Exodus 21 · Verse 24

Exodus 21:24

Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
Exodus 21:24, King James Version

Exodus 21:24 in other translations

BSBeye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
WEBeye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
ASVeye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
YLTeye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
DARBYeye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
BBEEye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
WebsterEye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

What does Exodus 21:24 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Exodus 21:23-25

23-25. eye for eye--The law which authorized retaliation (a principle acted upon by all primitive people) was a civil one. It was given to regulate the procedure of the public magistrate in determining the amount of compensation in every case of injury, but did not encourage feelings of private revenge. The later Jews, however, mistook it for a moral precept, and were corrected by our Lord (Mt 5:38-42).

Read the full comment on Exodus 21:23-25 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 24 Eye for eye - This is the earliest account we have of the lex talionis, or law of like for like, which afterwards prevailed among the Greeks and Romans. Among the latter, it constituted a part of the twelve tables, so famous in antiquity; but the punishment was afterwards changed to a pecuniary fine, to be levied at the discretion of the praetor. It prevails less or more in most civilized countries, and is fully acted upon in the canon law, in reference to all calumniators: Calumniator, si in accusatione defecerit, talionem recipiat. "If the calumniator fall in the proof of his accusation, let him suffer the same punishment which he wished to have inflicted upon the man whom he falsely accused." Nothing, however, of this kind was left to private revenge; the magistrate awarded the punishment when the fact was proved, otherwise the lex talionis would have utterly destroyed the peace of society, and have sown the seeds of hatred, revenge, and all uncharitableness.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Exodus 21:22-36

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 full comment on Exodus 21:22-36 →

Exodus 21:24 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.

עַ֚יִן'A.yinan eyeH5869
תַּ֣חַתTa.chatin place ofH8478
עַ֔יִן'A.yinan eyeH5869
שֵׁ֖ןshena toothH8127
תַּ֣חַתTa.chatin place ofH8478
שֵׁ֑ןShena toothH8127
יָ֚דyada handH3027
תַּ֣חַתTa.chatin place ofH8478
יָ֔דYada handH3027
רֶ֖גֶלRe.gela footH7272
תַּ֥חַתTa.chatin place ofH8478
רָֽגֶל\׃Ra.gela footH7272

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Exodus 21:24

  • 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.

  • Matthew 7:2

    For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

  • Matthew 5:38-40

    Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.

  • Leviticus 24:19-20

    And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him; Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again.

  • Revelation 16:6

    For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

  • Judges 1:6-7

    But Adoni–bezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes. And Adoni–bezek said, Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table: as I have done, so God hath requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.

  • Luke 6:38

    Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

  • 1 Samuel 15:33

    And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.

  • 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.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
This is the earliest account we have of the [towtopatheia,] tautopatheia,] Lex Talionis, law of like for like.
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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Exodus 21:23

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

  • Exodus 21:24

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

  • Exodus 21:25

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

Read all of Exodus 21

Exodus 21:24 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Ojo por ojo, diente por diente, mano por mano, pie por pie,
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		œil pour œil, dent pour dent, main pour main, pied pour pied,
German
Elberfelder 1871		Auge um Auge, Zahn um Zahn, Hand um Hand, Fuß um Fuß,
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		oculum pro oculo, dentem pro dente, manum pro manu, pedem pro pede,