Leviticus 24:17-23

An Eye for an Eye

17 ¹"Whoever takes a human life shall surely be put to death.

18 ²Whoever takes an animal's life shall make it good, life for life.

19 If anyone injures his neighbor, ³as he has done it shall be done to him,

20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; whatever injury he has given a person shall be given to him.

21 ⁴Whoever kills an animal shall make it good, ⁵and whoever kills a person shall be put to death.

22 You shall have the ⁶same rule for the sojourner and for the native, for I am the LORD your God."

23 So Moses spoke to the people of Israel, and ⁷they brought out of the camp the one who had cursed and stoned him with stones. Thus the people of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses.

Leviticus 24:17-23 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 24

This chapter treats of the oil for the lamps, and the ordering of them, Le 24:1-4; of the making of the shewbread cakes, and the setting of them on the table, Le 24:5-9; and an Israelite having blasphemed the name of the Lord, and inquiry being made what should be done to him, he, and so any other person guilty of the same, is ordered to be stoned to death, Le 24:10-16; on occasion of which several laws are repeated concerning killing a man or a beast, or doing injury to any man, Le 24:17-23.

Cross References

• 1. Genesis 9:5, 6; Exodus 21:12; Numbers 35:31; Deuteronomy 19:11, 12
• 2. Exodus 21:33, 34
• 3. Exodus 21:23-25; Deuteronomy 19:21; Matthew 5:38; Matthew 7:2
• 4. [See ver. 18 above]
• 5. [See ver. 17 above]
• 6. Leviticus 19:34; Exodus 12:49; Numbers 15:16
• 7. [ver. 14]