Exodus 21:14

Exodus 21:14 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.
• New International Version (NIV)But if anyone schemes and kills someone deliberately, that person is to be taken from my altar and put to death.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But if a man willfully attacks another to kill him by cunning, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“But if a man acts with premeditation against his neighbor, to kill him by treachery, you shall take him from My altar, that he may die.

Context of Exodus 21:14

12Perhaps a person may hit another person so that he dies. You must punish the murderer with death. 13But perhaps he had not decided to kill the other person. Perhaps God let it happen. Then the man should run away to a safe place that I will choose for you. But if he already decided to kill the other person, he is a murderer. You must punish him with death. Even if he runs to my altar as a safe place, take him away from there and kill him. 15If someone attacks his father or his mother, you must punish him with death. 16If someone catches another person to sell him, you must punish him with death. Kill him even if you find him when he has not yet sold the man that he caught.

Exodus 21:14 word by word

וְכִֽי־יָזִ֥ד אִ֛ישׁ עַל־רֵעֵ֖הוּ לְהָרְג֣וֹ בְעָרְמָ֑ה מֵעִ֣ם מִזְבְּחִ֔י תִּקָּחֶ֖נּוּ לָמֽוּת׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• But if a manאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
• come presumptuouslyזִידzûd zîyd · to boilH2102
• upon his neighbourרֵעַrêa‛ rêya‛ · neighborH7453
• to slayהָרַגhârag · to killH2026
• him with guileעׇרְמָה‛ormâh · craftinessH6195
• thou shalt takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• him from mine altarמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196
• that he may dieמוּתmûth · to dieH4191

Cross-references for Exodus 21:14

• Numbers 15:30But a person might do something that he knows to be wrong. He does it because he wants to do it. That person is as bad as someone who insults the Lord. It does not matter whether he is an Israelite or a foreign person. You must make that person separate from all the people.
• Deuteronomy 1:43So I told you what the Lord had said, but you would not agree. Instead, you turned against the Lord. You were so proud that you marched up into the hill country.
• Deuteronomy 17:12Someone might be too proud to obey the priest who has authority as the Lord's servant. He may not agree with what the judge says is right. You must punish any proud person like that with death. In that way you will remove evil things from Israel.
• Deuteronomy 18:22A prophet may say that he speaks with my authority, and he may say what will happen. But if it does not happen, you will know that his message has not come from me. He has not spoken my message. That prophet has spoken his own ideas. So do not be afraid of him!
• Deuteronomy 19:11But perhaps somebody does hate another person. He may hide himself so that he can catch his enemy. Then he may attack him and kill him. After that, he may run to one of the safe cities.
• 1 Kings 2:29King Solomon heard that Joab had gone to the altar in the Lord's holy tent. He commanded Jehoiada's son Benaiah, ‘Go there! Knock Joab down to kill him!’
• Psalms 19:13Lord, stop me doing things that I know are wrong. Do not let those sins rule my life. Then I will not be guilty. I will not have turned against you in a bad way.
• Hebrews 10:26Now that we have learned what is true, we must continue to believe in Jesus. If we know God's true message, but we still choose to do wrong things, God will not forgive us. There is no other sacrifice that will take away our sins.
• 2 Peter 2:10God will certainly punish those people who want bad things for themselves. They do the wrong things that their bodies want to do. They do not want to obey anyone's authority. These false teachers are not afraid of what other people think about them. They think that they themselves are very important. They are not afraid to say many bad things against the great angels in heaven.
• Numbers 35:20These are other examples of murder: A man might push another person hard because he hates him. A man might throw something at another person to hurt him.
• Deuteronomy 27:24‘God will curse anyone who murders anyone secretly.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Yes, we agree!’
• 2 Samuel 3:27When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab met him at the city's gate. Then Joab took him into a corner, as if he wanted to speak with Abner alone. But he pushed his knife into Abner's stomach. Joab killed Abner because Abner had killed Asahel, Joab's brother.
• 2 Samuel 20:9Joab said to Amasa, ‘How are you, my brother?’ He took hold of Amasa's beard with his right hand. He pretended that he wanted to kiss him.
• 1 Kings 1:50But Adonijah was afraid of what Solomon would do to punish him. So he ran to the holy tent. He took hold of the horns of the altar there.
• 1 Kings 2:28When Adonijah had tried to become king, Joab had joined with him. (But he had not joined with Absalom.) Joab heard the news about what had happened to Adonijah and Abiathar. So he hurried to the Lord's holy tent. He took hold of the horns of the altar there.
• 2 Kings 11:15Jehoiada the priest gave a command to the army officers who had authority over groups of soldiers. He told them, ‘Bring her out of the temple to the line of guards outside. Use your swords to kill anyone who follows her.’ That was because Jehoiada had said, ‘You must not kill her inside the Lord's temple.’

Commentaries on Exodus 21:14

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14Thou shalt take him from mine altar - Before the cities of refuge were assigned, the altar of God was the common asylum.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-21Verses 12-21 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…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14take him away from My altar: See 1 Kings 2:28–33.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 21:14

• Altar
• Homicide
• Refuge

In the dictionaries

• Book
• City
• Crucifixion
• Determine
• Gore
• Murder
• Push
• Quit
• Ransom
• Wont

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