Exodus 21:12-36

Laws about Personal Injury

12 "Whoever strikes a person so that he dies must be put to death.
13 But if he didn't intend any harm,[a] and yet God caused it to happen by his hand, I will appoint a place for you where he may flee.[b]
14 If a person willfully[c] acts against his neighbor to murder him by scheming, you must take him from My altar to be put to death.
15 "Whoever strikes his father or his mother must be put to death.
16 "Whoever kidnaps a person must be put to death, whether he sells him or the person is found in his possession.
17 "Whoever curses his father or his mother must be put to death.
18 "When men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or fist, and the injured man does not die but is confined to bed,
19 if he can [later] get up and walk around outside [leaning] on his staff, then the one who struck [him] will be exempt from punishment. Nevertheless, he must pay for his lost work time[d] and provide for [his] complete recovery.
20 "When a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod, and the slave dies under his abuse,[e] the owner must be punished.[f]
21 However, if the slave can stand up after a day or two, the owner should not be punished[g] because he is his [owner's] property.[h]
22 "When men get in a fight, and hit a pregnant woman so that her children are born [prematurely],[i] but there is no injury, the one who hit her must be fined as the woman's husband demands from him, and he must pay according to judicial assessment.
23 If there is an injury, then you must give life for life,
24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
25 burn for burn, bruise for bruise, wound for wound.
26 "When a man strikes the eye of his male or female slave and destroys it, he must let the slave go free in compensation for his eye.
27 If he knocks out the tooth of his male or female slave, he must let the slave go free in compensation for his tooth.
28 "When an ox[j] gores a man or a woman to death, the ox must be stoned,[k] and its meat may not be eaten, but the ox's owner is innocent.
29 However, if the ox was in the habit of goring, and its owner has been warned yet does not restrain it, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox must be stoned, and its owner must also be put to death.
30 If instead a ransom is demanded of him, he can pay a redemption price for his life in the full amount demanded from him.
31 If it gores a son or a daughter, he is to be dealt with according to this same law.
32 If the ox gores a male or female slave, he must give 30 shekels of silver[l] to the slave's master, and the ox must be stoned.
33 "When a man uncovers a pit or digs a pit, and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,
34 the owner of the pit must give compensation; he must pay money to its owner, but the dead animal will become his.
35 "When a man's ox injures his neighbor's ox and it dies, they must sell the live ox and divide its proceeds; they must also divide the dead animal.
36 If, however, it is known that the ox was in the habit of goring, yet its owner has not restrained it, he must compensate fully, ox for ox; the dead animal will become his.

Exodus 21:12-36 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 21

In this, and the two following chapters, are delivered various laws and precepts, partly of a moral, and partly of a religious, but chiefly of a civil nature, respecting the commonwealth of Israel, and its political good. This chapter treats of servants, and laws relating to them; to menservants, how long they shall serve, and what is to be done to those who are desirous of staying with their masters after their time is up, Ex 21:1-6, to maidservants, and especially betrothed ones, either to a father or a son, Ex 21:7-11, likewise it contains laws concerning the slaughter of men, whether with design or unawares, Ex 21:12-14, and concerning the ill usage of parents, Ex 21:15,17, and man stealing, Ex 21:16 and of mischief that comes by men's quarrelling and fighting, Ex 21:18,19 and by smiting a man or maidservant, Ex 21:20,21,26,27, to a woman with child, that is, by means of men's striving and contending with each other, Ex 21:22-25 and of damages that come by oxen, or to them, Ex 21:28-36.

Footnotes 12

Holman Christian Standard Bible ® Copyright © 2003, 2002, 2000, 1999 by Holman Bible Publishers.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.