Chapter Summary
Core Passages from Exodus 21
Exodus 21:2When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing.
This law established that Hebrew servitude was not lifelong chattel slavery but a temporary state, limited to six years, which was a radical protection of personal freedom in the ancient world.Exodus 21:23-24But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
Often misunderstood, 'life for life, eye for eye' was a legal principle for judges to ensure punishments were fair and not excessive, preventing escalating cycles of personal vengeance.Exodus 21:26"When a man strikes the eye of his slave, male or female, and destroys it, he shall let the slave go free because of his eye."
This rule is remarkable because it grants a slave freedom for physical harm, legally recognizing their humanity and placing a significant check on a master's power.
Historical & Cultural Context
From Mountain Commands to Everyday Life
The scene is set at the foot of Mount Sinai, where the Israelites are camped after their dramatic escape from Egypt. In the previous chapter, God spoke the Ten Commandments directly to the people, providing the foundational moral principles for their nation. Now, God calls Moses to receive a more detailed set of laws, known as the 'Book of the Covenant.' This marks a shift from broad, universal commands to the practical, day-to-day rules needed to govern a community.
A Divine Blueprint for a New Society
As a newly liberated people, the Israelites' only legal framework was the one they knew from Egypt - a system of oppression. The laws in Exodus 21 are designed to build a completely different kind of society from the ground up. They address common ancient world issues like debt-slavery, personal disputes, and liability, but with a unique focus on justice, restitution, and protecting the vulnerable, setting Israel apart from its neighbors.
The Book of the Covenant: Laws for Living Together
Immediately after the Ten Commandments, God gives Moses a series of specific civil laws to guide Israel's community life. Exodus 21 opens this legal code with regulations that, while challenging for modern readers, were revolutionary in their ancient context. The chapter moves from the rights of servants to the consequences of violence, establishing a society where justice, responsibility, and the value of human life are paramount.
Regulations for Servants (Exodus 21:1-11)
1 "Now these are the rules that you shall set before them."
2 When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing.
3 If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him.
4 If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out alone.
5 But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’
6 then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever.
7 "When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do."
8 If she does not please her master, who has designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has broken faith with her.
9 And if he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter.
10 If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights.
11 When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do.
Commentary:
God's law regulated servitude by limiting service terms and providing specific protections, treating servants as people with rights.
Laws on Capital Offenses (Exodus 21:12-17)
12 "Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death."
13 But if he did not lie in wait for him, but God let him fall into his hand, then I will appoint for you a place to which he may flee.
14 But if a man willfully attacks another to kill him by cunning, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.
15 "Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death."
16 “Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death.
17 “Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death.
Commentary:
Capital punishment was reserved for premeditated murder, kidnapping, and severe violations of family honor, establishing the sanctity of life and social order.
Personal Injury and Restitution (Exodus 21:18-27)
18 "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,"
19 if he is able to get up and walk around outside with his staff, then the man who struck him shall be clear; only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall have him thoroughly healed.
20 “When a man strikes his slave, male or female, with a rod and the slave dies under his hand, he shall be avenged.
21 But if the slave survives a day or two, he is not to be avenged, for the slave is his money.
22 "When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman's husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine."
23 But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life,
24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
25 burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
26 "When a man strikes the eye of his slave, male or female, and destroys it, he shall let the slave go free because of his eye."
27 And if he knocks out the tooth of his slave, male or female, he shall let the slave go free because of his tooth.
Commentary:
The law required fair compensation for personal injuries, establishing 'eye for an eye' as a judicial principle of proportional justice, not personal revenge.
Responsibility for Property (Exodus 21:28-36)
28 "When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner of the ox shall not be liable."
29 But if the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has been warned but has not kept it in, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death.
30 If a ransom is imposed on him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is imposed on him.
31 But if the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has been warned but has not kept it in, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death.
32 If the ox gores a slave, male or female, the owner shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.
33 "If a man opens a pit, or if a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,"
34 The owner of the pit shall make restoration. He shall give money to its owner, and the dead beast shall be his.
35 "When one man's ox butts another's, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and share its price, and the dead beast also they shall share."
36 Or if it is known that the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has not kept it in, he shall repay ox for ox, and the dead beast shall be his.
