1Laws concerning the release of menservants, and concerning the servant whose ear is bored; 7concerning womenservants; 12murder and manslaughter; 15smiters of parents; 16stealers of men; 17cursers of parents; 18smiting without loss of life; 20smiting of servants to death; 22a hurt by chance to a woman with child; 26the loss of a servant's eye or tooth; 28an ox that goreth a man or woman; 33harm occasioned by leaving a pit uncovered; or by one man's ox hurting the ox of another man.
1NOW these are 1the judgments which thou shalt set before 2them.
1 Namely, civil laws, according to which the judges were to judge the people of God.
2 Namely, the people of Israel, but especially the magistrates.
2If thou buy 3ana Hebrew 4servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.
3 None might buy an Hebrew servant in Israel, but such as sold themselves, or their children because of poverty, Lev. 25:39; Deut. 15:12, or that the magistrate sold any for theft committed when there could be made no restitution or recompense, Exod. 22:3.
a Deut. 15:12; Jer. 34:14.
4 Understand hereby also the Hebrew maid, as appears by Deut. 15:12; Jer. 34:9.
3If he came in 5by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were 6married, then his wife shall go out with him.
5 That is, in his person only, without a wife.
6 Hebr. a wife’s lord. See Gen. 14:13.
4If his master have given him 7a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out 8by himself.
7 A heathen, or, foreign slave, or, bondwoman, for, only such might be kept in bondage, Lev. 25:44; but with an Hebrew woman they could not deal thus, as appears by verse 7.
8 For the children born of a bondwoman were likewise subject to bondage, as appears, Gen. 21:10; Gal. 4:24, 25, etc.
5Andb if the servant shall 9plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I 10will not go out free:
b Deut. 15:16.
9 Hebr. saying shall say.
10 Hebr. shall.
6Then his master shall bring him unto 11the judges; he shall also bring him 12to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore 13his ear through with an aul;c and he shall serve him 14for ever.
11 That is, before the magistrates, judges, governors, as Psalm 82:1, 6, and elsewhere.
12 Namely, to the door of his master’s house.
13 Showing thereby that he was as if attached to his master’s house, and be bound to serve him thence forward.
c pointed tool for making holes
14 See Deut. 15:17.
7¶And if 15a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as 16the menservants do.
15 Hebr. a man; and understand this of an Hebrew man.
16 Of whom is spoken in verse 6.
8If she 17please not her master, who hath 18betrothed 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.
17 Hebr. if she be evil.
18 Other, after that he has betrothed her to himself.
9And if he have betrothed her unto his son, 19he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.
19 That is, he shall give her a dowry, or matrimonial goods, such as fathers were wont to give unto their daughters, Exod. 22:16.
10If he take him another wife; 20her food, her raiment, and 21her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.
20 Hebr. her flesh, that is, her food or nourishment.
21 Understand by the duty of marriage of which the apostle speaks in 1 Cor. 7:3. Other, matrimonial co-habitation.
11And if he do not 22these three unto her, then shall she go out free without money.
22 Namely, whereof verse 10 is spoken.
12¶Hed that smiteth a man, so that he die, 23shall be surely put to death.
d Lev. 24:17.
23 Hebr. dying be made to die.
13And if a man lie not 24in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee 25a place whither he shall flee.
24 That is, with malicious intent.
25 See of the cities of refuge to which those, who unawares had committed murder, could flee, see Num. 35:11; Deut. 19:2; Joshua 20:2.
14But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him 26from mine altar, 27that he may die.
26 As if He had said, although he had taken his refuge at My altar. See 1 Kings 2:28.
27 Namely, according to the judgment of the magistrate.
15¶Ande he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.
e Mat. 15:4.
16¶And he that stealeth 28a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.
28 Deut. 24:7 states, a son of Israel, that is, an Israelite.
17¶Andf he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.
f Lev. 20:9; Prov. 20:20; Mat. 15:4; Mark 7:10.
