Exodus 21:1
Exodus 21:1 in Multiple Translations
“These are the ordinances that you are to set before them:
Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.
Now these are the ordinances which thou shalt set before them.
Now these are the laws which you are to put before them.
“These are the regulations you are to present to them:
Now these are the lawes, which thou shalt set before them:
'And these [are] the judgments which thou dost set before them:
“Now these are the ordinances which you shall set before them:
Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.
These are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.
“Here are some other instructions to give to the Israeli people:
Berean Amplified Bible — Exodus 21:1
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Exodus 21:1 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
וְ/אֵ֨לֶּה֙
הַ/מִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים
אֲשֶׁ֥ר
תָּשִׂ֖ים
לִ/פְנֵי/הֶֽם
וְ/אֵ֨לֶּה֙
ʼêl-leh
H428
these
Conj | Pron
הַ/מִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים
mishpâṭ
H4941
justice
Art | N-mp
אֲשֶׁ֥ר
ʼăsher
H834
which
Rel
תָּשִׂ֖ים
sûwm
H7760
to set
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms
לִ/פְנֵי/הֶֽם
pânîym
H6440
face
Prep | N-cp | Suff
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Exodus 21:1
וְ/אֵ֨לֶּה֙
ʼêl-leh
H428
"these"
Conj | Pron
This Hebrew word is used to point out specific people or things, like saying 'these' or 'those'. It appears in the book of Genesis, where God says 'let there be light' and separates the light from the darkness.
Definition: 1) these 1a) used before antecedent 1b) used following antecedent Aramaic equivalent: el.leh (אֵלֶּה "these" H0429)
Usage: Occurs in 697 OT verses. KJV: an-(the) other; one sort, so, some, such, them, these (same), they, this, those, thus, which, who(-m). See also: Genesis 2:4; Exodus 35:1; Deuteronomy 1:35.
הַ/מִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים
mishpâṭ
H4941
"justice"
Art | N-mp
Mishpat means justice or judgment, and is often used to describe God's righteous judgment, as well as human laws and decisions, in books like Deuteronomy and Isaiah.
Definition: : judgement/punishment 1) judgment, justice, ordinance 1a) judgment 1a1) act of deciding a case 1a2) place, court, seat of judgment 1a3) process, procedure, litigation (before judges) 1a4) case, cause (presented for judgment) 1a5) sentence, decision (of judgment) 1a6) execution (of judgment) 1a7) time (of judgment) 1b) justice, right, rectitude (attributes of God or man) 1c) ordinance 1d) decision (in law) 1e) right, privilege, due (legal) 1f) proper, fitting, measure, fitness, custom, manner, plan
Usage: Occurs in 406 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] adversary, ceremony, charge, [idiom] crime, custom, desert, determination, discretion, disposing, due, fashion, form, to be judged, judgment, just(-ice, -ly), (manner of) law(-ful), manner, measure, (due) order, ordinance, right, sentence, usest, [idiom] worthy, [phrase] wrong. See also: Genesis 18:19; 1 Kings 2:3; Psalms 1:5.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר
ʼăsher
H834
"which"
Rel
This Hebrew word is a conjunction that connects ideas and events in the Bible, like in the book of Genesis, where it's used to describe the relationship between God and His creation.
Definition: A: 1) (relative part.) 1a) which, who 1b) that which 2) (conj) 2a) that (in obj clause) 2b) when 2c) since 2d) as 2e) conditional if B: Beth+ 1) in (that) which 2) (adv) 2a) where 3) (conj) 3a) in that, inasmuch as 3b) on account of C: Mem+ 1) from (or than) that which 2) from (the place) where 3) from (the fact) that, since D: Kaph+ 1) (conj.), according as, as, when 1a) according to that which, according as, as 1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since 1c) with a temporal force: when
Usage: Occurs in 4440 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] after, [idiom] alike, as (soon as), because, [idiom] every, for, [phrase] forasmuch, [phrase] from whence, [phrase] how(-soever), [idiom] if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), [idiom] though, [phrase] until, [phrase] whatsoever, when, where ([phrase] -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, [phrase] whither(-soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun expletively, used to show the connection. See also: Genesis 1:7; Genesis 20:9; Genesis 31:16.