Commentary:
Owners were held financially and sometimes criminally responsible for damages caused by their animals or property, teaching a core principle of community accountability.
God's Blueprint for a Just Community
The Sanctity of Human Life
Exodus 21 makes it clear that human life is precious to God. It establishes severe penalties for murder, protects the unborn, and even grants freedom to slaves who are physically harmed, showing that all people, regardless of status, have inherent value.
Justice as Proportional and Restorative
The principle of 'eye for an eye' was a legal standard to ensure punishments were fair and not excessive, preventing blood feuds. The focus is often on restitution - making the victim whole. This reveals God's justice restores community, rather than merely punishing offenders.
Personal Responsibility
These laws teach that individuals are accountable for their actions, their words, and even their property. From a careless word against a parent to a dangerous animal left unsecured, the law insists that members of the community must act with consideration for the well-being of others.
Applying Ancient Laws to Modern Life
While the specific contexts have changed, the principles are timeless. These laws challenge you to value every person's dignity, especially those in vulnerable positions in society or at work (Exodus 21:26-27). They also call you to be responsible for how your actions and property - from your words online to your car on the road - affect the safety and well-being of others.
This principle was a limit on retribution, not a license for it. For you, it's a powerful reminder to seek justice that is fair and proportional, not driven by personal vengeance. While Jesus calls us to an even higher standard of forgiveness (Matthew 5:38-39), the core idea from Exodus 21 - that justice should not be excessive - remains a crucial foundation for how you should respond to conflict.
Exodus 21 shows that God's justice is incredibly practical and concerned with the details of everyday life. This concept involves fair treatment, protecting the vulnerable, and correcting wrongs. It encourages you to see justice as an active process of restoring what was broken in relationships and in the community.
God's Justice in Daily Life
Exodus 21 translates the high ideals of the Ten Commandments into the messy reality of human relationships, showing that God is intensely interested in fairness in our daily lives. These laws reveal a God who values every person, protects the vulnerable, and demands accountability from the powerful. The message is that a true relationship with God must shape a community built on justice, compassion, and respect.
What This Means for Us Today
The laws of Exodus 21 are an invitation to build a community that reflects God's just and merciful character. They challenge us to look beyond our own rights and consider our responsibilities to others, especially those who are vulnerable. We are called to live out our faith through public pursuit of fairness and restoration in all our relationships, beyond private devotion.
- In what area of my life do I need to take more personal responsibility for the well-being of others?
- How can I advocate for justice and the protection of the vulnerable in my community or workplace?
- When I've been wronged, is my first instinct to seek retaliation or to pursue fair restoration?
Further Reading
Immediate Context
This chapter contains the Ten Commandments, the foundational moral principles that the specific laws in Exodus 21 are built upon.
The 'Book of the Covenant' continues with more laws covering theft, property damage, and social ethics, expanding on the themes of justice and restitution.
Connections Across Scripture
This passage revisits the laws for freeing servants, emphasizing that they should be sent away with generosity, reflecting the spirit behind the law.
Jesus directly quotes the 'eye for an eye' principle from Exodus 21 and calls his followers to a higher ethic of turning the other cheek and overcoming evil with good.
The New Testament transforms the master-slave relationship, instructing masters to treat their servants with justice and fairness, knowing that both have the same Master in heaven.
Theological Themes
This verse summarizes the heart of God's law: 'to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.'
Discussion Questions
- Many laws in Exodus 21 seem harsh or strange to us today. How can we understand them in their ancient historical context while still seeing God's unchanging character of justice and mercy?
- Exodus 21:26-27 gives slaves a right to freedom if they are permanently injured. How did this law challenge the surrounding cultures' views on human value, and what does it teach us about God's heart for the oppressed?
- The principle of restitution (paying for damages and lost time) is central to this chapter. How might our modern approach to justice change if it focused more on restoring victims rather than only punishing offenders?
Glossary
theological concepts
Restitution
The principle of making things right by compensating someone for loss, damage, or injury.
Lex Talionis
The legal principle of 'an eye for an eye,' which means the punishment should be proportional to the crime.
Covenant
A sacred, binding agreement between God and His people that defines their relationship and responsibilities.