Whoever strikes and kills a man must surely be put to death.
Parallel translations
- WEB “One who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death,
- KJV He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.
- NKJV “He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death.
- NASB “He who strikes someone so that he dies shall certainly be put to death.
- NLT “Anyone who assaults and kills another person must be put to death.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Whoever strikes a person fatally must be put to death. Murder is a grave offense against God's image-bearer requiring the highest penalty.
Overview
This case law applies the sixth commandment, treating the taking of human life with utmost seriousness because people bear God's image (Gen. 9:6). The death penalty here underscores life's sanctity. The gravity of sin against God's image magnifies the wonder that Christ gave His life to redeem murderers and all sinners.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Gen 9:6Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man his blood will be shed; for in His own image God has made mankind.
- Lev 24:17And if a man takes the life of anyone else, he must surely be put to death.
- Matt 26:52“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him. “For all who draw the sword will die by the sword.
- Num 35:30–31If anyone kills a person, the murderer is to be put to death on the testimony of the witnesses. But no one is to be put to death based on the testimony of a lone witness.
- Num 35:16–24If, however, anyone strikes a person with an iron object and kills him, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death.
- Deut 19:11–13If, however, a man hates his neighbor and lies in wait, attacks him and kills him, and then flees to one of these cities,
- Exod 20:13You shall not murder.
- 2 Sam 12:13Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” “The LORD has taken away your sin,” Nathan replied. “You will not die.
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The Passover lamb whose blood turns away death, the exodus through the sea, the manna, the rock, and the tabernacle where God dwells with his people all foreshadow Jesus — our Passover, our redemption, the bread from heaven, and God-with-us in the flesh.
How Exodus 21:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.