תָּשִׂ֖ים
sûwm
H7760
"to set"
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms
This Hebrew word means to put or place something, and is used in many different ways in the Bible, such as to appoint or determine something. It is first used in Genesis to describe God's creation. In the KJV, it is translated as 'appoint' or 'set' in various contexts.
Definition: : make/establish 1) to put, place, set, appoint, make 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to put, set, lay, put or lay upon, lay (violent) hands on 1a2) to set, direct, direct toward 1a2a) to extend (compassion) (fig) 1a3) to set, ordain, establish, found, appoint, constitute, make, determine, fix 1a4) to set, station, put, set in place, plant, fix 1a5) to make, make for, transform into, constitute, fashion, work, bring to pass, appoint, give 1b) (Hiphil) to set or make for a sign 1c) (Hophal) to be set
Usage: Occurs in 550 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] any wise, appoint, bring, call (a name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider, convey, determine, [phrase] disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out), mark, [phrase] name, [idiom] on, ordain, order, [phrase] paint, place, preserve, purpose, put (on), [phrase] regard, rehearse, reward, (cause to) set (on, up), shew, [phrase] stedfastly, take, [idiom] tell, [phrase] tread down, (over-)turn, [idiom] wholly, work. See also: Genesis 2:8; Leviticus 20:5; 1 Samuel 21:13.
לִ/פְנֵי/הֶֽם
pânîym
H6440
"face"
Prep | N-cp | Suff
This word means face or presence, like being in front of someone or something. It's used in many contexts, like in Genesis, Exodus, and Psalms, to describe interactions and relationships.
Definition: : face 1) face 1a) face, faces 1b) presence, person 1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim) 1d) face (of animals) 1e) face, surface (of ground) 1f) as adv of loc/temp 1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before 1g) with prep 1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of
Usage: Occurs in 1891 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, [idiom] him(-self), [phrase] honourable, [phrase] impudent, [phrase] in, it, look(-eth) (-s), [idiom] me, [phrase] meet, [idiom] more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), [idiom] on, open, [phrase] out of, over against, the partial, person, [phrase] please, presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, [phrase] regard, right forth, [phrase] serve, [idiom] shewbread, sight, state, straight, [phrase] street, [idiom] thee, [idiom] them(-selves), through ([phrase] -out), till, time(-s) past, (un-) to(-ward), [phrase] upon, upside ([phrase] down), with(-in, [phrase] -stand), [idiom] ye, [idiom] you. See also: Genesis 1:2; Genesis 43:31; Exodus 30:16.
Study Notes — Exodus 21:1
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Exodus 21:1 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Exodus 21:1
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Exodus 21:1
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Exodus 21:1
- Trapp's Commentary on Exodus 21:1
- Ellicott's Commentary on Exodus 21:1
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Exodus 21:1
- Cambridge Bible on Exodus 21:1
- Barnes' Notes on Exodus 21:1
- Whedon's Commentary on Exodus 21:1
- Sermons on Exodus 21:1
Context — Hebrew Servants
1“These are the ordinances that you are to set before them:
2If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free without paying anything. 3If he arrived alone, he is to leave alone; if he arrived with a wife, she is to leave with him.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deuteronomy 4:14 | At that time the LORD commanded me to teach you the statutes and ordinances you are to follow in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. |
| 2 | Deuteronomy 6:20 | In the future, when your son asks, “What is the meaning of the decrees and statutes and ordinances that the LORD our God has commanded you?” |
| 3 | Exodus 24:3–4 | When Moses came and told the people all the words and ordinances of the LORD, they all responded with one voice: “All the words that the LORD has spoken, we will do.” And Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. Early the next morning he got up and built an altar at the base of the mountain, along with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel. |
| 4 | Deuteronomy 4:45 | These are the testimonies, statutes, and ordinances that Moses proclaimed to them after they had come out of Egypt, |
| 5 | Nehemiah 10:29 | hereby join with their noble brothers and commit themselves with a sworn oath to follow the Law of God given through His servant Moses and to carefully obey all the commandments, ordinances, and statutes of the LORD our Lord. |
| 6 | Leviticus 19:37 | You must keep all My statutes and all My ordinances and follow them. I am the LORD.” |
| 7 | Numbers 36:13 | These are the commandments and ordinances that the LORD gave the Israelites through Moses on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho. |
| 8 | Numbers 35:24 | then the congregation must judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances. |
| 9 | Ezekiel 20:11 | And I gave them My statutes and made known to them My ordinances—for the man who does these things will live by them. |
| 10 | Deuteronomy 5:31 | But you stand here with Me, that I may speak to you all the commandments and statutes and ordinances you are to teach them to follow in the land that I am giving them to possess.” |
Exodus 21:1 Summary
Exodus 21:1 is an introduction to a set of rules and regulations that God gave to the Israelites to help them live in harmony with each other and with Him. These ordinances are important because they show us what God values, such as justice, compassion, and fairness, as seen in Leviticus 19:18 and Deuteronomy 10:12-13. By following these ordinances, the Israelites could demonstrate their love and obedience to God, just like we can today by following Jesus' teachings in the New Testament (John 14:15, Matthew 22:37-40). As we read and reflect on these ordinances, we can learn more about God's heart and how to live in a way that honors Him.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the ordinances being referred to in Exodus 21:1?
The ordinances in Exodus 21:1 are the laws and regulations that God gave to the Israelites to guide their relationships with each other and with Him, as seen in the surrounding verses and in other parts of the book, such as Exodus 20:1-17 and Leviticus 18:1-5.
Why are these ordinances important for the Israelites to follow?
These ordinances are important because they helped the Israelites understand God's character and will for their lives, and by following them, they could demonstrate their love and obedience to God, as Jesus taught in John 14:15 and Matthew 22:37-40.
How do these ordinances relate to the broader context of the Bible?
The ordinances in Exodus 21:1 are part of the larger narrative of God's covenant with the Israelites, which is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, as seen in Luke 22:20 and Hebrews 8:6-13.
What can we learn from these ordinances today?
We can learn about God's heart for justice, compassion, and righteousness, and apply these principles to our own lives, as taught in Micah 6:8 and Matthew 25:31-46.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways that I can demonstrate my obedience to God's laws and ordinances in my daily life?
- How can I balance the need for rules and regulations with the importance of loving and serving others, as seen in Matthew 25:31-46 and 1 Corinthians 13:1-3?
- What are some areas in my life where I need to seek God's guidance and wisdom, as the Israelites did in Exodus 21:1?
- How can I use the ordinances in Exodus 21:1 as a starting point for exploring the rest of the Bible and deepening my understanding of God's character and will?
Gill's Exposition on Exodus 21:1
Now these are the judgments,.... The judicial laws respecting the civil state of the people of Israel, so called because they are founded on justice and equity, and are according to the judgment of
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Exodus 21:1
Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them. Now these are the judgments , [ hamishpaaTiym (H4941)] - the statutes, ordinances; Septuagint, ta dikaioomata, ordinances (cf.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Exodus 21:1
EXODUS CHAPTER 21 Law concerning bond-men or slaves, . Servants bored through the ear, . Ordinances for bond-women, . Of murderers, . Of them that curse their parents, . Of strikers, ,19. Of them that hurt a woman with child, . Of a master of a family that strikes out an eye or tooth of his man or maid servant, ,27. Of a pushing ox, . Of them that hurt their neighbour’ s ox by digging a pit, .
Of one ox killing another, ,36. Or, the judicial laws, by which thou and the judges before mentioned shall govern thyself and the people in civil and criminal causes.
Trapp's Commentary on Exodus 21:1
Exodus 21:1 Now these [are] the judgments which thou shalt set before them.Ver. 1. Now these are the judgments,] i.e., The judicial laws, fitly annexed to the Decalogue, whereof the civil magistrate is the lord-keeper. It was written upon the sword of Charles the Great, Decem praeceptorum custos Carolus.
Ellicott's Commentary on Exodus 21:1
XXI. LAWS THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS.(1) These are the judgments.—“The laws” (Knobel), “the rights” (Keil), “the rules which shall guide judicial decisions” (Pool). The paraphrase alone gives the full meaning.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Exodus 21:1
CHAPTER XXI Laws concerning servants. They shall serve for only seven years, 1, 2. If a servant brought a wife to servitude with him, both should go out free on the seventh year, 3. If his master had given him a wife, and she bore him children, he might go out free an the seventh year, but his wife and children must remain, as the property of the master, 4. If, through love to his master, wife, and children, he did not choose to avail himself of the privilege granted by the law, of going out free on the seventh year, his ear was to be bored to the door post with an awl, as an emblem of his being attached to the family for ever, 5, 6. Laws concerning maid-servants, betrothed to their masters or to the sons of their masters, 7-11. Laws concerning battery and murder, 12-15. Concerning men-stealing, 16. Concerning him that curses his parents, 17. Of strife between man and man, 18, 19; between a master and his servants, 20, 21.
