Exodus 21

Exodus 21:1-11

1. Here are several enlargements upon the fifth commandment. (1.) The duty of matters towards their men-servants, ver. 2—6, and maid-servants, ver. 7—11. (2.) The punishment of disobedient children that strike their parents, ver. 15, or curbs them, ver. 17. 2. Upon the sixth commandment, 1. Concerning murder, ver. 12—14. 2. Manifesting, ver. 16. 3. Affidavit and battery, ver. 18, 19. 4. Correcting a servant, ver. 20, 21. 5. Hurting a woman with child, ver. 22, 23. 6. The love of retaliation, ver. 24, 25. 7. Manning a servant, ver. 26, 27. 8. An ox giving, ver. 26—32. 9. Damage done by opening a pit, ver. 33, 34. 10. Cattle fighting, ver. 35, 36.

2. NOW these are the judgments which thou shalt ‘set before them. 2. If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years shall be serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing. 3. If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him. 4. If 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. 5. And 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 unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door-poil: and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall serve him for ever. 7. ¶ And if a man sell his daughter to be a maid-servant, she shall not go out as the men-servants do. 8. If 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. 9. And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters. 10. If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage shall be not diminish. 11. And if he do not these three unto her, then shall she go out free without money.

God was himself the head of the Jewish state, and governed them in an especial manner, by laws immediately

given from himself. We have here, ordinances concerning servant: they had been servants themselves, and therefore are peculiarly called to exercise gentlemen towards such. Though they had suffered, they must not play the tyrant in their turn.

1. Of the man-servant, v. 2—6. He must be, free every seventh year, unless he chuts to stay; on which, in the presence of the judge, v. 6. his ear was bound, and he was then a servant for life, or till the year of robber. Note, Voluntary servitude will follow he found among men; but they who have called the lawful freedom of God’s service, are happy to be considered in his house for ever, and desire to go out no more.

2. Of the maid-servant, v. 7—11. The instead of Israel’s daughters are honourably taken care of: thus Jesus first bought the church with his blood; then, mean and assured as was the month, clouded her to himself in mercy, and liberally endowed her with all the rich blessings of his grace:

3. ¶ He that smiteth a man, so that he dies, shall he surely put to death. 13. And if a man lie not in vain, but God deliver him into his hand; then ¶ will oppose thee a place whither he shall flee. 14. But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, so say him with guilt; then, that take him from mine after, that he may die. 15. ¶ And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death. 16. ¶ And he that stealth a man, and fifteth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death. 17. ¶ And he that curfeth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.

Exodus 21:12-17

Three capital crimes are laid down. Murder, man-shealing, and striking or cursing of private. Note, (1.) If the murderer will find no sanctuary even at God’s altar, surely he should find none elsewhere. Mercy to a murderer, is cruelty to mankind. (2.) Though the behaviour of an undistilled son under our laws, meets not forth exemplary punishment, God will surely take vengeance, either in time or eternity.

A provision is made for manslaughter; where there was no malice grounds, but God delivered him into his hand, a city of refuge shall be provided. Note, Nothing is accidental; if a sparrow falls not to the ground, without Divine direction, much less shall a man.

Or his neighbour. § Heb. his craving. Heb. A verged. Lev. xxv. 4b. ¶ Gal. xvi. 10. Deu. xx. 21. Mat. v. 31.

18. ¶ And if men strive together, and one finite another with a stone, or with his hill, and he die not, but keepeth his bed: 19. If he rise again, and walk abroad upon his staff, then shall he that fmote him be quit: only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall cause him to be thoroughly healed. 20. ¶ And if a man finite his servant, or his maid with a rod, and he dies under his hand; he shall be surely punished. 21. Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money. 22. ¶ If 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. 23. And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, 24. Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25. Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. 26. ¶ And if a man finite 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. 27. And if he finite out his man-servant’s tooth, or his maid-servant’s tooth; he shall let him go free for his tooth’s sake.

Exodus 21:18-27

We have here, 1. Satisfaction for damage in quarrels, v. 18, 19. 2. What was to be done, if a slave died under correction, or lived a day or two after it, v. 20, 21. Note, Though laws may not punish every influence of cruelty, there is a matter in heaven, with whom there is no respect of persons. 3. The penalty of hurting a woman with child, so as to miscarry, v. 22. 4. General directions for judges, regarding the laws of revaluation, though private persons may not avenge themselves, the judges may and ought to desire empastment, according to the damage. 5. A servant struck by his master, so as to be manned, or even lost a tooth, was to be free. Self-interred would thus refrain passionate matters from using violence; at least the injured servant would be recompended with his liberty.

28. ¶ If an ox gone a man or a woman, that they die, then the ox shall be surely thoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit. 29. But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in

time pass, and it hath been refused 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. 30. If there be laid on him a turn of money, then he shall give for the ransom of his life, whatsoever is laid upon him. 31. Whether he have been a son, or have gone a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done unto him. 32. If the ox shall push a man-servant, or maid-servant; he shall give unto their master a thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned. 33. ¶ And if a man shall open a pit, or if a man shall dig a pit, and not enter it, and go on to an ash fall therein. 34. The owner of the pit, shall make it good, and give money unto the owner of them, and the dead hath shall be his. 35. ¶ And if one man or a man is not another’s that he dies, then they shall sell the five ox, and divide the money of it, and the dead or also they shall divide. 36. Or if it be known that the ox hath sold to push in time pass, and his owner hath not kept him in; he shall surely pay ox for ox, and the dead shall be his own.

Exodus 21:28-30

We have sundry directions concerning damage done to life or limb by cattle; damage done by cattle fighting; damage sustained by a pit being uncovered. In which we may observe, 2. The care God hath of man’s life, even the ox could be stoned that kills a man. 2. That they who are acquainted with the misdemeanors of their cattle, and take not proper care of them, are looked upon as according to the hurt done by them. Not to refrain the evil that is in our power, is to commit it. 3. We deserve to be punished for negligence, as well as mischief. They who put a flumbling block in their brother’s way, perhaps dodge no harm; but when harm is done, that will be no excuse.