New English Translation
Exodus 21:26
26“If a man strikes the eye of his male servant or his female servant so that he destroys it, he will let the servant go free as compensation for the 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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"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.
- 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.
Context of Exodus 21:26
24eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise. “If a man strikes the eye of his male servant or his female servant so that he destroys it, he will let the servant go free as compensation for the eye. 27If he knocks out the tooth of his male servant or his female servant, he will let the servant go free as compensation for the tooth. 28“If an ox gores a man or a woman so that either dies, then the ox must surely be stoned and its flesh must not be eaten, but the owner of the ox will be acquitted.
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“If a man strikes his male servant or his female servant with a staff so that he or she dies as a result of the blow, he will surely be punished.
- Deuteronomy 16:19You must not pervert justice or show favor. Do not take a bribe, for bribes blind the eyes of the wise and distort the words of the righteous.
- Nehemiah 5:5And now, though we share the same flesh and blood as our fellow countrymen, and our children are just like their children, still we have found it necessary to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have been subjected to slavery, while we are powerless to help, since our fields and vineyards now belong to other people.”
- Job 31:13“If I have disregarded the right of my male servants or my female servants when they disputed with me,
- Psalms 9:12For the one who takes revenge against murderers took notice of the oppressed; he did not overlook their cry for help
- Psalms 10:14You have taken notice, for you always see one who inflicts pain and suffering. The unfortunate victim entrusts his cause to you; you deliver the fatherless.
- Psalms 72:12For he will rescue the needy when they cry out for help, and the oppressed who have no defender.
- Proverbs 22:22Do not exploit a poor person because he is poor and do not crush the needy in court,
- Ephesians 6:9Masters, treat your slaves the same way, giving up the use of threats, because you know that both you and they have the same master in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.
- Colossians 4:1Masters, treat your slaves with justice and fairness, because you know 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
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