English Standard Version
Exodus 21:16
16"Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death.
Exodus 21:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.
- New International Version (NIV)“Anyone who kidnaps someone is to be put to death, whether the victim has been sold or is still in the kidnapper’s possession.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“He who kidnaps a man and sells him, or if he is found in his hand, shall surely be put to death.
- New Living Translation (NLT)“Kidnappers must be put to death, whether they are caught in possession of their victims or have already sold them as slaves.
Context of Exodus 21:16
14But if a man willfully attacks another to kill him by cunning, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die. 15"Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death. "Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death. 17"Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death. 18"When men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist and the man does not die but takes to his bed,
Read all of Exodus 21Exodus 21:16 word by word
וְגֹנֵ֨ב אִ֧ישׁ וּמְכָר֛וֹ וְנִמְצָ֥א בְיָד֖וֹ מ֥וֹת יוּמָֽת׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Exodus 21:16
- Genesis 40:15For I was indeed stolen out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the pit."
- Deuteronomy 24:7"If a man is found stealing one of his brothers of the people of Israel, and if he treats him as a slave or sells him, then that thief shall die. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.
- 1 Timothy 1:10the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine,
- Revelation 18:12cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble,
- Genesis 37:28Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.
- Exodus 22:4If the stolen beast is found alive in his possession, whether it is an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he shall pay double.
Commentaries on Exodus 21:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16He that stealeth a man - By this law every man-stealer, and every receiver of the stolen person, should lose his life; no matter whether the latter stole the man himself, or gave money to a slave captain or negro-dealer to steal him for him.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. 12-17The crimes of murder, kidnapping, and cursing or striking one’s parents were punished by death. A person who committed murder gave up his own right to live. Human life is very precious in God’s sight. Even when a death was accidental, it could not simply be ignored. However, the law made a difference between murder and accidental killing. God provided places of refuge (see Numbers 35:6–28). These were special towns where a person who killed someone by…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 21:16
In the dictionaries
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries