Exodus 21:26

Exodus 21:26 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And 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.
• New International Version (NIV)“An owner who hits a male or female slave in the eye and destroys it must let the slave go free to compensate for the eye.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"When a man strikes the eye of his slave, male or female, and destroys it, he shall let the slave go free because of his eye.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“If a man strikes the eye of his male or female servant, and destroys it, he shall let him go free for the sake of his eye.

Context of Exodus 21:26

24eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise. “If a man hits the eye of his male servant or female servant and it is destroyed, he must let the servant go free because of [the loss of] the eye. 27And if he knocks out the tooth of his male servant or female servant, he must let the servant go free because of [the loss of] the tooth. 28“If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox must be stoned and its meat shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be cleared [of responsibility].

Exodus 21:26 word by word

וְכִֽי־יַכֶּ֨ה אִ֜ישׁ אֶת־עֵ֥ין עַבְדּ֛וֹ אֽוֹ־אֶת־עֵ֥ין אֲמָת֖וֹ וְשִֽׁחֲתָ֑הּ לַֽחָפְשִׁ֥י יְשַׁלְּחֶ֖נּוּ תַּ֥חַת עֵינֽוֹ׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And if a manאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
• smiteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
• the eyeעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
• of his servantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• of his maidאָמָה'âmâh · maidservantH519
• that it perishשָׁחַתshâchath · to ruinH7843
• he shall let him goשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: let goH7971
• freeחׇפְשִׁיchophshîy · freeH2670
• forתַּחַתtachath · underneath: because ofH8478

Cross-references for Exodus 21:26

• Exodus 21:20“If a man strikes his male or his female servant with a staff and the servant dies at his hand, he must be punished.
• Deuteronomy 16:19You shall not distort justice; you shall not be partial, and you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.
• Nehemiah 5:5Now our flesh (skin) is the same as that of our brothers (relatives), and our children are like their children, yet here we are forcing (selling) our sons and our daughters to be slaves; and some of our daughters are forced into bondage already, and we are powerless [to redeem them] because our fields and vineyards belong to others.”
• Job 31:13“If I have despised and rejected the claim of my male or female servants When they filed a complaint against me,
• Psalms 9:12For He who avenges blood [unjustly shed] remembers them (His people); He does not forget the cry of the afflicted and abused.
• Psalms 10:14You have seen it, for You have noted mischief and vexation (irritation) to take it into Your hand. The unfortunate commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless.
• Psalms 72:12For he will rescue the needy when he cries for help, The afflicted and abused also, and him who has no helper.
• Proverbs 22:22Do not rob the poor because he is poor [and defenseless], Nor crush the afflicted [by legal proceedings] at the gate [where the city court is held],
• Ephesians 6:9You masters, do the same [showing goodwill] toward them, and give up threatening and abusive words, knowing that [He who is] both their true Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with Him [regardless of one’s earthly status].
• Colossians 4:1Masters, [on your part] deal with your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.

Commentaries on Exodus 21:26

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 26If a man smite the eye, etc. - See the following verse.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 26Freedom was the proper equivalent for permanent injury.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 22-36Verses 22-36 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.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18-27These laws governed compensation for injuries that did not lead to death.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 7-367-11. if a man sell his daughter--Hebrew girls might be redeemed for a reasonable sum. But in the event of her parents or friends being unable to pay the redemption money, her owner was not at liberty to sell her elsewhere. Should she have been betrothed to him or his son, and either change their minds, a maintenance must be provided for her suitable to her condition as his intended wife, or her freedom instantly granted.Read the comment

Topics related to Exodus 21:26

• Assault and Battery
• Master
• Servant

In the dictionaries

• Book
• Crucifixion
• Determine
• Gore
• Push
• Quit
• Ransom
• Slave
• Wont
• Bible, the

Commentaries on Exodus 21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings