God’s Word Translation
Exodus 21:18
18“This is what you must do whenever men quarrel and one hits the other with a rock or with his fist and injures him so that he has to stay in bed.
Exodus 21:18 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And if men strive together, and one smite another with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keepeth his bed:
- New International Version (NIV)“If people quarrel and one person hits another with a stone or with their fist and the victim does not die but is confined to bed,
- English Standard Version (ESV)"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,
- New King James Version (NKJV)“If men contend with each other, and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist, and he does not die but is confined to his bed,
Context of Exodus 21:18
16“Whoever kidnaps another person must be put to death, whether he has sold the kidnapped person or still has him. 17“Whoever curses his father or mother must be put to death. “This is what you must do whenever men quarrel and one hits the other with a rock or with his fist and injures him so that he has to stay in bed. 19If the injured man can get up again and walk around outside with a cane, the one who hit him must not be punished. He must pay the injured man for the loss of his time and for all his medical expenses. 20“Whenever an owner hits his male or female slave with a stick so that the slave dies from the beating, the owner must be punished.
Read all of Exodus 21Exodus 21:18 word by word
וְכִֽי־יְרִיבֻ֣ן אֲנָשִׁ֔ים וְהִכָּה־אִישׁ֙ אֶת־רֵעֵ֔הוּ בְּאֶ֖בֶן א֣וֹ בְאֶגְרֹ֑ף וְלֹ֥א יָמ֖וּת וְנָפַ֥ל לְמִשְׁכָּֽב׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And if menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
- striveרִיבrîyb rûb · to contendH7378
- together, and oneאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
- smiteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
- anotherרֵעַrêa‛ rêya‛ · neighborH7453
- with a stoneאֶ֫בֶן'eben · stoneH68
- orאוֹ'ô 'av · orH176
- fistאֶגְרֹף'egrôph · fistH106
- and he dieמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- not, but keepethנָפַלnâphal · to fall: fallH5307
- bedמִשְׁכָּבmishkâb · bedH4904
Cross-references for Exodus 21:18
- Exodus 21:22“This is what you must do whenever men fight and injure a pregnant woman so that she gives birth prematurely. If there are no other injuries, the offender must pay whatever fine the court allows the woman’s husband to demand.
- Exodus 2:13When Moses went there the next day, he saw two Hebrew men fighting. He asked the one who started the fight, “Why are you beating another Hebrew?”
- Deuteronomy 25:11This is what you must do when two men are fighting and the wife of one of them comes to rescue her husband from the man who is beating him. If she tries to stop the fight by grabbing the other man’s genitals,
- 2 Samuel 14:6I had two sons who quarreled in the field, and there was no one to separate them. One killed the other.
- Exodus 21:20“Whenever an owner hits his male or female slave with a stick so that the slave dies from the beating, the owner must be punished.
- Numbers 35:16“But if any of you uses an iron weapon to kill another person, you are a murderer. Murderers must be put to death.
Commentaries on Exodus 21:18
- 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. 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 21:18
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries