of these cities to save his life, having killed his neighbor accidentally, without intending to harm him: If he goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut timber and swings his axe to chop down a tree, but the blade flies off the handle and strikes and kills his neighbor, he may flee to one of these cities to save his life.”Gives an example of an accidental killing, a flying axe head, for which the cities of refuge were provided.
General
True or False: According to 21:14, a person who deliberately planned and carried out a killing could find permanent safety by holding on to God's altar.
Answer: False
This is false. God says that if someone plotted against his neighbor and killed him on purpose, he was to be taken away even from God's altar and executed (21:14). The altar was not a hiding place for murderers. Scripture shows this law being applied when Joab, who had shed innocent blood, clung to the altar's horns and was still put to death at Solomon's command (1 Kings 2:28-31). Likewise, a murderer who fled to a city of refuge was to be handed over (Deuteronomy 19:11-12), and no payment could buy off his penalty (Numbers 35:31). Religious places could not be used to escape justice for deliberate murder.
- Exodus 21:14 (BSB)“But if a man schemes and acts willfully against his neighbor to kill him, you must take him away from My altar to be put to death.”A man who kills his neighbor by scheming is to be taken even from God's altar to be executed.
- 1 Kings 2:28-31 (BSB)“When the news reached Joab, who had conspired with Adonijah but not with Absalom, he fled to the tent of the LORD and took hold of the horns of the altar. It was reported to King Solomon: “Joab has fled to the tent of the LORD and is now beside the altar.” So Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying, “Go, strike him down!” And Benaiah entered the tent of the LORD and said to Joab, “The king says, ‘Come out!’” But Joab replied, “No, I will die here.” So Benaiah relayed the message to the king, saying, “This is how Joab answered me.” And the king replied, “Do just as he says. Strike him down and bury him, and so remove from me and from the house of my father the innocent blood that Joab shed.”Joab clung to the altar after shedding innocent blood, yet Solomon ordered him struck down.
- Deuteronomy 19:11-12 (BSB)“If, however, a man hates his neighbor and lies in wait, attacks him and kills him, and then flees to one of these cities, the elders of his city must send for him, bring him back, and hand him over to the avenger of blood to die.”A murderer who lay in wait and fled to a city of refuge was to be handed over for execution.
- Numbers 35:31 (BSB)“You are not to accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who deserves to die; he must surely be put to death.”No ransom may be accepted for the life of a murderer who deserves to die.
Theological
True or False: Exodus 21:14 allows a premeditated murderer to secure lasting asylum by taking hold of God's altar.
Answer: False
This is false. The one who acts presumptuously to kill his neighbor by guile is to be taken even from God's altar for execution (21:14). The sanctuary cannot be made a refuge for willful bloodshed, a principle enforced when Joab, having shed innocent blood, was ordered struck down where he clung to the altar (1 Kings 2:28-31). The cities of refuge likewise gave no protection to one who lay in wait (Deuteronomy 19:11-12), and no ransom could be accepted for a murderer's life (Numbers 35:31).
- Exodus 21:14 (BSB)“But if a man schemes and acts willfully against his neighbor to kill him, you must take him away from My altar to be put to death.”A man who kills his neighbor by scheming is to be taken even from God's altar to be executed.
- 1 Kings 2:28-31 (BSB)“When the news reached Joab, who had conspired with Adonijah but not with Absalom, he fled to the tent of the LORD and took hold of the horns of the altar. It was reported to King Solomon: “Joab has fled to the tent of the LORD and is now beside the altar.” So Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying, “Go, strike him down!” And Benaiah entered the tent of the LORD and said to Joab, “The king says, ‘Come out!’” But Joab replied, “No, I will die here.” So Benaiah relayed the message to the king, saying, “This is how Joab answered me.” And the king replied, “Do just as he says. Strike him down and bury him, and so remove from me and from the house of my father the innocent blood that Joab shed.”Joab clung to the altar after shedding innocent blood, yet Solomon ordered him struck down.
- Deuteronomy 19:11-12 (BSB)“If, however, a man hates his neighbor and lies in wait, attacks him and kills him, and then flees to one of these cities, the elders of his city must send for him, bring him back, and hand him over to the avenger of blood to die.”A murderer who lay in wait and fled to a city of refuge was to be handed over for execution.
- Numbers 35:31 (BSB)“You are not to accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who deserves to die; he must surely be put to death.”No ransom may be accepted for the life of a murderer who deserves to die.
General
What did the law require of a man whose uncovered pit caused a neighbor's ox or donkey to fall in and die (21:33-34)?
Answer: He had to pay the animal's owner and keep the carcass
If a man opened or dug a pit and left it uncovered, and someone's ox or donkey fell in, the man who dug the pit had to pay the animal's owner, and he kept the carcass (21:33-34). If one man's ox injured a neighbor's ox, killing it, the two owners sold the live ox and split both the money and the carcass (21:35). But if the owner knew his ox was a gorer and did not keep it in, he had to pay in full, a live ox to replace the dead one, and keep the carcass (21:36). These laws teach that people are responsible for dangers they create and for harm they could have prevented (Deuteronomy 22:8). They put into practice looking out for others' interests (Philippians 2:4) and the love that harms no neighbor (Romans 13:10).
- Exodus 21:33-36 (BSB)“If a man opens or digs a pit and fails to cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, the owner of the pit shall make restitution; he must pay its owner, and the dead animal will be his. If a man’s ox injures his neighbor’s ox and it dies, they must sell the live one and divide the proceeds; they also must divide the dead animal. But if it was known that the ox had a habit of goring, yet its owner failed to restrain it, he shall pay full compensation, ox for ox, and the dead animal will be his.”Laws on an uncovered pit that kills an animal and on one ox killing another, with fuller liability when the owner knew of the danger.
- Deuteronomy 22:8 (BSB)“If you build a new house, you are to construct a railing around your roof, so that you do not bring bloodguilt on your house if someone falls from it.”Requires a roof railing to prevent a fall, applying the same duty to guard against foreseeable harm to others.
- Philippians 2:4 (BSB)“Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”Calls believers to look to the interests of others, not only their own.
- Romans 13:10 (BSB)“Love does no wrong to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”Love does no wrong to its neighbor, the principle behind these laws of restitution.
Theological
What does 21:33-34 require of one whose uncovered pit causes a neighbor's animal to die?
Answer: Restitution to the animal's owner, with the carcass becoming his
The owner of an uncovered pit into which an ox or donkey falls makes restitution to the animal's owner and takes the carcass (21:33-34). When one ox kills another, the owners sell the living ox and divide the price and the carcass (21:35), but if the goring habit was known and unrestrained, the negligent owner pays full compensation, a live ox for the dead one, keeping the carcass (21:36). The laws assign liability according to foreseeable harm (Deuteronomy 22:8) and give concrete shape to regard for the neighbor's interests (Philippians 2:4) and to the love that works no ill to a neighbor (Romans 13:10).
- Exodus 21:33-36 (BSB)“If a man opens or digs a pit and fails to cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, the owner of the pit shall make restitution; he must pay its owner, and the dead animal will be his. If a man’s ox injures his neighbor’s ox and it dies, they must sell the live one and divide the proceeds; they also must divide the dead animal. But if it was known that the ox had a habit of goring, yet its owner failed to restrain it, he shall pay full compensation, ox for ox, and the dead animal will be his.”Laws on an uncovered pit that kills an animal and on one ox killing another, with fuller liability when the owner knew of the danger.
- Deuteronomy 22:8 (BSB)“If you build a new house, you are to construct a railing around your roof, so that you do not bring bloodguilt on your house if someone falls from it.”Requires a roof railing to prevent a fall, applying the same duty to guard against foreseeable harm to others.
- Philippians 2:4 (BSB)“Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”Calls believers to look to the interests of others, not only their own.
- Romans 13:10 (BSB)“Love does no wrong to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”Love does no wrong to its neighbor, the principle behind these laws of restitution.
General
How does God introduce the laws that begin in Exodus 21:1?
