Exodus 21

King James Version

Full text for Exodus Chapter 21

1¶ Now these [are] the judgments which thou shalt set before them.

2If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.

3If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him.

4If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out by himself.

5And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:

6Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.

7And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do.

8If she please not her master, who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her.

9And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.

10If he take him another [wife]; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.

11And if he do not these three unto her, then shall she go out free without money.

12¶ He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.

13And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver [him] into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee.

14But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.

15And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.

16And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.

17And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.

18And if men strive together, and one smite another with a stone, or with [his] fist, and he die not, but keepeth [his] bed:

19If he rise again, and walk abroad upon his staff, then shall he that smote [him] be quit: only he shall pay [for] the loss of his time, and shall cause [him] to be thoroughly healed.

20And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished.

21Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he [is] his money.

22¶ If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart [from her], and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges [determine].

23And if [any] mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,

24Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

25Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

26And if a man smite the eye of his servant, or the eye of his maid, that it perish; he shall let him go free for his eye's sake.

27And if he smite out his manservant's tooth, or his maidservant's tooth; he shall let him go free for his tooth's sake.

28If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die: then the ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox [shall be] quit.

29But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in time past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not kept him in, but that he hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death.

30If there be laid on him a sum of money, then he shall give for the ransom of his life whatsoever is laid upon him.

31Whether he have gored a son, or have gored a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done unto him.

32If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

33And 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;

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

35And if one man's ox hurt another's, that he die; then they shall sell the live ox, and divide the money of it; and the dead [ox] also they shall divide.

36Or if it be known that the ox hath used to push in time past, and his owner hath not kept him in; he shall surely pay ox for ox; and the dead shall be his own.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Exodus 21 presents a series of civil and criminal laws given to Israel, known as judgments. It begins with regulations concerning Hebrew servants, detailing their terms of service and conditions for freedom. The chapter then outlines capital offenses, including murder and striking or cursing parents, alongside laws for personal injury based on proportional retribution. Finally, it addresses liability for damages caused by animals and negligence.

Medium Summary

Exodus 21 delineates various statutes governing societal conduct within Israel, commencing with laws for Hebrew servants. Male servants are to serve six years before gaining freedom, with specific provisions for their wives and children, and an option for perpetual service through an ear-boring ceremony. Female maidservants are subject to different rules concerning their freedom and betrothal rights. The chapter proceeds to define capital crimes such as premeditated murder, striking or cursing one's parents, and manstealing, all punishable by death. Furthermore, it establishes principles for personal injury, including compensation for non-fatal assaults and the application of "life for life, eye for eye" for severe harm. Lastly, the text details responsibilities for damages caused by animals, such as a goring ox, and negligence related to property like uncovered pits.

Long Summary

Exodus 21 introduces a comprehensive set of judgments delivered by God to Moses for the governance of the Israelite community, starting with detailed laws regarding servitude. A Hebrew male servant is mandated to serve for six years, gaining his freedom in the seventh, with provisions for his wife if she entered service with him. However, if his master provided him a wife, she and their children remain the master's property, and the servant departs alone. A unique provision allows a servant to choose perpetual service if he declares love for his master, wife, and children, formalized by having his ear bored at the doorpost before the judges. Female maidservants, if sold, are not released under the same conditions as men but are afforded specific rights concerning betrothal to the master or his son, and conditions for freedom if their marital or sustenance duties are not met. The chapter then transitions to capital offenses, prescribing the death penalty for premeditated murder, with no sanctuary provided, and for striking or cursing one's father or mother, as well as for manstealing. Laws concerning personal injury are also established, requiring the assailant to pay for lost time and healing in non-fatal assaults. If a master strikes a servant to death immediately, he shall be punished, but not if the servant survives a day or two. The principle of proportional retribution, "life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe," is explicitly stated for severe injuries. Moreover, a master who causes a servant to lose an eye or a tooth must grant them freedom. Finally, the chapter addresses liability for damages caused by animals, notably a goring ox, which is to be stoned if it kills a person, with the owner facing death or ransom if the ox was known to be dangerous. Rules for compensating for animals falling into uncovered pits and for oxen injuring other oxen are also laid out, emphasizing restitution.

Core Concepts

  • Servitude LawsRegulations governing Hebrew male and female servants, detailing their terms of service, conditions for freedom, and provisions for voluntary perpetual service through an ear-boring ceremony.
  • Capital OffensesCrimes punishable by death, including premeditated murder, striking or cursing one's parents, and manstealing, emphasizing the severity of these transgressions.
  • Lex TalionisThe principle of proportional retribution, famously stated as "eye for eye, tooth for tooth," applied to various personal injuries to ensure equitable justice.
  • Personal Injury & RestitutionLaws outlining compensation for non-fatal assaults, specific rules for injuries to pregnant women, and the granting of freedom to servants who suffer permanent disfigurement by their masters.
  • Animal LiabilityStatutes addressing the responsibility of animal owners for damages caused by their animals, particularly goring oxen, and negligence related to property like uncovered pits, requiring restitution or punishment.
  • Justice and EquityThe overarching theme of establishing fair judgments and proportional consequences for various societal transgressions, ensuring order and accountability within the community.