Exodus 21:26

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 an eye, tooth for a tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25burn for burn, wound for wound, blow for blow. “If a man strikes the eye of his male or female slave and destroys it, he must let him go free for the sake of his eyesight. 27If he strikes out his slave’s tooth, he must let him go free for the sake of his tooth. 28“If an ox gores a man or a woman so that they die, the ox must surely be stoned, and its meat is not to be eaten, but the owner of the ox will be cleared.

Exodus 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 or female servant with a staff, who dies by his hand, he must surely be punished.
• Deuteronomy 16:19You are not to twist justice—you must not show partiality or take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and distorts the words of the righteous.
• Nehemiah 5:5And now, though we share the same flesh as our brothers, and our children are just like their children, still we subject our sons and our daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved but our hands are tied since our fields and vineyards belong to others.”
• Job 31:13“If I have denied justice to my male or female servant when they disputed with me,
• Psalms 9:12Sing praises to Adonai, who dwells in Zion. Declare His deeds among the peoples.
• Psalms 10:14You saw—for You see trouble and grief, to take it in Your hand. The victim puts his trust in You— You are the helper of the orphan.
• Psalms 72:12For he rescues the needy crying for help, also the poor and the one with no helper.
• Proverbs 22:22Do not rob a poor person because he is poor, nor crush the needy at the gate,
• Ephesians 6:9And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Stop using threats, knowing that the Master—of them and of you, too—is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with Him.
• Colossians 4:1Masters, give your slaves what is just and fair, knowing 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

• Assault and Battery
• Master
• 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