If men are quarreling and one strikes the other with a stone or a fist, and he does not die but is confined to bed,
Parallel translations
- WEB “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;
- KJV And if men strive together, and one smite another with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keepeth his bed:
- ESV “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,
- NKJV “If men contend with each other, and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist, and he does not die but is confined to his bed,
- NASB “Now if people have a quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or with a fist, and he does not die but is confined to bed,
- NLT “Now suppose two men quarrel, and one hits the other with a stone or fist, and the injured person does not die but is confined to bed.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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
When a quarrel leads to injury that confines a man to bed but not death, the law addresses liability. It shows God's concern for justice even in non-fatal harm.
Overview
This begins a case law distinguishing degrees of harm and assigning fair responsibility for injury. It reflects the principle that human life and well-being are precious and that wrongs must be made right. The proportionate justice here points forward to a God who is perfectly just, ultimately satisfying justice through Christ's atonement.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Exod 21:20If a man strikes his manservant or maidservant with a rod, and the servant dies by his hand, he shall surely be punished.
- Exod 21:22If men who are fighting strike a pregnant woman and her child is born prematurely, but there is no further injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband demands and as the court allows.
- 2 Sam 14:6And your maidservant had two sons who were fighting in the field with no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him.
- Exod 2:13The next day Moses went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you attacking your companion?”
- 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 25:11If two men are fighting, and the wife of one steps in to rescue her husband from the one striking him, and she reaches out her hand and grabs his genitals,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 21:18 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.