Focused Passage

Exodus 21:1-11

Case Laws for Covenant Justice, Human Dignity, and Restitution

The chapter moves from laws regulating Hebrew servitude, to protections for female servants, to capital cases involving murder, violence against parents, kidnapping, and cursing parents, then to laws about bodily injury, slaves injured by masters, harm to pregnant women, proportional justice, injuries caused by animals, and restitution when negligence leads to harm.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1 “These are the ordinances that you are to set before them:

2 If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free without paying anything.

3 If he arrived alone, he is to leave alone; if he arrived with a wife, she is to leave with him.

4 If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free.

5 But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children; I do not want to go free,’

6 then his master is to bring him before the judges. And he shall take him to the door or doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he shall serve his master for life.

7 And if a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as the menservants do.

8 If she is displeasing in the eyes of her master who had designated her for himself, he must allow her to be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, since he has broken faith with her.

9 And if he chooses her for his son, he must deal with her as with a daughter.

10 If he takes another wife, he must not reduce the food, clothing, or marital rights of his first wife.

11 If, however, he does not provide her with these three things, she is free to go without monetary payment.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

These וְאֵ֙לֶּה֙ H428 Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - common plural are the ordinances הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים H4941 Article | Noun - masculine plural that אֲשֶׁ֥ר H834 Pronoun - relative you are to set תָּשִׂ֖ים H7760 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular before them לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃ H6440 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Verse 2

Original words

If כִּ֤י H3588 Conjunction you buy תִקְנֶה֙ H7069 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular a Hebrew עִבְרִ֔י H5680 Noun - proper - masculine singular servant עֶ֣בֶד H5650 Noun - masculine singular he is to serve you יַעֲבֹ֑ד H5647 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular for six שֵׁ֥שׁ H8337 Number - feminine singular years שָׁנִ֖ים H8141 Noun - feminine plural But in the seventh [year] וּבַ֨שְּׁבִעִ֔ת H7637 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Number - ordinal feminine singular he shall go יֵצֵ֥א H3318 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular free לַֽחָפְשִׁ֖י H2670 Preposition-l, Article | Adjective - masculine singular without paying anything חִנָּֽם׃ H2600 Adverb
Verse 3

Original words

If אִם־ H518 Conjunction he arrived alone יָבֹ֖א H935 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular . . . בְּגַפּ֥וֹ H1610 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular he is to leave alone יֵצֵ֑א H3318 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular . . . בְּגַפּ֣וֹ H1610 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular if אִם־ H518 Conjunction . . . בַּ֤עַל H1167 Noun - masculine singular construct he ה֔וּא H1931 Pronoun - third person masculine singular arrived with a wife אִשָּׁה֙ H802 Noun - feminine singular [she] אִשְׁתּ֖וֹ H802 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular is to leave וְיָצְאָ֥ה H3318 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular with him עִמּֽוֹ׃ H5973 Preposition | third person masculine singular
Verse 4

Original words

If אִם־ H518 Conjunction his master אֲדֹנָיו֙ H113 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular gives יִתֶּן־ H5414 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular him ל֣וֹ Preposition | third person masculine singular a wife אִשָּׁ֔ה H802 Noun - feminine singular and she bears וְיָלְדָה־ H3205 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular him ל֥וֹ Preposition | third person masculine singular sons בָנִ֖ים H1121 Noun - masculine plural or א֣וֹ H176 Conjunction daughters בָנ֑וֹת H1323 Noun - feminine plural the woman הָאִשָּׁ֣ה H802 Article | Noun - feminine singular and her children וִילָדֶ֗יהָ H3206 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular shall belong to תִּהְיֶה֙ H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular her master לַֽאדֹנֶ֔יהָ H113 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular and [only] the man וְה֖וּא H1931 Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - third person masculine singular shall go free יֵצֵ֥א H3318 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular . . . בְגַפּֽוֹ׃ H1610 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 5

Original words

But if וְאִם־ H518 Conjunction the servant הָעֶ֔בֶד H5650 Article | Noun - masculine singular declares אָמֹ֤ר H559 Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute . . . יֹאמַר֙ H559 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular I love אָהַ֙בְתִּי֙ H157 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker my master אֲדֹנִ֔י H113 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker and my wife אִשְׁתִּ֖י H802 Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular - וְאֶת־ H853 Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker and children בָּנָ֑י H1121 Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular I do not לֹ֥א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle want to go אֵצֵ֖א H3318 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular free חָפְשִֽׁי׃ H2670 Adjective - masculine singular
Verse 6

Original words

then his master אֲדֹנָיו֙ H113 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular is to bring him וְהִגִּישׁ֤וֹ H5066 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular before אֶל־ H413 Preposition the judges הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים H430 Article | Noun - masculine plural And he shall take him וְהִגִּישׁוֹ֙ H5066 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular to אֶל־ H413 Preposition the door הַדֶּ֔לֶת H1817 Article | Noun - feminine singular or א֖וֹ H176 Conjunction . . . אֶל־ H413 Preposition doorpost הַמְּזוּזָ֑ה H4201 Article | Noun - feminine singular - אֲדֹנָ֤יו H113 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker and pierce וְרָצַ֨ע H7527 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular his ear אָזְנוֹ֙ H241 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular with an awl בַּמַּרְצֵ֔עַ H4836 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular Then he shall serve his master וַעֲבָד֖וֹ H5647 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular for life לְעֹלָֽם׃ס H5769 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular

BSB notes

  • Or before God
Verse 7

Original words

And if וְכִֽי־ H3588 Conjunction a man אִ֛ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker sells יִמְכֹּ֥ר H4376 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular his daughter בִּתּ֖וֹ H1323 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular as a servant לְאָמָ֑ה H519 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular she is not לֹ֥א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle to go free תֵצֵ֖א H3318 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular . . . כְּצֵ֥את H3318 Preposition-k | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct as the menservants do הָעֲבָדִֽים׃ H5650 Article | Noun - masculine plural
Verse 8

Original words

If אִם־ H518 Conjunction she is displeasing רָעָ֞ה H7451 Adjective - feminine singular in the eyes בְּעֵינֵ֧י H5869 Preposition-b | Noun - cdc of her master אֲדֹנֶ֛יהָ H113 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular who אֲשֶׁר־ H834 Pronoun - relative had designated her for himself יְעָדָ֖הּ H3259 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular | third person feminine singular he must allow her to be redeemed וְהֶפְדָּ֑הּ H6299 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular | third person feminine singular He has no לֹא H3808 Preposition | third person masculine singular right יִמְשֹׁ֥ל H4910 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular to sell her לְמָכְרָ֖הּ H4376 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person feminine singular to foreigners לְעַ֥ם H5971 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular . . . נָכְרִ֛י H5237 Adjective - masculine singular . . . לֹא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle since he has broken faith בְּבִגְדוֹ־ H898 Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular with her בָֽהּ׃ Preposition | third person feminine singular

BSB notes

  • Or so that he does not designate her for himself
Verse 9

Original words

And if וְאִם־ H518 Conjunction he chooses her יִֽיעָדֶ֑נָּה H3259 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person feminine singular for his son לִבְנ֖וֹ H1121 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular he must deal יַעֲשֶׂה־ H6213 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular with her לָּֽהּ׃ Preposition | third person feminine singular as with כְּמִשְׁפַּ֥ט H4941 Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct a daughter הַבָּנ֖וֹת H1323 Article | Noun - feminine plural
Verse 10

Original words

If אִם־ H518 Conjunction he takes יִֽקַּֽח־ H3947 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular another wife אַחֶ֖רֶת H312 Adjective - feminine singular construct he must not לֹ֥א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle reduce יִגְרָֽע׃ H1639 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular the food שְׁאֵרָ֛הּ H7607 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular clothing כְּסוּתָ֥הּ H3682 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singular or marital rights [of his first wife] וְעֹנָתָ֖הּ H5772 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Verse 11

Original words

If, however וְאִם־ H518 Conjunction he does not לֹ֥א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle provide יַעֲשֶׂ֖ה H6213 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular her לָ֑הּ Preposition | third person feminine singular with these אֵ֔לֶּה H428 Pronoun - common plural three things שְׁלָ֨שׁ־ H7969 Number - feminine singular construct she is free to go וְיָצְאָ֥ה H3318 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular . . . חִנָּ֖ם H2600 Adverb without אֵ֥ין H369 Adverb monetary payment כָּֽסֶף׃ס H3701 Noun - masculine singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.