New International Version
Exodus 21:26
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.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)“If a man hits his male or female slave in the eye and the eye is blinded, he must let the slave go free to compensate for the 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. “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. 27And an owner who knocks out the tooth of a male or female slave must let the slave go free to compensate for the tooth. 28“If a bull gores a man or woman to death, the bull is to be stoned to death, and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the bull will not be held responsible.
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“Anyone who beats their male or female slave with a rod must be punished if the slave dies as a direct result,
- Deuteronomy 16:19Do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the innocent.
- Nehemiah 5:5Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our fellow Jews and though our children are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others.”
- Job 31:13“If I have denied justice to any of my servants, whether male or female, when they had a grievance against me,
- Psalms 9:12For he who avenges blood remembers; he does not ignore the cries of the afflicted.
- Psalms 10:14But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.
- Psalms 72:12For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help.
- Proverbs 22:22Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court,
- Ephesians 6:9And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.
- Colossians 4:1Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, 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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