18¶And if men strive together, and 29one smite another with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keepeth his bed:
29 Hebr. a man; (that is, anyone) smites his neighbor.
19If he rise again, and walk abroad upon his staff, then shall he that smote him be 30quit:g31only he shall pay for 32the loss of his time, and shall cause him to be 33thoroughly healed.
30 That is, he shall not be punished by death.
g acquitted, free
31 That is, he shall give him satisfaction for having been kept so long from following his business, and earning his daily bread and livelihood.
32 Hebr. his sitting; that is, all the damage he has sustained by being disabled to work.
33 Hebr. recovering recover, or, healing heal.
20¶And if a man smite 34his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die 35under his hand; he shall be surely 36punished.
34 Whom he has bought with his money, for which reason he is called in verse 21 his money. But with an Hebrew servant, the condition differed much, as you may see in Lev. 25:39, 40, 41.
35 That is, while he smites him.
36 Namely, by the magistrate, who is God’s avenger. Rom. 13:4.
21Notwithstanding, if he 37continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for 38he is his money.
37 Hebr. if he stands.
38 That is, his master bought him with his own money, and therefore he is his own, which makes it probable that he intended not to kill, but only to chastise him. Other, as he is his money, that is, being such a servant as was bought with his own money.
22¶If men strive, 39and hurt a woman with child, so that 40her fruit depart from her, and yet 41no mischief follow: 42he shall 43be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as 44the judges determine.
39 Namely, whether both together, or one of them.
40 Hebr. her children.
41 Understand, neither to the mother, nor to the child.
42 Namely, who has smitten or hurt the woman.
43 Hebr. punishing be punished.
44 That is, according to the sentence of the judges.
23And if 45any mischief follow, then thou shalt 46give 47life for life,
45 Namely, either to the mother or to the child.
46 Namely, thou who destroyeth, or thou who judgest.
47 Or, soul for soul.
24Eyeh for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
h Lev. 24:20; Deut. 19:21; Mat. 5:38.
25Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
26¶And if a man smite the eye of his servant, or the eye of his maid, that it perish; he shall let him go 48free for his eye's sake.
48 That is, he shall set him at liberty from his bondage.
27And if he smite out his manservant's tooth, or his maidservant's tooth; he shall let him go free for his 49tooth’s sake.
49 This is also to be understood of the maiming, laming, or spoiling of other members and parts of the body.
28¶Ifi50an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die: then the ox shall be 51surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox 52shall be quit.
i Gen. 9:5.
50 Understand here, under the name of an ox ought to be understood likewise, bulls, cows, goats, rams, and other beasts which may hurt a body by their horns, teeth, heels, claws, etc.
51 Hebr. stoning stoned. God avenges the blood of people upon the very beasts. See Gen. 9:5.
52 Namely, if so be that he knew not the pushing condition of his ox.
29But if the ox were wontj to push with his horn 53in 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 54shall be put to death.
j accustomed
53 Hebr. from yesterday and the yesterday before. Also verse 36, and elsewhere.
54 Not having hindered or prevented the death of his neighbor, as well he might have done.
30If there be 55laid on him a sum of money, then he shall give for the ransom of his life whatsoever is laid upon him.
55 Namely, by the judges, after they have diligently examined all the circumstances of the matter.
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; 56he shall give unto 57their master thirty 58shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.
56 Namely, the owner of the ox.
57 Namely, that man’s, or maid’s master.
58 See Gen. 20:16.
33¶And if a man shall open a pit, or if a man shall dig a pit, and not cover it, and 59an ox or an ass fall therein;
59 Understand likewise any other beast or cattle.
34The owner of the pit shall make it good, and give 60money unto the owner of them; and the dead beast shall be 61his.
60 Namely, as much as the judge or impartial (men) shall estimate the beast that fell into the pit.
61 Namely, the master or owner of the pit.
35¶And 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 62surely pay ox for ox; and the dead shall be 63his own.
62 Hebr. recompensing recompense.
63 Namely, of him whose ox did kill the other.