Exodus 21:20

Exodus 21:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"When a man strikes his slave, male or female, with a rod and the slave dies under his hand, he shall be avenged.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“And if a man beats his male or female servant with a rod, so that he dies under his hand, he shall surely be punished.
• New Living Translation (NLT)“If a man beats his male or female slave with a club and the slave dies as a result, the owner must be punished.

Context of Exodus 21:20

18“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, 19the one who struck the blow will not be held liable if the other can get up and walk around outside with a staff; however, the guilty party must pay the injured person for any loss of time and see that the victim is completely healed. “Anyone who beats their male or female slave with a rod must be punished if the slave dies as a direct result, 21but they are not to be punished if the slave recovers after a day or two, since the slave is their property. 22“If people are fighting and hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows.

Exodus 21:20 word by word

וְכִֽי־יַכֶּה֩ אִ֨ישׁ אֶת־עַבְדּ֜וֹ א֤וֹ אֶת־אֲמָתוֹ֙ בַּשֵּׁ֔בֶט וּמֵ֖ת תַּ֣חַת יָד֑וֹ נָקֹ֖ם יִנָּקֵֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And if a manאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
• smiteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
• his servantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• or his maidאָמָה'âmâh · maidservantH519
• with a rodשֵׁ֫בֶטshêbeţ · tribe: staffH7626
• and he dieמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• under his handיָדyâd · hand: ownerH3027
• he shall be surelyנָקַםnâqam · to avengeH5358

Cross-references for Exodus 21:20

• Exodus 21:26“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.
• Deuteronomy 19:21Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
• Proverbs 29:19Servants cannot be corrected by mere words; though they understand, they will not respond.
• Isaiah 58:3‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’ “Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers.
• Genesis 9:6“Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind.
• Numbers 35:30“ ‘Anyone who kills a person is to be put to death as a murderer only on the testimony of witnesses. But no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.
• Genesis 4:15But the Lord said to him, “Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.
• Numbers 35:19The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death; when the avenger comes upon the murderer, the avenger shall put the murderer to death.
• Romans 13:4For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.

Commentaries on Exodus 21:20

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20The Jewish authorities appear to be right in referring this law, like those in Exodus 21:26-27, Exodus 21:32, to foreign slaves (see Leviticus 25:44-46). The protection here afforded to the life of a slave may seem to us but a slight one; but it is the very earliest trace of such protection in legislation, and it stands in strong and favorable contrast with the old laws of Greece, Rome, and other nations. If the slave survived the castigation a day or…Read the comment
• 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 21:20

• Master
• Music
• Scourging
• Servant

In the dictionaries

• Book
• Crucifixion
• Determine
• Gore
• Push
• Quit
• Ransom
• Slave
• Wont
• Bible, the

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