Exodus 21 · Verse 28

Exodus 21:28

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.
Exodus 21:28, King James Version

Exodus 21:28 in other translations

BSBIf an ox gores a man or woman to death, the ox must surely be stoned, and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the ox shall not be held responsible.
WEB“If a bull gores a man or a woman to death, the bull shall surely be stoned, and its meat shall not be eaten; but the owner of the bull shall not be held responsible.
ASVAnd if an ox gore a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be surely stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit.
YLT‘And when an ox doth gore man or woman, and they have died, the ox is certainly stoned, and his flesh is not eaten, and the owner of the ox is acquitted;
DARBYAnd if an ox gore a man or a woman, so that they die, then the ox shall certainly be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be guiltless.
BBEIf an ox comes to be the cause of death to a man or a woman, the ox is to be stoned, and its flesh may not be used for food; but the owner will not be judged responsible.
WebsterIf an ox shall 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.

What does Exodus 21:28 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Exodus 21:28-36
28-36. If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die--For the purpose of sanctifying human blood, and representing all injuries affecting life in a serious light, an animal that occasioned death was to be killed or suffer punishment proportioned to the degree of damage it had caused. Punishments are still inflicted on this principle in Persia and other countries of the East; and among a rude people greater effect is thus produced in inspiring caution, and making them keep noxious animals under restraint, than a penalty imposed on the owners.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 28 If an ox gore a man - It is more likely that a bull is here intended, as the word signifies both, see Exo 22:1; and the Septuagint translate the שור shor of the original by ταυρος, a bull. Mischief of this kind was provided against by most nations. It appears that the Romans twisted hay about the horns of their dangerous cattle, that people seeing it might shun them; hence that saying of Horace. Sat., lib. i., sat. 4, ver. 34: Faenum habet in cornu, longe fuge. "He has hay on his horns; fly for life!" The laws of the twelve tables ordered, That the owner of the beast should pay for what damages he committed, or deliver him to the person injured. See Clarke's note on Exo 22:1. His flesh shall not be eaten - This served to keep up a due detestation of murder, whether committed by man or beast; and at the same time punished the man as far as possible, by the total loss of the beast.

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 21:28 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.

וְכִֽי\־ve.khi-and ifH3588
יִגַּ֨חyi.Gachit will goreH5055
שׁ֥וֹרShoran oxH7794
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
אִ֛ישׁ'isha manH376
א֥וֹ'oorH176
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
אִשָּׁ֖ה'i.Shaha womanH802
וָמֵ֑תva.Metand he will dieH4191
סָק֨וֹלsa.Kolcertainly <to stone>H5619
יִסָּקֵ֜לyi.sa.Kelit will be stoned to deathH5619
הַשּׁ֗וֹרha.Shorthe oxH7794
וְלֹ֤אve.Lo'and notH3808
יֵאָכֵל֙ye.'a.Khelit will be eatenH398
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
בְּשָׂר֔וֹbe.sa.Romeat itsH1320
וּבַ֥עַלu.Va.'aland [the] owner ofH1167
הַשּׁ֖וֹרha.Shorthe oxH7794
נָקִֽי\׃na.Ki[will be] free from guiltH5355

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

Cross references for Exodus 21:28

  • Exodus 21:32

    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.

  • Genesis 9:5-6

    And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

  • Leviticus 20:15-16

    And if a man lie with a beast, he shall surely be put to death: and ye shall slay the beast. And if a woman approach unto any beast, and lie down thereto, thou shalt kill the woman, and the beast: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the ox.
32; Ge 9:5,6; Le 20:15,16

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

Context

  • Exodus 21:27

    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.

  • Exodus 21:28

    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.

  • Exodus 21:29

    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.

Read all of Exodus 21

Exodus 21:28 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Si un buey acorneare hombre ó mujer, y de resultas muriere, el buey será apedreado, y no se comerá su carne; mas el dueño del buey será absuelto.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et si un bœuf frappe de ses cornes un homme ou une femme, et qu’ils en meurent, le bœuf sera certainement lapidé, et sa chair ne sera pas mangée; mais le maître du bœuf sera tenu pour non coupable.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und wenn ein Ochse einen Mann oder ein Weib stößt, daß sie sterben, so soll der Ochse gewißlich gesteinigt, und sein Fleisch soll nicht gegessen werden; aber der Besitzer des Ochsen soll schuldlos sein.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Si bos cornu percusserit virum aut mulierem, et mortui fuerint, lapidibus obruetur: et non comedentur carnes ejus, dominus quoque bovis innocens erit.