English Standard Version
Exodus 21:26
26"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.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)“If a man hits his male or female slave in the eye and the eye is blinded, he must let the slave go free to compensate for the eye.
Context of Exodus 21:26
24eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. "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. 27If he knocks out the tooth of his slave, male or female, he shall let the slave go free because of his tooth. 28"When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner of the ox shall not be liable.
Read all of Exodus 21Exodus 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"When a man strikes his slave, male or female, with a rod and the slave dies under his hand, he shall be avenged.
- Deuteronomy 16:19You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous.
- Nehemiah 5:5Now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their children. Yet we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but it is not in our power to help it, for other men have our fields and our vineyards."
- Job 31:13"If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or my maidservant, when they brought a complaint against me,
- Psalms 9:12For he who avenges blood is mindful of them; he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.
- Psalms 10:14But you do see, for you note mischief and vexation, that you may take it into your hands; to you the helpless commits himself; you have been the helper of the fatherless.
- Psalms 72:12For he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper.
- Proverbs 22:22Do not rob the poor, because he is poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate,
- Ephesians 6:9Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.
- Colossians 4:1Masters, treat your bondservants 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
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