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| 1 Now, these, are the regulations which thou shalt put before them. |
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| 2 When thou shalt acquire a servant who is a Hebrew, six years, shall he serve,–but, in the seventh, shall he go out freely–for nought. |
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| 3 If, by himself, he came in, by himself, shall he go out,–if he was, married, then shall his wife go out with him. |
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| 4 If, his lord, gave him a wife, and she have borne him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her lords, and, he, shall go out by himself. |
And her children – The mother's nature, rights, privileges and liberties attached to the child. E105; R777:5
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| 5 But, if the servant shall, plainly say, I love my lord, and my wife, and my sons,–I will not go out free, |
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| 6 then shall his lord bring him near unto God, and shall bring him near unto the door, or unto the door-post,–and his lord shall pierce his ear with an awl, so shall he serve him all his life. |
Unto the Judges – Elohim, rulers, mighty ones. A name applied to Jehovah as well as to men. E68; R1410:3; SM497:2
For ever – "Forever" ceased at the cross. It means, until a proper end has been reached. R1453:6
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| 7 And, when a man shall sell his daughter to be a handmaid, she shall not go out according to the out-going of the men-servants. |
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| 8 If she is uncomely in the eyes of her lord, who hath not assigned her in marriage, then shall he suffer her to be redeemed: to a strange people, shall he not have power to sell her, in that he hath dealt treacherously with her. |
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| 9 And, if, to his son, he assign her, according to the custom for daughters, shall he do for her. |
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| 10 If he take to himself another, her food, her clothing, and her marriage-right, shall he not withdraw. |
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| 11 But, if, these three, he will not do for her, then shall she go out for nought, without silver. |
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| 12 He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall, surely be put to death. |
Be surely put to death – A just retribution for the sin. R5645:4
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| 13 But, he who hath not lain in wait, but, God, hath occasioned him to come to his hand, then will I appoint for thee a place, whither he may flee. |
Whither he shall flee – Arriving at the city of refuge, the culprit was not free, but must stand trial before the elders of the city. R3092:5
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| 14 But, when a man shall act presumptuously against his neighbour, to slay him with guile, from mine altar, shalt thou take him to die. |
With guile – Inquiry was made as to whether he had lain in wait, hunted for his victim, smote him in secret, for maliciousness, guile, prior enmity and hatred. (Deut. 19:4, 6, 11; Deut 27:24; Num. 35 R3092:5
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| 15 And, he that smiteth his father or his mother, shall, surely be put to death. |
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| 16 And, he that stealeth a man of the sons of Israel and selleth him, or he be found in his hand, shall, surely be put to death. |
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| 17 And, he who revileth his father or his mother, shall, surely be put to death. |
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| 18 And, when men strive together, and one shall smite the other, with a stone or with his fist,–and he die not, but shall fall to his bed;– |
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| 19 if he rise, and shall walk abroad on his staff, then shall he that smote him be acquitted,–only, for his loss of time, he shall pay, and, shall surely heal, him. |
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| 20 And, when a man shall smite his servant or his handmaid with a rod, and he die, under his hand, he shall, surely be avenged; |
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| 21 nevertheless, if, for a day or for two days, he continue, he shall not be avenged, for, his silver, he is. |
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| 22 And, when men strive together, and push against a woman with child, and she miscarry, but there is no other mischief, he shall, surely be fined, according as the woman's husband shall lay upon him, but he shall give it through judges. |
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| 23 But, if mischief follow, then shalt thou give life for life; |
Life for life – This was the basis of justice on which God was operating. R4426:1, R1917:1
God arranged that only one man should have the opportunity to fall and be sentenced to death; thus only one man would be required as a Redeemer of all humanity. R5429:6
A perfect human life having been condemned to death, it required a perfect human life to redeem it. Jesus "tasted death for every man." (Heb. 2:9) R4964:4, R1917:4; OV151:5
An illustration of the word "ransom." Q562:6
If a thousand perfect men had sinned, it would have required a thousand perfect men to redeem them. R5429:6; SM661:1
The blood (death) of bulls and of goats could never take away sin; likewise the death of angels or archangels could never take away sin (redeem man). R3174:5, R4426:2, R5429:6
The Philistines had caused the loss of many lives in Israel. Thus it was in full accord with divine instruction that they and other occupants of Canaan be utterly destroyed. R5663:5
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| 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth,–hand for hand, foot for foot, |
Eye for eye – This line of strict justice the Lord inculcated in the Law given to Israel to assist them in understanding the great principle of Justice underlying divine conduct. OV21:4; Q798:4
Strong characters may wish to correct that which is wrong, but it is not the time now to judge and discipline the world. R5644:5
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| 25 brand for brand, wound for wound,–stripe for stripe. |
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| 26 And, when a man smiteth the eye of his servant, or the eye of his handmaid, and destroyeth it, he shall send him forth, free, for his eye; |
For his eye's sake – The common Law was no respecter of persons. There was no special legislation for the priesthood. A52
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| 27 or, if, the tooth of his servant, or the tooth of his handmaid, he knock out, he shall send him forth, free, for his tooth. |
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| 28 And, when an ox goreth a man or a woman, and death ensueth, the ox shall, surely be stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten, and, the owner of the ox, shall be quit. |
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| 29 But, if, the ox, was wont to gore before that time and it hath been attested to his owner, and he hath not proceeded to put him under guard, and he causeth the death of man or woman, the ox, shall be stoned, and, his owner also, shall be put to death. |
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| 30 If, a sin-covering, be laid on him, then shall he give a ransom for his life, according to whatsoever may be laid on him: |
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| 31 if, a son, he gore, or, a daughter, he gore, according to this regulation, shall it be done to him; |
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| 32 if, a servant, the ox gore, or a handmaid, thirty shekels of silver, shall he give to his lord, and, the ox, shall be stoned. |
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| 33 And, when a man openeth a pit, or when a man diggeth a pit, and doth not cover it,–and there falleth thereinto an ox or an ass, |
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| 34 the owner of the pit, shall make it good, silver, shall he pay back to the owner thereof,–and, the dead beast, shall be his. |
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| 35 And, when the ox of one man thrusteth the ox of his neighbour, so that it dieth, then shall they sell the live ox, and divide the silver thereof, and, the dead ox also, shall they divide. |
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| 36 Or, if it was known that, an ox, was, wont to gore, before that time, and his owner proceeded not to put him under guard, he shall, surely make good,–an ox for the ox, and, the dead one, shall be his. |
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