Answer: As ordinances Moses was to present to the people
After the Ten Commandments and the altar laws, God tells Moses that what follows are ordinances he is to lay before the people (21:1). These are case laws: rules for real situations in Israel's life, such as servants, violence, injuries, and livestock, applying the Ten Commandments to the life of the nation. Moses later reported all the LORD's words and ordinances to the people, who promised to obey them (24:3). Scripture presents these laws as a gift that set Israel apart from every other nation (Deuteronomy 4:8; Psalm 147:19-20). Many Reformed Christians, following confessions such as the Westminster Confession (chapter 19), have distinguished the moral law summarized in the Ten Commandments from Israel's civil laws, which were given to Israel as a nation, while holding that the fairness and justice they express still teach God's people today.
- Exodus 21:1 (BSB)““These are the ordinances that you are to set before them:”God introduces the case laws that follow as ordinances Moses is to set before the people.
- Exodus 24:3 (BSB)“When Moses came and told the people all the words and ordinances of the LORD, they all responded with one voice: “All the words that the LORD has spoken, we will do.””Moses later recounts to the people all the LORD's words and ordinances, and they pledge to keep them.
- Deuteronomy 4:8 (BSB)“And what nation is great enough to have righteous statutes and ordinances like this entire law I set before you today?”Moses asks what other nation has statutes and ordinances as righteous as the law God gave Israel.
- Psalm 147:19-20 (BSB)“He declares His word to Jacob, His statutes and judgments to Israel. He has done this for no other nation; they do not know His judgments. Hallelujah!”The psalmist says God gave His statutes and judgments to Israel as He did for no other nation.
Theological
How are the case laws beginning in 21:1 designated?
Answer: As ordinances (mishpatim) that Moses is to set before Israel
The section opens by naming its contents: ordinances (mishpatim) that Moses is to set before the people (21:1). These case laws apply the Decalogue to Israel's civil life, addressing servitude, homicide, injury, and property, and they form part of the covenant the people ratify (24:3). Scripture celebrates them as righteous and as a distinctive gift to Israel among the nations (Deuteronomy 4:8; Psalm 147:19-20). The Reformed tradition, as in the Westminster Confession (chapter 19), has historically distinguished the moral law summarized in the Decalogue from the judicial laws given to Israel as a body politic, which it holds expired with that state while their general equity continues to instruct.
- Exodus 21:1 (BSB)““These are the ordinances that you are to set before them:”God introduces the case laws that follow as ordinances Moses is to set before the people.
- Exodus 24:3 (BSB)“When Moses came and told the people all the words and ordinances of the LORD, they all responded with one voice: “All the words that the LORD has spoken, we will do.””Moses later recounts to the people all the LORD's words and ordinances, and they pledge to keep them.
- Deuteronomy 4:8 (BSB)“And what nation is great enough to have righteous statutes and ordinances like this entire law I set before you today?”Moses asks what other nation has statutes and ordinances as righteous as the law God gave Israel.
- Psalm 147:19-20 (BSB)“He declares His word to Jacob, His statutes and judgments to Israel. He has done this for no other nation; they do not know His judgments. Hallelujah!”The psalmist says God gave His statutes and judgments to Israel as He did for no other nation.
General
Which of the following was a protection the law gave to a daughter sold as a servant (21:7-11)?
Answer: If her master took another wife, he could not reduce her food, clothing, and marital rights, or else she went free without payment
A daughter sold as a servant was not released after six years like male servants (21:7), because her case was tied to marriage within the household. But the law gave her real protections. If the master who intended her for himself was displeased with her, he had to let her be bought back, and he was forbidden to sell her off to a foreign people, because he had dealt unfaithfully with her (21:8). If he chose her as a wife for his son, she was to be treated as a daughter (21:9). If he took another wife, he could not cut back her food, clothing, and marital rights (21:10), and if he failed to provide these, she could leave free at no cost (21:11). These rules restrained the powerful within an existing practice, and God holds those with power over others accountable for how they treat them (Job 31:13-15; Colossians 4:1).
