Exodus 21:20
And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished.
Exodus 21:20 in other translations
| BSB | If a man strikes his manservant or maidservant with a rod, and the servant dies by his hand, he shall surely be punished. |
|---|---|
| WEB | “If a man strikes his servant or his maid with a rod, and he dies under his hand, the man shall surely be punished. |
| ASV | And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall surely be punished. |
| YLT | ‘And when a man smiteth his man-servant or his handmaid, with a rod, and he hath died under his hand--he is certainly avenged; |
| DARBY | And if a man strike his bondman or his handmaid with a staff, and he die under his hand, he shall certainly be avenged. |
| BBE | If a man gives his man-servant or his woman-servant blows with a rod, causing death, he is certainly to undergo punishment. |
| Webster | And if a man shall smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he shall die under his hand; he shall be surely punished. |
What does Exodus 21:20 mean?
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Exodus 21:12-21
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…
Exodus 21:20 in the original Hebrew
Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.
Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).
Cross references for Exodus 21:20
- Proverbs 29:19
A servant will not be corrected by words: for though he understand he will not answer.
- Deuteronomy 19:21
And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
- Isaiah 58:3-4
Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.
- Numbers 35:30-33
Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die. Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death. And ye shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest. So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.
- Romans 13:4
For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
- Numbers 35:19
The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.
- Exodus 21:26-27
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. 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.
- Genesis 4:15
And the Lord said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.
- Genesis 4:24
If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.
- Genesis 9:6
Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.
Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Context
- Exodus 21:19
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.
- Exodus 21:20
And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished.
- Exodus 21:21
Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money.
Exodus 21:20 in other languages
| Spanish Reina-Valera 1909 | Y si alguno hiriere á su siervo ó á su sierva con palo, y muriere bajo de su mano, será castigado: |
|---|---|
| French Bible J.N. Darby 1885 | Et si quelqu’un frappe du bâton son serviteur ou sa servante, et qu’il meure sous sa main, il sera certainement vengé; |
| German Elberfelder 1871 | Und so jemand seinen Knecht oder seine Magd mit dem Stocke schlägt, daß er unter seiner Hand stirbt, so soll er gewißlich gerächt werden: |
| Latin Clementine Vulgate | Qui percusserit servum suum, vel ancillam virga, et mortui fuerint in manibus ejus, criminis reus erit. |