Of injuries done to women in pregnancy, 22. The LEX TALIONIS, or law of like, 23-25. for injuries done to servants, by which they gain the right of freedom, 26, 27. Laws concerning the ox which has gored men, 28-32. Of the pit left uncovered, into which a man or a beast has fallen, 33, 34. Laws concerning the ox that kills another, 35, 36. NOTES ON CHAP. XXI Verse 1. Now these are the judgments] There is so much good sense, feeling, humanity, equity, and justice in the following laws, that they cannot but be admired by every intelligent reader; and they are so very plain as to require very little comment. The laws in this chapter are termed political, those in the succeeding chapter judicial, laws; and are supposed to have been delivered to Moses alone, in consequence of the request of the people, Exodus 20:19, that God should communicate his will to Moses, and that Moses should, as mediator, convey it to them.
Cambridge Bible on Exodus 21:1
1. Now] And—introducing a new element in the collection, viz. the ‘judgements’ contained in Exodus 21:2 to Exodus 22:17. the judgements] i.e. legal precedents, intended to have the force of law. The Heb. mishpâṭ ? means a judicial decision, (1) given in an individual case, and then (2) established as a precedent for other similar cases1[184]. No doubt, the decisions which Moses gave, when he ‘sat to judge the people’ (Exodus 18:13; cf. on Exodus 18:15-16), became thus the foundation of Hebrew legislation (cf. p. 161)2[185]. [184] In its original sense, the word is a term belonging to civil and criminal law; but it is sometimes extended so as to include moral and religious injunctions (as Leviticus 18:4-5; Leviticus 19:15; Leviticus 19:35); it is also sometimes in EVV. rendered more clearly by ‘ordinance’ (e.g. Exodus 15:25, Joshua 24:25, Isaiah 58:2, Jeremiah 8:7 RV.). [185] ‘En-Mishpâṭ ? (Genesis 14:7), the ‘Spring of judgement,’ as Ḳ ?adesh (the ‘sacred’ place) was also called, was doubtless once a sacred spring, at which judicial decisions were obtained (cf. DB. iii. 67a, v. 616b).set before them] Exodus 19:7, Deuteronomy 4:44.
Barnes' Notes on Exodus 21:1
Judgments - i. e. decisions of the law.
Whedon's Commentary on Exodus 21:1
1. The judgments which thou shalt set before them — As distinguished from the words spoken directly from heaven.
Sermons on Exodus 21:1
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
(Exodus) Exodus 22 Introduction by J. Vernon McGee | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of basing our beliefs and conclusions on the Word of God. He acknowledges that our human nature may tempt us to compromise or |
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(Through the Bible) Exodus 21-22 by Chuck Smith | Chuck Smith discusses Exodus chapters 21 and 22, emphasizing the importance of God's judgments and laws as guidelines for judges in Israel. He explains that these laws were not mea |
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Progress of Redemption #07 by David Shirley | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the Edenic covenant and the relationship between God and man. The preacher emphasizes that God requires man to rule for Him and that God dete |
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Love Slaves by Samuel Logan Brengle | Samuel Logan Brengle emphasizes the concept of being a 'love slave' to Christ, illustrating how true servitude stems from love rather than compulsion. He draws parallels between th |
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The Liturgy of St James by Rev Manoj Mathews | Rev. Manoj Mathews delves into the significance of the Liturgy of St. James the Just, tracing its origins to Bishop James of Jerusalem, the brother of Jesus. The liturgy serves a d |
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God's Truth About the Home by Russell Kelfer | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of passing down the teachings of God to future generations. He references Deuteronomy chapter 4, verses 9 and 10, which instru |
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Desert Survival Series Pt 31- Moses the Servant of God by Don Courville | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of living a life that reflects our love for God. He acknowledges that people often forget the specific details of sermons, bu |