Exodus 21:12-27
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Laws about Personal Injury
12 “Whoever strikes a person so that he dies must be put to death.(A) 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 schemes and willfully[b] acts against his neighbor to murder him, you must take him from My altar to be put to death.(C)
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.(D)
17 “Whoever curses his father or his mother must be put to death.(E)
18 “When men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or his 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[c] 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,[d] the owner must be punished.[e] 21 However, if the slave can stand up after a day or two, the owner should not be punished[f] because he is his owner’s property.[g](F)
22 “When men get in a fight and hit a pregnant woman so that her children are born prematurely[h] but there is no injury, the one who hit her must be fined as the woman’s husband demands(G) 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,(H) 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.
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- Exodus 21:13 Lit he was not lying in wait
- Exodus 21:14 Or maliciously
- Exodus 21:19 Lit his inactivity
- Exodus 21:20 Lit hand
- Exodus 21:20 Or must suffer vengeance
- Exodus 21:21 Or not suffer vengeance
- Exodus 21:21 Lit money
- Exodus 21:22 Either a live birth or a miscarriage
Exodus 21:12-27
Lexham English Bible
Regulations Regarding Murder, Manslaughter, and Various Injuries
12 “‘Whoever strikes someone[a] and he dies will surely be put to death. 13 But if he did not lie in wait and it was an accident,[b] I will appoint for you a place to which he may flee. 14 But if a man schemes against his neighbor to kill him by treachery,[c] you will take him from my altar to die. 15 And whoever strikes[d] his father or his mother will surely be put to death.
16 “‘And whoever kidnaps someone[e] and sells him, or he is found in his possession,[f] he will surely be put to death.
17 “‘And one who curses his father or his mother will surely be put to death.
18 “‘And if men quarrel and a man strikes his neighbor with a stone or with a fist and he does not die, but he is confined to bed,[g] 19 if he stands and walks about in the outside on his staff, the striker will be unpunished; he will only pay for his inactivity[h] toward his full recovery.”[i] 20 And if a man strikes his male slave or his female slave with the rod and he dies under his hand, he will surely be avenged. 21 Yet if he survives a day or two days, he will not be avenged, because he is his money.[j]
22 “‘And if men fight and they injure a pregnant woman, and her children go out and there is not serious injury, he will surely be fined as the woman’s husband demands concerning him and as the judges determine.[k] 23 And if there is serious injury, you will give life in place of life, 24 eye in place of eye, tooth in place of tooth, hand in place of hand, foot in place of foot, 25 burn in place of burn, wound in place of wound, bruise in place of bruise.
26 “‘And if a man strikes the eye of his male slave or the eye of his female slave and destroys it, he shall release him as free in place of his eye. 27 And if he causes the tooth of his male slave or the tooth of his female slave to fall out, he will release him as free in place of his tooth.
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- Exodus 21:12 Literally “A striker of a man”
- Exodus 21:13 Literally “and God let him happen to his hand”
- Exodus 21:14 Or “with cunning” or “craftily”
- Exodus 21:15 Literally “a striker of”
- Exodus 21:16 Literally “a stealer of a man”
- Exodus 21:16 Literally “in his hand”
- Exodus 21:18 Literally “he falls to bed”
- Exodus 21:19 Literally “his sitting”
- Exodus 21:19 Literally “and he indeed will recover”
- Exodus 21:21 Or “property”; literally “his silver”
- Exodus 21:22 Literally “and he will give according to judgments” or “judges” or “arbitrators”
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