Exodus 21 Geneva Bible (1599)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Original 16th-century spelling.
1 Now these are the lawes, which thou shalt set before them:
1 “Now these are the ordinances which you shall set before them:
2 If thou bye an Ebrewe seruant, he shall serue sixe yeres, and in the seuenth he shall go out free, for nothing.
2 “If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free without paying anything.
3 If he came himselfe alone, he shall goe out himselfe alone: if hee were married, then his wife shall go out with him.
3 If he comes in by himself, he shall go out by himself. If he is married, then his wife shall go out with him.
4 If his master haue giuen him a wife, and she hath borne him sonnes or daughters, he wife and her children shalbe her masters, but he shall goe out himselfe alone.
4 If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself.
5 But if the seruant saye thus, I loue my master, my wife and my children, I will not goe out free,
5 But if the servant shall plainly say, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children. I will not go out free;’
6 Then his master shall bring him vnto the Iudges, and set him to the dore, or to the poste, and his master shall bore his eare through with a nawle, and he shall serue him for euer.
6 then his master shall bring him to God, and shall bring him to the door or to the doorpost, and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall serve him forever.
7 Likewise if a man sell his daughter to be a seruant, she shall not goe out as the men seruantes doe.
7 “If a man sells his daughter to be a female servant, she shall not go out as the male servants do.
8 If shee please not her master, who hath betrothed her to him selfe, then shall hee cause to buy her: hee shall haue no power to sell her to a strange people, seeing he despised her.
8 If she doesn’t please her master, who has married her to himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has dealt deceitfully with her.
9 But if he hath betrothed her vnto his sonne, he shall deale with her according to the custome of the daughters.
9 If he marries her to his son, he shall deal with her as a daughter.
10 If he take him another wife, he shall not diminish her foode, her rayment, and recompence of her virginitie.
10 If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, and her marital rights.
11 And if he do not these three vnto her, the shall she go out free, paying no money.
11 If he doesn’t do these three things for her, she may go free without paying any money.
12 He that smiteth a man, and he die, shall dye the death.
12 “One who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death,
13 And if a man hath not layed wayte, but God hath offered him into his hande, then I wil appoynt thee a place whither he shall flee.
13 but not if it is unintentional, but God allows it to happen; then I will appoint you a place where he shall flee.
14 But if a man come presumptuously vpon his neighbour to slay him with guile, thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.
14 If a man schemes and comes presumptuously on his neighbor to kill him, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.
15 Also hee that smiteth his father or his mother, shall die the death.
15 “Anyone who attacks his father or his mother shall be surely put to death.
16 And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, if it be founde with him, shall die the death.
16 “Anyone who kidnaps someone and sells him, or if he is found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.
17 And hee that curseth his father or his mother, shall die the death.
17 “Anyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.
18 When men also striue together, and one smite another with a stone, or with the fist, and he die not, but lieth in bed,
18 “If men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone, or with his fist, and he doesn’t die, but is confined to bed;
19 If hee rise againe and walke without vpon his staffe, then shall he that smote him go quite, saue onely hee shall beare his charges for his resting, and shall pay for his healing.
19 if he rises again and walks around with his staff, then he who struck him shall be cleared; only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall provide for his healing until he is thoroughly healed.
20 And if a man smite his seruant, or his maide with a rod, and he die vnder his hande, he shalbe surely punished.
20 “If a man strikes his servant or his maid with a rod, and he dies under his hand, the man shall surely be punished.
21 But if he continue a day, or two dayes, hee shall not be punished: for he is his money.
21 Notwithstanding, if his servant gets up after a day or two, he shall not be punished, for the servant is his property.
22 Also if men striue and hurt a woman with childe, so that her childe depart from her, and death follow not, hee shall bee surely punished according as the womans husband shall appoynt him, or he shall pay as the Iudges determine.
22 “If men fight and hurt a pregnant woman so that she gives birth prematurely, and yet no harm follows, he shall be surely fined as much as the woman’s husband demands and the judges allow.
23 But if death follow, then thou shalt paye life for life,
23 But if any harm follows, then you must take life for life,
24 Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hande for hand, foote for foote,
24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
25 Burning for burning, wound for wounde, stripe for stripe.
25 burning for burning, wound for wound, and bruise for bruise.
26 And if a man smite his seruant in the eie, or his maide in the eye, and hath perished it, hee shall let him goe free for his eye.
26 “If a man strikes his servant’s eye, or his maid’s eye, and destroys it, he shall let him go free for his eye’s sake.
27 Also if he smite out his seruants tooth, or his maides tooth, he shall let him goe out free for his tooth.
27 If he strikes out his male servant’s tooth, or his female servant’s tooth, he shall let the servant go free for his tooth’s sake.
28 If an oxe gore a man or a woman, that he die, the oxe shalbe stoned to death, and his flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner of the oxe shall goe quite.
28 “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.
29 If the oxe were wont to push in times past, and it hath bene tolde his master, and hee hath not kept him, and after he killeth a man or a woman, the oxe shall be stoned, and his owner shall die also.
29 But if the bull had a habit of goring in the past, and this has been testified to its owner, and he has not kept it in, but it has killed a man or a woman, the bull shall be stoned, and its owner shall also be put to death.
