Exodus 21

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

“If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her…” 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.

“Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his…” 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 a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“If she please not her master, who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a…” 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 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.

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

“He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely 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.

“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…” 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 a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that…” The line’s distinctive content terms include altar, guile, neighbour. Its relationship to verses 13 and 15 shows what work it does in this passage.

“And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely 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.

“And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he 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.

“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.

“And if men strive together, and one smite another with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keepeth his bed:” The number one makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“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.

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

“If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be…” 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 any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,” The line’s distinctive content terms include life, follow, mischief. Its relationship to verses 22 and 24 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,” Naming Eye keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“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 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…” 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 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.

“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…” 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.

“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.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“Whether he have gored a son, or have gored a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done unto him.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the…” 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 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.

“The owner of the pit shall make it good, and give money unto the owner of them; and the dead beast shall be his.” 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 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…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“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…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.