Exodus 21: Laws Concerning Servants, Violence, and Responsibility

Exodus 21: Laws Concerning Servants, Violence, and Responsibility

Chapter With Audio

Laws About Slaves

21 “Now these are the rules that you shall set before them. 2 When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing. 3 If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him. 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 alone. 5 But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ 6 then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever.

7 “When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do. 8 If she does not please her master, who has designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has broken faith with her. 9 If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter. 10 If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights. 11 And if he does not do these three things for her, she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money.

12 “Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death. 13 But if he did not lie in wait for him, but God let him fall into his hand, then I will appoint for you a place to which he may flee. 14 But if a man willfully attacks another to kill him by cunning, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.

15 “Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death.

16 “Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death.

17 “Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death.

18 “When men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist and the man does not die but takes to his bed, 19 then if the man rises again and walks outdoors with his staff, he who struck him shall be clear; only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall have him thoroughly healed.

20 “When a man strikes his slave, male or female, with a rod and the slave dies under his hand, he shall be avenged. 21 But if the slave survives a day or two, he is not to be avenged, for the slave is his money.

22 “When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman's husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. 23 But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

26 “When a man strikes the eye of his slave, male or female, and destroys it, he shall let the slave go free because of his eye. 27 If he knocks out the tooth of his slave, male or female, he shall let the slave go free because of his tooth.

28 “When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner of the ox shall not be liable. 29 But if the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has been warned but has not kept it in, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death. 30 If a ransom is imposed on him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is imposed on him. 31 If it gores a man's son or daughter, he shall be dealt with according to this same rule. 32 If the ox gores a slave, male or female, the owner shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

Laws About Restitution

33 “When a man opens a pit, or when a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, 34 the owner of the pit shall make restoration. He shall give money to its owner, and the dead beast shall be his.

35 “When one man's ox butts another's, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and share its price, and the dead beast also they shall share. 36 Or if it is known that the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has not kept it in, he shall repay ox for ox, and the dead beast shall be his.

Chapter Analysis

Exodus 21: God Gave Laws for Justice and Daily Life

Overview

Exodus 21 begins the Book of the Covenant (Exodus 21–23), in which God applied the principles of the Ten Commandments to everyday life in Israel. These laws governed servants, personal injuries, violence, property, and social responsibility.

Unlike the moral absolutes of the Ten Commandments, these case laws demonstrated how God's righteousness was to be practiced within Israel's civil society. They promoted justice, protected the vulnerable, restrained violence, and reflected God's concern for both righteousness and mercy.

Throughout the chapter, God's laws reveal His holiness and His desire that His covenant people live differently from the surrounding nations.

I. Verses 1–11: Laws Concerning Hebrew Servants

God established regulations governing Hebrew servants.

A Hebrew servant was to serve six years and be released in the seventh year without payment.

If the servant willingly chose to remain with his master because of love for his family and master, his commitment became permanent through a public ceremony in which his ear was pierced.

Special laws also protected female servants from mistreatment and ensured they received proper care and justice.

These laws demonstrated that even servants possessed dignity and rights before God.

II. Verses 12–27: Laws Concerning Personal Injury

God established penalties for crimes involving violence.

These included:

  • Murder.
  • Manslaughter.
  • Kidnapping.
  • Assault against parents.
  • Cursing parents.

Premeditated murder required the death penalty.

Provision was made for accidental killing, anticipating the future establishment of cities of refuge.

God also gave laws concerning injuries resulting from fights, assaults upon servants, and harm done to pregnant women.

The well-known principle:

"Life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth..."

established proportional justice.

Its purpose was to limit excessive punishment and ensure that penalties fit the offense.

III. Verses 28–36: Laws Concerning Dangerous Animals and Property

God gave laws concerning oxen that caused injury or death.

If an ox unexpectedly killed someone, the animal was to be put to death.

However, if the owner knew the animal was dangerous and failed to restrain it, the owner also bore responsibility.

Additional laws addressed:

  • Animals falling into uncovered pits.
  • Damage caused by livestock.
  • Responsibility for property loss.

These laws emphasized personal responsibility and accountability.

God required His people to care not only for others but also for their property and animals in ways that protected the community.

Major Lessons in Exodus 21

God Is a God of Justice

Every law reflects God's concern for fairness, righteousness, and the protection of human life.

Human Life Has Great Value

The severe penalties for murder, kidnapping, and violence demonstrate the sacred value of every person created in God's image.

Justice Must Be Fair and Proportionate

The principle of "eye for eye" prevented both excessive punishment and personal vengeance by requiring penalties that matched the offense.

God Protects the Vulnerable

Servants, women, and those who suffered injury were given legal protection, revealing God's compassion for those who could easily be mistreated.

God's People Must Accept Responsibility

The laws concerning dangerous animals and property teach that believers are responsible for preventing harm whenever possible.

Overall Summary

Exodus 21 begins the Book of the Covenant by applying God's moral law to everyday life in Israel. The chapter establishes regulations concerning Hebrew servants, personal injuries, acts of violence, and responsibility for property and dangerous animals. These laws reveal God's concern for justice, mercy, personal responsibility, and the protection of human life. They demonstrate that the God who redeemed Israel also desired His people to reflect His righteous character in every area of daily living.