Exodus21
English Standard Version
1Now are the that you shall them.
2When you a , he shall , and in the he shall , for .
3 he comes , he shall ; he comes in , then his shall with him.
4 his him a and she him or , the and her shall be her , and he shall .
5But the , I my , my , and my ; I will ,
6then his shall him to , and he shall him to the or the . And his shall his through with an , and he shall be his .
7When a his as a , she shall as the .
8 she does not her , who has her for himself, then he shall let her be . He shall have to her to a , since he has broken .
9If he her for his , he shall with her with a .
10 he wife to himself, he shall her , her , or her .
11And he does things for her, she shall for , payment of .
12Whoever a so that he shall .
13But he did lie in for him, but let him into his , then I will for you a to he may .
14But a attacks to him by , you shall him from my , that he may .
15Whoever his or his shall .
16Whoever a and him, and anyone in of him, be .
17Whoever his or his be .
18When and the with a with his and the man does but his ,
19then the man rises and with his , he who shall be ; he shall for the loss of his , and shall have him .
20When a his , or , with a and the slave his , be .
21 the a or , he is to be , the slave is his .
22When together and a , so that her , but there is , the one who hit her shall be , as the shall on him, and he shall as the determine.
23But there is , then you shall ,
24 , , , ,
25 , , .
26 a the of his , or , and it, he shall let the slave because his .
27If he the of his , or , he shall let the slave because his .
28 an a a to , the shall , and its shall be , but the of the shall not be .
29But the has been accustomed to in the , and its has been but has kept it , and it a a , the shall be , and its also shall be .
30 a is him, then he shall for the of his is him.
31 it a man’s , he shall be with according to this .
32 the a , or , the owner shall to their of , and the shall be .
33 a a , a a and does it, and an or a into it,
34the of the shall . He shall to its , and the beast shall be his.
35 , so that it , then they shall the and its , and the beast also they shall .
36 if it is the has been accustomed to in the , and its has kept it , for , and the beast shall be his.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Exodus 21.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Laws respecting servants. (1–11). Judicial laws. (12–21). Judicial laws. (22–36).
vv1-11
The laws in this chapter relate to the fifth and sixth commandments; and though they differ from our times and customs, nor are they binding on us, yet they explain the moral law, and the rules of natural justice. The servant, in the state of servitude, was an emblem of that state of bondage to sin, Satan, and the law, which man is brought into by robbing God of his glory, by the transgression of his precepts. Likewise in being made free, he was an emblem of that liberty wherewith Christ, the Son of God, makes free from bondage his people, who are free indeed; and made so freely, without money and without price, of free grace.
vv12-21
God, who by his providence gives and maintains life, by his law protects it. A wilful murderer shall be taken even from God's altar. But God provided cities of refuge to protect those whose unhappiness it was, and not their fault, to cause the death of another; for such as by accident, when a man is doing a lawful act, without intent of hurt, happens to kill another. Let children hear the sentence of God's word upon the ungrateful and disobedient; and remember that God will certainly requite it, if they have ever cursed their parents, even in their hearts, or have lifted up their hands against them, except they repent, and flee for refuge to the Saviour. And let parents hence learn to be very careful in training up their children, setting them a good example, especially in the government of their passions, and in praying for them; taking heed not to provoke them to wrath. Through poverty the Israelites sometimes sold themselves or their children; magistrates sold some persons for their crimes, and creditors were in some cases allowed to sell their debtors who could not pay. But “man-stealing,” the object of which is to force another into slavery, is ranked in the New Testament with the greatest crimes. Care is here taken, that satisfaction be made for hurt done to a person, though death do not follow. The gospel teaches masters to forbear, and to moderate threatenings, Eph 6:9, considering with Job, What shall I do, when God riseth up? Job 31:13, 14.
vv22-36
The cases here mentioned give rules of justice then, and still in use, for deciding similar matters. We are taught by these laws, that we must be very careful to do no wrong, either directly or indirectly. If we have done wrong, we must be very willing to make it good, and be desirous that nobody may lose by us.
Key Words
אֵלֶּה: these or those
מִשְׁפָּט: properly, a verdict (favorable or unfavorable) pronounced judicially, especially a sentence or formal decree (human or (participant's) divine law, individual or collective), including the act, the place, the suit, the crime, and the penalty; abstractly, justice, including a participant's right or privilege (statutory or customary), or even a style
שׂוּם: to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically)
פָּנִים: the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)
קָנָה: to erect, i.e. create; by extension, to procure, especially by purchase (causatively, sell); by implication to own
עִבְרִי: an Eberite (i.e. Hebrew) or descendant of Eber
עֶבֶד: a servant
עָבַד: to work (in any sense); by implication, to serve, till, (causatively) enslave, etc.
שֵׁשׁ: six (as an overplus beyond five or the fingers of the hand); as ord. sixth
שָׁנֶה: a year (as a revolution of time)
Cross References
Exodus 21Parallels the six-year limit and release laws for Hebrew servants.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
Jesus contrasts the civil law of retaliation (lex talionis) with personal non-resistance.
Supported by JFB
Expands on circumstances of a poor Israelite selling himself into servitude.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallels the law of boring a servant's ear to signify lifelong service.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Messianic allusion to the opened/bored ear of the obedient servant.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
God demands a reckoning for human life even from beasts, establishing sanctity of human blood.
Supported by JFB
Thirty shekels of silver is set as the price of a gored servant, shadowing Christ's betrayal.
Judas betrays Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, the price of a slave under Mosaic law.
Defines accidental manslaughter where God delivered the victim into his hand.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Historical execution of Joab who fled to the altar for a presumptuous murder.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Distinguishes premeditated murder from manslaughter, requiring no pity for the guilty.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Parallel prohibition against kidnapping and selling an Israelite brother into slavery.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Jesus quotes this verse directly to condemn Pharisaic evasion of parental honor.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Explicit penal law prescribing death for cursing father or mother.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Reiterates the judicial principle of life for life, eye for eye, without pity.
Codifies the standard of physical reciprocity: breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth.
Job recognizes the fundamental human rights of servants, echoing laws protecting them from abuse.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Paul admonishes masters to treat servants justly, reflecting the spiritual intent of Exodic protection.
Supported by Matthew Henry
New Testament allusion to selling debtors and their families to pay debt.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Historical citation of Israel's failure to release Hebrew servants after six years.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The foundational covenant decree establishing the death penalty for murder.
Supported by Matthew Poole
New Testament parallel ranking 'menstealers' (kidnappers) among the lawless.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Job’s personal standard of treating servants righteously before God.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Defines servants as an inheritance, explaining the phrase 'he is his money' in Mosaic context.
Unlike intentional murder, a ransom could be accepted for a death caused by a goring ox.
Supported by JFB
Connects directly to the preceding law of punishing masters who beat servants to death.
Prescribes that animals involved in gross violations of moral order must be put to death.
Parallel case of civil liability for damage caused by negligence (fire spreading vs. open pit).
Mandates safety features on a roof, demonstrating the general principle of liability for negligence.
Proverbial usage of the pit warning that whoever digs one may fall into it.