- Exodus 21:7-11 (BSB)“And if a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as the menservants do. If she is displeasing in the eyes of her master who had designated her for himself, he must allow her to be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, since he has broken faith with her. And if he chooses her for his son, he must deal with her as with a daughter. If he takes another wife, he must not reduce the food, clothing, or marital rights of his first wife. If, however, he does not provide her with these three things, she is free to go without monetary payment.”Laws protecting a daughter sold as a servant: redemption, no sale to foreigners, treatment as a daughter, and undiminished food, clothing, and marital rights, or else freedom.
- Job 31:13-15 (BSB)“If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or maidservant when they made a complaint against me, what will I do when God rises to judge? How will I answer when called to account? Did not He who made me in the womb also make them? Did not the same One form us in the womb?”Job recognizes that God will call masters to account for how they treat servants, since the same God made both.
- Colossians 4:1 (BSB)“Masters, supply your slaves with what is right and fair, since you know that you also have a Master in heaven.”Masters must give servants what is right and fair, knowing they have a Master in heaven.
Theological
Which safeguard does 21:7-11 provide for a daughter sold into servitude?
Answer: If her master takes another wife, her food, clothing, and marital rights may not be diminished, or she goes free without payment
The daughter sold as a servant does not go out as the male servants do (21:7), since her status is bound up with marriage in the household, but the ordinance surrounds her with protections. A master who marked her out for himself and is displeased must permit her redemption and may not sell her off to foreigners, having dealt faithlessly with her (21:8); if designated for his son, she has a daughter's rights (21:9); if he marries another, her food, clothing, and marital rights may not be diminished (21:10), and failure in these three frees her without payment (21:11). The law restrains the powerful in an existing practice and holds them accountable before God (Job 31:13-15; Colossians 4:1).
- Exodus 21:7-11 (BSB)“And if a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as the menservants do. If she is displeasing in the eyes of her master who had designated her for himself, he must allow her to be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, since he has broken faith with her. And if he chooses her for his son, he must deal with her as with a daughter. If he takes another wife, he must not reduce the food, clothing, or marital rights of his first wife. If, however, he does not provide her with these three things, she is free to go without monetary payment.”Laws protecting a daughter sold as a servant: redemption, no sale to foreigners, treatment as a daughter, and undiminished food, clothing, and marital rights, or else freedom.
- Job 31:13-15 (BSB)“If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or maidservant when they made a complaint against me, what will I do when God rises to judge? How will I answer when called to account? Did not He who made me in the womb also make them? Did not the same One form us in the womb?”Job recognizes that God will call masters to account for how they treat servants, since the same God made both.
- Colossians 4:1 (BSB)“Masters, supply your slaves with what is right and fair, since you know that you also have a Master in heaven.”Masters must give servants what is right and fair, knowing they have a Master in heaven.
General
True or False: Under 21:26-27, a master who knocked out a servant's tooth had to set the servant free.
Answer: True
This is true. If a master struck a male or female servant and destroyed an eye, he had to release the servant to make up for the lost eye (21:26). Even for knocking out a tooth, the servant went free (21:27). This law put a real check on masters: harming a servant could cost the master the servant altogether. It shows that a servant was a person under God's protection, not just a possession (Job 31:13-15). Israel was even forbidden to send an escaped slave back to his master (Deuteronomy 23:15-16).
- Exodus 21:26-27 (BSB)“If a man strikes and blinds the eye of his manservant or maidservant, he must let the servant go free as compensation for the eye. And if he knocks out the tooth of his manservant or maidservant, he must let the servant go free as compensation for the tooth.”A master who destroys a servant's eye or knocks out a tooth must let the servant go free in compensation.
- Job 31:13-15 (BSB)“If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or maidservant when they made a complaint against me, what will I do when God rises to judge? How will I answer when called to account? Did not He who made me in the womb also make them? Did not the same One form us in the womb?”The same God who made the master made the servant and will judge how the servant is treated.
- Deuteronomy 23:15-16 (BSB)“Do not return a slave to his master if he has taken refuge with you. Let him live among you wherever he chooses, in the town of his pleasing. Do not oppress him.”An escaped slave who took refuge in Israel was not to be returned or oppressed.
Theological
True or False: Exodus 21:27 requires a master who knocks out a servant's tooth to release the servant.
Answer: True
This is true. Destroying a servant's eye (21:26) or even knocking out a tooth (21:27) obliged the master to free the servant as compensation. The ordinance treats the servant as a person with bodily rights protected by law, restraining the master's power within an existing institution, consistent with Job's recognition that master and servant share one Maker and one Judge (Job 31:13-15) and with Israel's duty not to return an escaped slave (Deuteronomy 23:15-16).
- Exodus 21:26-27 (BSB)“If a man strikes and blinds the eye of his manservant or maidservant, he must let the servant go free as compensation for the eye. And if he knocks out the tooth of his manservant or maidservant, he must let the servant go free as compensation for the tooth.”A master who destroys a servant's eye or knocks out a tooth must let the servant go free in compensation.
- Job 31:13-15 (BSB)“If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or maidservant when they made a complaint against me, what will I do when God rises to judge? How will I answer when called to account? Did not He who made me in the womb also make them? Did not the same One form us in the womb?”The same God who made the master made the servant and will judge how the servant is treated.
- Deuteronomy 23:15-16 (BSB)“Do not return a slave to his master if he has taken refuge with you. Let him live among you wherever he chooses, in the town of his pleasing. Do not oppress him.”An escaped slave who took refuge in Israel was not to be returned or oppressed.
General
True or False: If a servant said he loved his master and family and did not wish to go, the master took him to the judges, pierced his ear at the doorway, and he then remained a servant for life (21:5-6).
Answer: True
This is true. If the servant openly declared that he loved his master, his wife, and his children and chose not to leave, the master took him to the judges, bored through his ear at the doorway with an awl, and he then remained a servant permanently (21:5-6). The choice belonged to the servant, and it was made publicly before the judges, so no master could simply claim a servant for life. Deuteronomy describes the same practice for a servant who is happy in his master's household (Deuteronomy 15:16-17). The normal rule remained release after six years (Jeremiah 34:14).
- Exodus 21:5-6 (BSB)“But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children; I do not want to go free,’ then his master is to bring him before the judges. And he shall take him to the door or doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he shall serve his master for life.”A servant who declares love for his master and family and refuses release has his ear pierced at the door before the judges and serves for life.
- Deuteronomy 15:16-17 (BSB)“But if your servant says to you, ‘I do not want to leave you,’ because he loves you and your household and is well off with you, then take an awl and pierce it through his ear into the door, and he will become your servant for life. And treat your maidservant the same way.”The same rite is described for a servant who loves his master's household and wishes to stay.
- Jeremiah 34:14 (BSB)“Every seventh year, each of you must free his Hebrew brother who has sold himself to you. He may serve you six years, but then you must let him go free. But your fathers did not listen or incline their ear.”Shows that release after six years was the normal rule for a Hebrew servant.
Theological
True or False: Under 21:5-6, a servant who professed love for his master and family and declined release had his ear bored at the doorway in the judges' presence and became a servant permanently.
Answer: True
This is true. Permanent service required the servant's own public declaration of love for his master and family and his refusal of freedom, a judicial witness, and the rite of boring the ear at the doorway (21:5-6). The requirement of the servant's voluntary, public choice guarded against a master unilaterally retaining him. Deuteronomy 15:16-17 restates the rite, while the seventh-year release remained the norm (Jeremiah 34:14).
- Exodus 21:5-6 (BSB)“But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children; I do not want to go free,’ then his master is to bring him before the judges. And he shall take him to the door or doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he shall serve his master for life.”A servant who declares love for his master and family and refuses release has his ear pierced at the door before the judges and serves for life.
- Deuteronomy 15:16-17 (BSB)“But if your servant says to you, ‘I do not want to leave you,’ because he loves you and your household and is well off with you, then take an awl and pierce it through his ear into the door, and he will become your servant for life. And treat your maidservant the same way.”The same rite is described for a servant who loves his master's household and wishes to stay.
- Jeremiah 34:14 (BSB)“Every seventh year, each of you must free his Hebrew brother who has sold himself to you. He may serve you six years, but then you must let him go free. But your fathers did not listen or incline their ear.”Shows that release after six years was the normal rule for a Hebrew servant.
