God’s Word Translation
Leviticus 24:20
20a broken bone for a broken bone, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Whoever injures another person must receive the same injury in return.
Leviticus 24:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again.
- New International Version (NIV)fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. The one who has inflicted the injury must suffer the same injury.
- English Standard Version (ESV)fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; whatever injury he has given a person shall be given to him.
- New King James Version (NKJV)fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he has caused disfigurement of a man, so shall it be done to him.
Context of Leviticus 24:20
18Whoever kills an animal must replace it, life for life. 19Whoever injures a neighbor must receive the same injury in return— a broken bone for a broken bone, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Whoever injures another person must receive the same injury in return. 21Whoever kills an animal must replace it. Whoever kills a person must be put to death. 22The same rule applies to every one of you. It makes no difference whether you are a foreigner or an Israelite, because I am the Lord your God.”
Read all of Leviticus 24Leviticus 24:20 word by word
שֶׁ֚בֶר תַּ֣חַת שֶׁ֔בֶר עַ֚יִן תַּ֣חַת עַ֔יִן שֵׁ֖ן תַּ֣חַת שֵׁ֑ן כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר יִתֵּ֥ן מוּם֙ בָּֽאָדָ֔ם כֵּ֖ן יִנָּ֥תֶן בּֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Leviticus 24:20
- Exodus 21:23If anyone is injured, the offender must pay a life for a life,
- Deuteronomy 19:21Have no pity on him: ⌞Take⌟ a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, and a foot for a foot.
- Matthew 5:38“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’
Commentaries on Leviticus 24:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Breach for breach - This is a repetition of the lex talionis, which See explained Exodus 21:24; (note).Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-23Verses 10-23 This offender was the son of an Egyptian father, and an Israelitish mother. The notice of his parents shows the common ill effect of mixed marriages. A standing law for the stoning of blasphemers was made upon this occasion. Great stress is laid upon this law. It extends to the strangers among them, as well as to those born in the land. Strangers, as well as native Israelites, should be entitled to the benefit of the law, so as not to suffer…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20eye for eye: This legal principle is often called lex talionis (which means “law of retaliation”). This means the punishment should match the crime. When an injured person sought revenge for their family member, excessive revenge often occurred instead of proper justice (see Numbers 35:19–21). This led to even more retaliation, creating a cycle of increasing violence. Lex talionis helped regulate how to prosecute crimes (see also Leviticus 6:2–7; compare…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 17-2217-22. he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death--These verses contain a repetition of some other laws, relating to offenses of a social nature, the penalties for which were to be inflicted, not by the hand of private parties, but through the medium of the judges before whom the cause was brought.Read the comment
Topics related to Leviticus 24:20
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Leviticus 24
- 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
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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