God’s Word Translation
Exodus 21:32
32If the bull gores a male or female slave, its owner must pay 12 ounces of silver to the slave’s master, and the bull must be stoned.
Exodus 21:32 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.
- New International Version (NIV)If the bull gores a male or female slave, the owner must pay thirty shekels of silver to the master of the slave, and the bull is to be stoned to death.
- English Standard Version (ESV)If the ox gores a slave, male or female, the owner shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.
- New King James Version (NKJV)If the ox gores a male or female servant, he shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.
Context of Exodus 21:32
30However, if only a cash settlement is demanded from the owner, the bull’s owner may save his life by paying whatever price is demanded of him. 31If the bull gores someone’s son or daughter, this same ruling applies. If the bull gores a male or female slave, its owner must pay 12 ounces of silver to the slave’s master, and the bull must be stoned. 33“Whenever someone opens up a cistern or digs a new one and doesn’t cover it and a bull or a donkey falls into it, 34the owner of the cistern must make up for the loss. He must pay money to the animal’s owner, and then the dead animal will be his.
Read all of Exodus 21Exodus 21:32 word by word
אִם־עֶ֛בֶד יִגַּ֥ח הַשּׁ֖וֹר א֣וֹ אָמָ֑ה כֶּ֣סֶף׀ שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים שְׁקָלִ֗ים יִתֵּן֙ לַֽאדֹנָ֔יו וְהַשּׁ֖וֹר יִסָּקֵֽל׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- If the oxשׁוֹרshôr · cattleH7794
- shall pushנָגַחnâgach · to goreH5055
- a manservantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- or a maidservantאָמָה'âmâh · maidservantH519
- he shall giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: payH5414
- unto their masterאָדוֹן'âdôn 'âdôn · lordH113
- thirtyשְׁלֹשִׁיםshelôshîym shelôshîym · thirtyH7970
- shekelsשֶׁ֫קֶלsheqel · shekelH8255
- of silverכֶּ֫סֶףkeseph · silver: moneyH3701
- shall be stonedסָקַלsâqal · to stoneH5619
Cross-references for Exodus 21:32
- Genesis 37:28As the Midianite merchants were passing by, the brothers pulled Joseph out of the cistern. They sold him to the Ishmaelites for eight ounces of silver. The Ishmaelites took him to Egypt.
- Zechariah 11:12Then I said to them, “If it’s alright with you, pay me my wages. But if it’s not, don’t.” And they paid me my wages—30 pieces of silver.
- Matthew 26:15He asked, “What will you pay me if I hand him over to you?” They offered him 30 silver coins.
- Matthew 27:3Then Judas, who had betrayed Jesus, regretted what had happened when he saw that Jesus was condemned. He brought the 30 silver coins back to the chief priests and leaders.
- Philippians 2:7Instead, he emptied himself by taking on the form of a servant, by becoming like other humans, by having a human appearance.
- Exodus 21:28“Whenever a bull gores a man or a woman to death, the bull must be stoned to death, and its meat may not be eaten. The bull’s owner is free from any liability.
Commentaries on Exodus 21:32
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 32Thirty shekels - Each worth about three shillings English; see Genesis 20:16; Genesis 23:15. So, counting the shekel at its utmost value, the life of a slave was valued at four pounds ten shillings. And at this price these same vile people valued the life of our blessed Lord; see Zechariah 11:12, Zechariah 11:13; Matthew 26:15. And in return, the justice of God has ordered it so, that they have been sold for slaves into every country of the universe. And…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 28-32Verses 28-32 The animal was slain as a tribute to the sanctity of human life (Compare the marginal references and Genesis 4:11). It was stoned, and its flesh was treated as carrion. Guilty negligence on the part of its owner was reckoned a capital offence, to be commuted for a fine. In the case of a slave, the payment was the standard price of a slave, thirty shekels of silver. See Leviticus 25:44-46; Leviticus 27:3, and the marginal references for the…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. 28-32If an animal caused a person’s death and the owner was judged to be negligent, the relatives of the deceased could demand the death penalty for both the animal and its owner. However, that penalty was not mandatory, and the relatives could elect to accept compensation (21:30).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 28-3628-36. If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die--For the purpose of sanctifying human blood, and representing all injuries affecting life in a serious light, an animal that occasioned death was to be killed or suffer punishment proportioned to the degree of damage it had caused. Punishments are still inflicted on this principle in Persia and other countries of the East; and among a rude people greater effect is thus produced in inspiring caution, and…Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 21:32
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
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