General
What penalty did the law in 21:15 and 21:17 set for striking or cursing one's father or mother?
Answer: The death penalty
The law set the death penalty both for striking one's father or mother (21:15) and for cursing them (21:17). These laws show how seriously God took the fifth commandment to honor parents (20:12) within Israel's covenant life. Leviticus repeats the penalty for cursing parents (Leviticus 20:9). Jesus Himself quoted this law as God's word when He rebuked religious leaders who found ways to avoid caring for their parents (Matthew 15:4), showing that honoring parents is a lasting duty, even though these specific penalties belonged to Israel's national law.
- Exodus 21:15 (BSB)“Whoever strikes his father or mother must surely be put to death.”Striking one's father or mother carries the death penalty.
- Exodus 21:17 (BSB)“Anyone who curses his father or mother must surely be put to death.”Cursing one's father or mother likewise carries the death penalty.
- Exodus 20:12 (BSB)“Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”The fifth commandment requires honoring father and mother, which these laws protect.
- Matthew 15:4 (BSB)“For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’”Jesus quotes the law against cursing parents alongside the fifth commandment as God's own word.
- Leviticus 20:9 (BSB)“If anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death. He has cursed his father or mother; his blood shall be upon him.”Repeats the death penalty for cursing father or mother.
Theological
What sanction do 21:15 and 21:17 attach to striking or cursing a parent?
Answer: Capital punishment
Both striking (21:15) and cursing (21:17) father or mother are capital offenses in Israel's covenant polity, a measure of the weight the fifth commandment carries (20:12); Leviticus 20:9 repeats the sanction. Christ cites the ordinance as the command of God when exposing traditions that evaded filial duty (Matthew 15:4), affirming the abiding moral obligation to honor parents while the specific penalty belonged to Israel's judicial order.
- Exodus 21:15 (BSB)“Whoever strikes his father or mother must surely be put to death.”Striking one's father or mother carries the death penalty.
- Exodus 21:17 (BSB)“Anyone who curses his father or mother must surely be put to death.”Cursing one's father or mother likewise carries the death penalty.
- Exodus 20:12 (BSB)“Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”The fifth commandment requires honoring father and mother, which these laws protect.
- Matthew 15:4 (BSB)“For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’”Jesus quotes the law against cursing parents alongside the fifth commandment as God's own word.
- Leviticus 20:9 (BSB)“If anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death. He has cursed his father or mother; his blood shall be upon him.”Repeats the death penalty for cursing father or mother.
General
What does 21:22 require when a pregnant woman is hit during a fight between men and her child comes out, but no further harm follows?
Answer: The man responsible must pay a fine, as the husband demands and the court allows
The law describes a pregnant woman being hit by men in a fight, so that her child comes out (21:22). If no further injury follows, the man responsible pays a fine set by the husband's claim and approved by the judges. But if serious injury results, the penalty is life for life (21:23). The BSB translates the verse as the child being born early, and many interpreters read it that way, so that the fine covers a premature birth where mother and child survive. Others understand the verse to describe a miscarriage. Faithful readers differ on how to translate it and on whether the serious injury in verse 23 refers to the mother, the child, or both. Whatever the translation, Scripture elsewhere clearly teaches that God forms and knows each person in the womb (Psalm 139:13; Jeremiah 1:5), and it even describes an unborn child leaping for joy (Luke 1:44).
- Exodus 21:22-23 (BSB)“If men who are fighting strike a pregnant woman and her child is born prematurely, but there is no further injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband demands and as the court allows. But if a serious injury results, then you must require a life for a life—”When men fighting strike a pregnant woman and her child comes out, a fine applies if there is no further injury; if serious injury results, life for life.
- Psalm 139:13 (BSB)“For You formed my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb.”David confesses that God formed him and knit him together in his mother's womb.
- Jeremiah 1:5 (BSB)““Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as a prophet to the nations.””God says He knew Jeremiah and set him apart before he was born.
- Luke 1:44 (BSB)“For as soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.”The unborn John the Baptist leaped for joy in Elizabeth's womb at Mary's greeting.
Theological
What does 21:22 prescribe when a pregnant woman is struck by brawling men so that her child comes out, with no further harm?
Answer: A fine set by the husband's claim and determined by the judges
When a pregnant woman is struck by brawling men so that her child comes out and no further harm follows, the offender pays a fine assessed at the husband's claim and set by the judges (21:22); if serious injury follows, the penalty is life for life (21:23). The BSB renders the case as a premature birth, a reading many interpreters hold, in which the fine covers a birth where mother and child survive; others read the verse as describing a miscarriage. Interpreters also differ on whether the serious injury of verse 23 concerns the mother, the child, or both. Whichever reading is adopted, Scripture elsewhere affirms God's forming and knowing of persons in the womb (Psalm 139:13; Jeremiah 1:5) and attributes personal response to the unborn John (Luke 1:44).
- Exodus 21:22-23 (BSB)“If men who are fighting strike a pregnant woman and her child is born prematurely, but there is no further injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband demands and as the court allows. But if a serious injury results, then you must require a life for a life—”When men fighting strike a pregnant woman and her child comes out, a fine applies if there is no further injury; if serious injury results, life for life.
- Psalm 139:13 (BSB)“For You formed my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb.”David confesses that God formed him and knit him together in his mother's womb.
- Jeremiah 1:5 (BSB)““Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as a prophet to the nations.””God says He knew Jeremiah and set him apart before he was born.
- Luke 1:44 (BSB)“For as soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.”The unborn John the Baptist leaped for joy in Elizabeth's womb at Mary's greeting.
General
True or False: If an ox gored a servant, its owner paid the servant's master thirty silver shekels, and the ox was stoned (21:32).
Answer: True
This is true. If an ox gored a male or female servant, the ox's owner had to pay the servant's master thirty silver shekels, and the ox was stoned (21:32). The stoning of the ox, just as when it killed a free person (21:28), shows that a servant's death was treated as the loss of a human life. The same number of silver pieces appears again later in Scripture: Zechariah was paid that amount as his wages, and the LORD ironically called it a magnificent price (Zechariah 11:12-13), and it was the sum the chief priests paid Judas to betray Jesus (Matthew 26:15).
- Exodus 21:32 (BSB)“If the ox gores a manservant or maidservant, the owner must pay thirty shekels of silver to the master of that servant, and the ox must be stoned.”If an ox gores a servant, the owner pays thirty shekels of silver to the servant's master, and the ox is stoned.
- Zechariah 11:12-13 (BSB)“Then I told them, “If it seems right to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” So they weighed out my wages, thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—this magnificent price at which they valued me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the LORD.”Zechariah's wages of thirty pieces of silver are called a magnificent price, spoken in irony at how little he was valued.
- Matthew 26:15 (BSB)“and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?” And they set out for him thirty pieces of silver.”The chief priests paid Judas thirty pieces of silver to hand Jesus over.
Theological
True or False: Exodus 21:32 requires the owner of an ox that gores a servant to pay the servant's master thirty silver shekels, with the ox being stoned.
Answer: True
This is true. When a servant is gored by an ox, the owner pays the servant's master thirty silver shekels, and the ox is stoned (21:32). The stoning, identical to the case of a free victim (21:28), treats the servant's death as the shedding of human blood. The sum recurs in redemptive history: Zechariah's ironically named magnificent price of thirty silver pieces (Zechariah 11:12-13) and the price the chief priests paid Judas for Jesus (Matthew 26:15).
- Exodus 21:32 (BSB)“If the ox gores a manservant or maidservant, the owner must pay thirty shekels of silver to the master of that servant, and the ox must be stoned.”If an ox gores a servant, the owner pays thirty shekels of silver to the servant's master, and the ox is stoned.
- Zechariah 11:12-13 (BSB)“Then I told them, “If it seems right to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” So they weighed out my wages, thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—this magnificent price at which they valued me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the LORD.”Zechariah's wages of thirty pieces of silver are called a magnificent price, spoken in irony at how little he was valued.
- Matthew 26:15 (BSB)“and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?” And they set out for him thirty pieces of silver.”The chief priests paid Judas thirty pieces of silver to hand Jesus over.