And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished.
Parallel translations
- WEB “If a man strikes his servant or his maid with a rod, and he dies under his hand, he shall surely be punished.
- BSB If a man strikes his manservant or maidservant with a rod, and the servant dies by his hand, he shall surely be punished.
- ESV “When a man strikes his slave, male or female, with a rod and the slave dies under his hand, he shall be avenged.
- NKJV “And if a man beats his male or female servant with a rod, so that he dies under his hand, he shall surely be punished.
- NASB “And if someone strikes his male or female slave with a rod and the slave dies at his hand, he shall be punished.
- NLT “If a man beats his male or female slave with a club and the slave dies as a result, the owner must be punished.
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
A master who fatally beats his servant with a rod must be punished. Even servants are persons under God's protection, not mere property to be killed.
Overview
Unlike surrounding cultures, Israel's law held masters accountable for a servant's death, affirming the servant's humanity and dignity. This restrains cruelty and asserts that all people answer to God's justice. It foreshadows the gospel truth that in Christ there is neither slave nor free, all being one before God (Galatians 3:28).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Prov 29:19A servant will not be corrected by words: for though he understand he will not answer.
- Deut 19:21And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
- Gen 4:24If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.
- Isa 58:3–4Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.
- Num 35:19The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.
- Gen 4:15And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.
- Rom 13:4For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
- Num 35:30–33Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die.
- Exod 21:26–27And if a man smite 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.
- Gen 9:6Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.
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 21:20 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.