1 Laws for men servants
5 For the servant whose ear is bored
7 For women servants
12 For manslaughter
16 For stealers of men
17 For cursers of parents
18 For smiters
22 For a hurt by chance
28 For an ox that gores
33 For him that is an occasion of harm

the judgments Le 18:5,26 19:37 20:22 Nu 35:24 De 5:1,31 6:20 1Ki 6:12 2Ch 19:10 Ne 9:13,14 10:29 Ps 147:19 Eze 20:11,25 Mal 4:4

which Ex 19:7 24:3,4 De 4:5,8 6:20 Mt 28:20 1Th 4:1

2 If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.

an Hebrew Ex 12:44 22:3 Ge 27:28,36 Le 25:39-41,44 2Ki 4:1 Ne 5:1-5,8 Mt 18:25 1Co 6:20

and in the Le 25:40-43,45 De 15:1,12-15,18 31:10 Jer 34:8-17

3 If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him.

by himself. Heb. with his body

4 If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out by himself.

no reference

5 And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:

and if De 15:16,17 Isa 26:13 2Co 5:14,15

shall plainly say. Heb. saying shall say

6 Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl; and he shall serve him for ever.

the judges Ex 21:22 12:12 18:21-26 22:8,9,28 Nu 25:6-8 De 1:16 16:18 19:17,18 1Sa 8:1,2 Isa 1:26 Zep 3:3

bore his ear. This significant ceremony was intended as a mark of permanent servitude, and was calculated to impress the servant with the duty of hearing all his master's orders, and obeying them punctually. Ps 40:6-8

for every Le 25:23,40 De 15:17 1Sa 1:22 27:12 28:2 1Ki 12:7

7 And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do.

sell Ne 5:5

go out Ex 21:2,3

8 If she please not her master, who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her.

please not. Heb. be evil in the eyes of. Ge 28:8 Jud 14:3 1Sa 8:6 18:8

who hath De 20:7 21:11-14

seeing Ex 8:29 Jud 9:19 Job 6:15 Mal 2:11-15

9 And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.

no reference

10 If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.

her food. Sheairah, 'her flesh;' he shall not only afford her a sufficient quantity of food, as before, but of the same quality. She is not to be fed, like a common slave, with a sufficiency of bread, vegetables, milk, but with her customary supply of flesh, and other agreeable articles of food. 1Co 7:1-6

11 And if he do not these three unto her, then shall she go out free without money.

Ex 21:2

12 He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.

Ex 20:13 Ge 9:6 Le 24:17 Nu 35:16-24,30,31 De 19:11-13 2Sa 12:13 Mt 26:52

13 And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee.

lie not Nu 35:11,22 De 19:4-6,11 Mic 7:2

God 1Sa 24:4,10,18 2Sa 16:10 Isa 10:7

I will appoint Nu 35:11 De 4:41-43 19:1-3,9 Jos 20:2-9

14 But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbor, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.

presumptuously Nu 15:30,31 De 1:43 17:12,13 18:22 19:11-13 1Ki 2:29-34 Ps 19:13 Heb 10:26 2Pe 2:10

slay Nu 35:20,21 De 27:24 2Sa 3:27 20:9,10

take him 1Ki 1:50,51 2:28-34 2Ki 11:15

15 And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.

To smite either father or mother, in a manner which indicated either contempt or malice, or left marks of violence, was deemed a proof of so ungrateful and unnatural a disposition, that no provocation was admitted as an excuse, but the offence was made capital: nay, he who cursed his father or mother, who uttered imprecations, ill wishes, or revilings, against a parent, was included in the same sense; though few crimes were made capital by the law of Moses. The law of God, as delegated to parents is honoured when they are honoured, and despised when they are despised: and to rebel against the lawful exercise of this authority is rebellion against God.--Rev. T. Scott De 21:18-21 27:24 Pr 30:11,17 1Ti 1:9

16 And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.

stealeth Ge 40:15 De 24:7 1Ti 1:10 Re 18:12

selleth him Ge 37:28

found in Ex 22:4

17 And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.

curseth or veliteth Le 20:9 De 27:16 Pr 20:20 30:11,17 Mt 15:3-6 Mr 7:10,11

18 And if men strive together, and one smite another with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keepeth his bed:

men Ex 21:22 2:13 De 25:11 2Sa 14:6

another or his neighbour. a stone Ex 21:20 Nu 35:16-24

19 If he rise again, and walk abroad upon his staff, then shall he that smote him be quit: only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall cause him to be thoroughly healed.

upon his staff 2Sa 3:29 Zec 8:4

only he shall pay. This was a wise and excellent institution. The same provision is made in the civil law; and most courts of justice still regulate their decisions in such cases by this Mosaic precept. the loss. Heb. his ceasing.

20 And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished.

smite Ex 21:26,27 De 19:21 Pr 29:19 Isa 58:3,4

he shall Ge 9:6 Nu 35:30-33

punished. Heb. avenged Ge 4:15,24 Nu 35:19 Ro 13:4

21 Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money.

Le 25:45,46

22 If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.

strive Ex 21:18

as the judges Ex 21:30 De 16:18 22:18,19

23 And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,

life for life Nu 35:31

24 Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

This is the earliest account we have of the Lex Talionis, law of like for like. Ex 21:26,27 Le 24:19,20 De 19:21 Jud 1:6,7 1Sa 15:33 Mt 5:38-40 7:2 Lu 6:38 Re 16:6

25 Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

no reference

26 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.

Ex 21:20 De 16:19 Ne 5:5 Job 31:13-15 Ps 9:12 10:14,18 72:12-14 Pr 22:22,23 Eph 6:9 Col 4:1

27 And if he smite out his manservant's tooth, or his maidservant's tooth; he shall let him go free for his tooth's sake.

no reference

28 If 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.

the ox Ex 21:32 Ge 9:5,6 Le 20:15,16

29 But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in time past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not kept him in, but that he hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death.

his owner also De 21:1-9

30 If there be laid on him a sum of money, then he shall give for the ransom of his life whatsoever is laid upon him.

for the ransom Ex 21:22 30:12 Nu 35:31-33 Pr 13:8

31 Whether he have gored a son, or have gored a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done unto him.

no reference

32 If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

Ge 37:28 Zec 11:12,13 Mt 26:15 27:3-9 Php 2:7

and the ox Ex 21:28,29

33 And if a man shall open a pit, or if a man shall dig a pit, and not cover it, and an ox or an ass fall therein;

Ps 9:15 119:85 Pr 28:10 Ec 10:8 Jer 18:20,22

34 The owner of the pit shall make it good, and give money unto the owner of them; and the dead beast shall be his.

Ex 21:29,30 22:6,14

35 And if one man's ox hurt another's, that he die; then they shall sell the live ox, and divide the money of it; and the dead ox also they shall divide.

no reference

36 Or if it be known that the ox hath used to push in time past, and his owner hath not kept him in; he shall surely pay ox for ox; and the dead shall be his own.

Ex 21:29