Exodus 21:11

11 And if he does not do for her these three, she shall go out for nothing; there will not be silver [paid for her].

Exodus 21:11 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 21:11

And if he do not these three unto her
Not the three things last mentioned; though this sense, Aben Ezra says, many of their interpreters give, which is rejected by him, so do some Christian expositors; but these three things are, espousing her to himself, or to his son, or redeeming her by the hand of her father; that is, letting her be redeemed by him, as the Targum of Jonathan; and so Jarchi, Aben Ezra, and Ben Melech: the meaning is, if one or other of these things are not done,

then shall she go out free without money;
be dismissed from her servitude, and not obliged to pay anything for her freedom; the Targum of Jonathan adds, he shall give her a bill of divorce; that is, the son to whom she had been betrothed, and another wife taken by him, and she denied the above things; which favours the first sense.

Exodus 21:11 In-Context

9 And if he selects her for his son, he shall do for her according to the regulations for daughters.

10 If he takes for himself another, he will not reduce her food, her clothing, or her right of cohabitation.

11 And if he does not do for her these three, she shall go out for nothing; there will not be silver [paid for her].

12 " '{Whoever strikes someone} and he dies will surely be put to death.

13 But if he did not lie in wait {and it was an accident}, I will appoint for you a place to which he may flee.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "money"