Exodus
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Exodus 21
Exodus 21
Commentary · verses 1-36
1Now these are the ordinances which thou shalt set before them.
1Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.
Commentary · verse 1
"Ordinances" meant "judgment; art of deciding a case." These were the laws used to help the Israelites judge between themselves.
Commentary · verses 2-4
Verses 2-4: the general law concerning Hebrew servants (indentured servants).
2If thou buy a Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.
3If he come in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he be married, then his wife shall go out with him.
4If his master give him a wife and she bear him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself.
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.
Commentary · verse 4
There were four basic ways that a Hebrew might have become a servant to another Hebrew:
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in extreme poverty, they may sell their freedom (Leviticus 25:39)
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a father might sell his children into servitude (Exodus 21:7)
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in a case of bankruptcy, a man may have become a servant to the people he owed (2 Kings 4:1)
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if a thief had nothing of which to pay restitution (Exodus 22:3-4)
5But 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 God, and shall bring him to the door, or unto the door-post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl; and he shall serve him for ever.
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.
Commentary · verses 5-6
People could choose to remain a bond-servant and a ceremony was conducted for such an event.
7And if a man sell his daughter to be a maid-servant, she shall not go out as the men-servants do.
8If she please not her master, who hath espoused her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a foreign people he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her.
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.
Commentary · verses 7-8
The wife could not be sent out of community to a strange nation. The wife was in the greater community (Israel) if she was in community through marriage with an Israelite.
9And if he espouse 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.
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.
Commentary · verses 9-10
If a man took another woman as wife, it must not negatively affect the first wife.
11And if he do not these three things unto her, then shall she go out for nothing, without money.
11And if he do not these three unto her, then shall she go out free without money.
Commentary · verse 11
If the man broke this Covenant because he did not do his part, she could end this Covenant, and she was free to go.
12He that smiteth a man, so that he dieth, shall surely be 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.
14And if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbor, 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.
12He 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.
Commentary · verses 12-16
This verse banned slavery: selling people against their will.
17And he that curseth his father or his mother, shall surely be put to death.
17And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.
Commentary · verse 17
Cursing your parents resulted in your death.
18And if men contend, and one smite the other with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keep 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.
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.
Commentary · verses 18-19
This sounded like what we today call "short-term disability."
20And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall surely be punished.
21Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money.
22And if men strive together, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart, and yet no harm follow; he shall be surely fined, according as the woman’s husband shall lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.
23But if any harm 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.
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.
22If 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.
Commentary · verses 20-25
The classic statements like, "eye for eye, tooth for tooth" really support the fact that the Dispensation of the Law was meant to equal out Justice immediately (here on Earth). The principle is Justice, the same principle being used when Jesus expanded doctrine in His Sermon on the Mount. Jesus stated this in Matthew 5:39, "but I say unto you, Resist not him that is evil: but whosoever smiteth thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also."
People often think this is a contradiction between the Old and New Testaments. The misinterpretation here comes from not understanding the underlying principle. Both the Old Testament "eye for eye" statement and Jesus' "turn the other cheek" were founded in Justice. The Law was meant to equal it out now, Jesus intended to help people gain more for their Long Term benefit. Jesus did not say it was wrong to follow "eye for eye" but that it would be better Long Term, in relation to Justice, to "turn the other cheek."
26And if a man smite the eye of his servant, or the eye of his maid, and destroy it; he shall let him go free for his eye’s sake.
27And if he smite out his man-servant’s tooth, or his maid-servant’s tooth, he shall let him go free for his tooth’s sake.
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.
Commentary · verses 26-27
How often were the servants being struck? Enough where God made laws concerning this. It seems that striking a servant was one way that Justice was immediately being equaled out.
Commentary · verses 28-32
Verses 28-32: laws that determined guilt when an animal killed a human.
28And if an ox gore a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be surely stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit.
29But if the ox was wont to gore in time past, and it hath been testified to its owner, and he hath not kept it in, but it hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death.
30If there be laid on him a ransom, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatsoever is laid upon him.
31Whether it have gored a son, or have gored a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done unto him.
32If the ox gore a man-servant or a maid-servant, there shall be given unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.
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.
Commentary · verses 33-36
Verses 33-36: more laws concerning negligence and restitution.
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; he shall give money unto the owner thereof, and the dead beast shall be his.
35And if one man’s ox hurt another’s, so that it dieth, then they shall sell the live ox, and divide the price of it; and the dead also they shall divide.
36Or if it be known that the ox was wont to gore in time past, and its owner hath not kept it in; he shall surely pay ox for ox, and the dead beast shall be his own.
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.
Commentary · verse 36
Some very specific cases of Justice being equaled out.
Exodus 19-21 covered the first three parts of God's Covenant with this reborn nation of Israel. The third part (sharing) consisted of God's introduction of the Ten Commandments and other laws.
This chapter focused on interactions between individuals.