Exodus 21:34

34 the owner of the pit shall make it good; he shall give money unto the owner thereof, and the dead [beast] shall be his.

Exodus 21:34 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 21:34

The owner of the pit shall make it good
Repair the loss of the ox or ass:

and give the money unto the owner of them:
the price of them, what they are worth: the Targum of Jonathan is,

``the owner of the pit shall pay the silver, he shall return to its owner the price of the ox or ass:''

and the dead beast shall be his;
either the owner of the pit; who pays the full value for the ox or ass killed, which seems but reasonable; or

``the injured person as Jarchi, for he says, they reckon or estimate the carcass, and he takes it for the price;''

that is, for part of the price it is valued at.

Exodus 21:34 In-Context

32 If the ox gore a man-servant or a maid-servant, there shall be given unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

33 And if a man shall open a pit, or if a man shall dig a pit and not cover it, and an ox or an ass fall therein,

34 the owner of the pit shall make it good; he shall give money unto the owner thereof, and the dead [beast] shall be his.

35 And if one man's ox hurt another's, so that it dieth, then they shall sell the live ox, and divide the price of it: and the dead also they shall divide.

36 Or if it be known that the ox was wont to gore in time past, and its owner hath not kept it in, he shall surely pay ox for ox, and the dead [beast] shall be his own.