30 If there be set to him a summe of mony, then he shall pay the raunsome of his life, whatsoeuer shalbe laied vpon him.
30 If a ransom is imposed on him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is imposed.
31 Whether he hath gored a sonne or gored a daughter, he shalbe iudged after the same maner.
31 Whether it has gored a son or has gored a daughter, according to this judgment it shall be done to him.
32 If the oxe gore a seruant or a mayde, hee shall giue vnto their master thirtie shekels of siluer, and the oxe shalbe stoned.
32 If the bull gores a male servant or a female servant, thirty shekels of silver shall be given to their master, and the ox shall be stoned.
33 And when a man shall open a well, or when he shall dig a pit and couer it not, and an oxe or an asse fall therein,
33 “If a man opens a pit, or if a man digs a pit and doesn’t cover it, and a bull or a donkey falls into it,
34 The owner of the pit shall make it good, and giue money to the owners thereof, but the dead beast shalbe his.
34 the owner of the pit shall make it good. He shall give money to its owner, and the dead animal shall be his.
35 And if a mans oxe hurt his neighbours oxe that he die, then they shall sel the liue oxe, and deuide the money thereof, and the dead oxe also they shall deuide.
35 “If one man’s bull injures another’s, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live bull, and divide its price; and they shall also divide the dead animal.
36 Or if it bee knowen that the oxe hath vsed to push in times past, and his master hath not kept him, he shall pay oxe for oxe, but the dead shall be his owne.
36 Or if it is known that the bull was in the habit of goring in the past, and its owner has not kept it in, he shall surely pay bull for bull, and the dead animal shall be his own.
Cross references (28)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Deuteronomy 4:14; Deuteronomy 6:20; Exodus 24:3–4; Psalm 147:19; Matthew 28:20
- 2 Deuteronomy 15:12–15; Exodus 12:44; Deuteronomy 15:18; Nehemiah 5:1–5; Deuteronomy 15:1
- 3 Deuteronomy 15:12–14
- 5 2 Corinthians 5:14–15; Deuteronomy 15:16–17; Isaiah 26:13
- 6 Deuteronomy 15:17; Leviticus 25:40; Deuteronomy 19:17–18; 1 Samuel 28:2; 1 Samuel 27:12
- 7 Nehemiah 5:5; Exodus 21:2–3
- 8 Judges 14:3; Judges 9:19; Malachi 2:11–15; Genesis 28:8; Deuteronomy 21:11–14
- 10 1 Corinthians 7:1–6
- 12 Genesis 9:6; Matthew 26:52; Leviticus 24:17; Numbers 35:30–31; Numbers 35:16–24
- 13 Joshua 20:2–9; 1 Samuel 24:18; Deuteronomy 19:1–13; Deuteronomy 4:41–43; 1 Samuel 24:10
- 14 1 Kings 2:28–34; Hebrews 10:26; Deuteronomy 1:43; 1 Kings 1:50–51; Numbers 15:30–31
- 15 Proverbs 30:11; Deuteronomy 21:18–21; 1 Timothy 1:9; Deuteronomy 27:24; Proverbs 30:17
- 16 Deuteronomy 24:7; 1 Timothy 1:10; Exodus 22:4; Genesis 37:28; Genesis 40:15
- 17 Proverbs 20:20; Mark 7:10–11; Matthew 15:3–6; Deuteronomy 27:16; Proverbs 30:11
- 18 Exodus 21:20; Exodus 2:13; Deuteronomy 25:11; 2 Samuel 14:6; Numbers 35:16–24
- 19 2 Samuel 3:29; Zechariah 8:4
- 20 Proverbs 29:19; Deuteronomy 19:21; Isaiah 58:3–4; Numbers 35:30–33; Romans 13:4
- 21 Leviticus 25:44–46
- 22 Deuteronomy 22:18–19; Exodus 21:30; Deuteronomy 16:18
- 23 Deuteronomy 19:21; Numbers 35:31; Leviticus 24:19
- 24 Deuteronomy 19:21; Matthew 7:2; Matthew 5:38–40; Leviticus 24:19–20; Revelation 16:6
- 26 Nehemiah 5:5; Job 31:13–15; Colossians 4:1; Psalm 72:12–14; Exodus 21:20
- 28 Exodus 21:32; Genesis 9:5–6; Leviticus 20:15–16
- 29 Deuteronomy 21:1–9
- 30 Exodus 21:22; Exodus 30:12; Numbers 35:31–33; Proverbs 13:8
- 32 Zechariah 11:12–13; Matthew 26:15; Matthew 27:3–9; Genesis 37:28; Philippians 2:7
- 33 Jeremiah 18:22; Proverbs 28:10; Psalm 9:15; Ecclesiastes 10:8; Jeremiah 18:20
- 34 Exodus 21:29–30; Exodus 22:6; Exodus 22:14
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
For, "honor," saith He, "thy father and thy mother, that thou mayest live long upon the earth." And again, "He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death." But He, omitting the first, the reward appointed for them that honor their parents, states that which is more awful, the punishment, I mean, threatened to such as dishonor them; …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
… put no obstacle to godliness in our way, if we are ever carried away by ingratitude, and, forgetting their benefits to us, hold them in contempt, then the oracle will have place which says, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)