Exodus 21:20

_AND IF A MAN SMITE HIS SERVANT, OR HIS MAID, WITH A ROD, AND HE DIE UNDER HIS HAND; HE SHALL BE SURELY PUNISHED._ If a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die ... х_ BASHEEBET_ (H7626)] - with the rod. Among the Israelites, as among all other people where slavery existed, the owner possesses the power of punishing his delinquent servants. But the exercise of absolute authority is liable at times to be abused; and hence, with a view to check the indulgence of intemperate passion, or excesses of undue severity, Hebrew masters were liable to be called to account for maltreatment of their servants; and in extreme cases, where the death of the servant resulted from the infliction of the rod, his master rendered himself in the eye of the Jewish law obnoxious to punishment. The precise amount of punishment, however, is not specified; for since there could be no retention on...

20._And if a man smite his servant_. Although in civil matters there was a wide distinction between slaves and free-men, still, that God may show how dear and precious men’s lives are to Him, He has no respect to persons with regard to murder; but avenges the death of a slave and a free-man in the same way, if he should die immediately of his wound. Indeed, it was a proof of gross barbarism amongst the Romans and other nations, to give to masters the power of life and death; for men are bound together by a more sacred tie, than that it should be permitted to a master to kill with impunity his wretched slave; nor are some men so set over others, as that they should exercise tyranny, or robbery, neither does reason permit that any private individual should usurp to himself the power of the sword. But, although unjust cruelty was not prohibited, as it should have been, by the laws of Rome,...

12-21 God, who by his providence gives and maintains life, by his law protects it. A wilful murderer shall be taken even from God's altar. But God provided cities of refuge to protect those whose unhappiness it was, and not their fault, to cause the death of another; for such as by accident, when a man is doing a lawful act, without intent of hurt, happens to kill another. Let children hear the sentence of God's word upon the ungrateful and disobedient; and remember that God will certainly requite it, if they have ever cursed their parents, even in their hearts, or have lifted up their hands against them, except they repent, and flee for refuge to the Saviour. And let parents hence learn to be very careful in training up their children, setting them a good example, especially in the government of their passions, and in praying for them; taking heed not to provoke them to wrath. Through...

The Jewish authorities appear to be right in referring this law, like those in Exodus 21:26, Exodus 21:32, to foreign slaves (see Leviticus 25:44). The protection here afforded to the life of a slave may seem to us but a slight one; but it is the very earliest trace of such protection in legislation, and it stands in strong and favorable contrast with the old laws of Greece, Rome, and other nations. If the slave survived the castigation a day or two, the master did not become amenable to the law, because the loss of the slave was accounted, under the circumstances, as a punishment....

EXPOSITION THE BOOK OF THE COVENANT.—_Continued_. I. _Laws connected with the rights of persons_ (Exodus 21:1). The regulations of this section concern— 1. Slavery (Exodus 21:2); 2. Murder and other kinds of homicide (Exodus 21:12-2 and Exodus 21:20, Exodus 21:21); 3. Man-stealing ...

AND IF A MAN SMITE HIS SERVANT OR HIS MAID WITH A ROD,.... A Canaanitish servant or maid, as the Targum of Jonathan, and so Jarchi; and that only with a rod for the correction of them, and not with a sword or any such destroying weapon, which would seem as though he intended to kill, yet nevertheless: AND HE DIE UNDER HIS HAND; immediately, while he is smiting or beating him or her, on the same day, as the above Targum interprets it: HE SHALL BE SURELY PUNISHED; or condemned to the punishment of being slain with the sword, as the said Targum and Jarchi explain it: this law was made to deter masters from using severity and cruelty towards their servants....

CHAPTER 21 DIFFERENT JUDGMENTS _ 1. Master and servant (Exodus 21:1)_ 2. Concerning injury to the person (Exodus 21:12) 3. Concerning property (Exodus 21:33) The Three Chapter s which follow the giving of the Ten Commandments give the practical application of the Decalogue in the daily life. The duties towards the fellowman are demonstrated in part. There are seven sections to these three Chapter s; each section contains ten precepts. The servant occupies the first place. He was to obtain his freedom for nothing after serving six years. In Deuteronomy we read that the master is commanded not to let him go empty-handed, but give him of his flock, his threshing floor and his winepress.

EXODUS 21:18 E. INJURIES. If one man injures another in a quarrel (Exodus 21:18), he must, on the recovery of the other, compensate him for the loss of time and pay his doctor's bill (Exodus 21:19). He who beat a slave to death must pay a penalty (Exodus 21:20), no doubt fixed at the judge's discretion; but only if death was immediate (Exodus 21:21). If two men quarrelling injured the wife of one of them intervening and brought on a miscarriage without permanent injury, her husband could levy a fine ...

PUNISHED. avenged....

Exodus 20:22 to Exodus 23:33 _The Book of the Covenant_ The -Book of the Covenant" (see Exodus 24:7 in explanation of the name) is the oldest piece of Hebrew legislation that we possess. The laws contained in it are spoken of in Exodus 24:3 as consisting of two elements, the WORDS (or commands) and the JUDGEMENTS: the JUDGEMENTS (see on Exodus 21:1) are the provisions relating to civil and criminal law, prescribing what is to be done when particular cases arise, and comprised in...