Revised Literal Translation
Exodus 21:26
26And 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.
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, 25Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. 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. 27And if he smite out his manservant’s tooth, or his maidservant’s tooth; he shall let him go free for his tooth’s sake. 28If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die: then the ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit.
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
- 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 21:20And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished.
- Deuteronomy 16:19Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.
- Nehemiah 5:5Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards.
- Job 31:13If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;
- Psalms 9:12When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble.
- Psalms 10:14Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.
- Psalms 72:12For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper.
- Proverbs 22:22Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate:
- Ephesians 6:9And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.
- Colossians 4:1Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye 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
Revised Literal Translation — © 2018 Michael W. Jones, Sr. — GPL
Commentaries