The big picture
Exodus 21 opens in verse 1 with “Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.”, reaches its middle movement near verse 18 with “And if men strive together, and one smite another with a stone, or with his fist, and he…”, and closes in verse 36 with “Or if it be known that the ox hath used to push in time past, and his owner hath not…” Repeated or prominent terms include surely, master, owner, death, free. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Exodus · King James Version · 36Exodus 21:1-8
1–8: These are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.
Exodus 21:1–8 opens with “Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.” and reaches “If she please not her master, who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her be…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by master, wife, children.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.” The line’s distinctive content terms include judgments. Its relationship to verses 2 shows what work it does in this passage.
“If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Exodus 21:1-8
King James Version1Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.
2If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.
3If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him.
4If 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.
5And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:
6Then 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 aul; and he shall serve him for ever.
7And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do.
8If 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.
Exodus 21:9-16
9–16: If he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the…
Exodus 21:9–16 opens with “And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.” and reaches “And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by death, surely, hand.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“And if he do not these three unto her, then shall she go out free without money.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Exodus 21:9-16
King James Version9And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.
10If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.
11And if he do not these three unto her, then shall she go out free without money.
12He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.
13And 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.
14But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.
15And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.
16And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.
Exodus 21:17-24
17–24: He that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.
Exodus 21:17–24 opens with “And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.” and reaches “Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by hand, punished, surely.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“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…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Exodus 21:17-24
King James Version17And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.
18And if men strive together, and one smite another with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keepeth his bed:
19If 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.
20And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished.
21Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money.
22If 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.
23And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,
24Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
Exodus 21:25-32
25–32: Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
Exodus 21:25–32 opens with “Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” and reaches “If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give unto their master thirty…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by owner, stoned, burning.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” Naming Burning keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“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.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“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…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Exodus 21:25-32
King James Version25Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
26And 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.
27And if he smite out his manservant’s tooth, or his maidservant’s tooth; he shall let him go free for his tooth’s sake.
28If 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.
29But 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.
30If there be laid on him a sum of money, then he shall give for the ransom of his life whatsoever is laid upon him.
31Whether he have gored a son, or have gored a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done unto him.
32If 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.
Exodus 21:33-36
33–36: If a man shall open a pit, or if a man shall dig a pit, and not cover…
Exodus 21:33–36 opens with “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…” and reaches “Or if it be known that the ox hath used to push in time past, and his owner hath not kept him…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by dead, owner, divide.
Context that brings the passage to life
“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;” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Exodus 21:33-36
King James Version33And 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;
34The owner of the pit shall make it good, and give money unto the owner of them; and the dead beast shall be his.
35And 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.
36Or 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.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Exodus 21:1 begins with “Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.”
Where the chapter turns
Exodus 21:14 forms a natural hinge: “But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.”
The final note
Exodus 21:36 leaves the reader with “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…”
A word trail through the chapter
The words surely, master, owner, death, free, hand help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
How is God's faithfulness shown in both halves of the family?
Isaac is born as promised, and Ishmael is heard and preserved with a future of his own.
Why does a well deserve narrative space?
Water sustains life and makes residence possible in a land Abraham does not yet own.
KJV words made clear
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- hath
- has
- raiment
- clothing
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.