Verse 1 Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.
This chapter deals with judgement in different situations. Basically, it is about individual accountability.
Verses 2-6 If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing. 3 If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him. 4 If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself. 5 And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free: 6 Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.
A Hebrew servant was not a slave. It was a normal practice for individuals in financial difficulties to sell themselves to more wealthy people for a period of time. Here God limited the length of servitude to six years, the number of man. In the seventh year, the number of God, the individual was once again free. This system provided a way for the Hebrew people to relieve their financial difficulties and for them to engage in work, thus keeping the individuals out of trouble and presumably preventing theft and other crimes in the community. The Hebrew servant, knowing this directive from God, would have had to decide if marriage during this time period was a good idea as a woman given in marriage by the master remained the property of the master, as did any children born to that woman in the master’s house. Piercing the ear placed a mark on the Hebrew servant who voluntarily chose to remain in the master’s house after fulfilling the time of service, identifying him as the property of the master.
Application: The unsaved person is a servant to three things: the flesh, the world and the Devil. The natural state of mankind is sinful. Like the Hebrew servant, the person is a servant to one or all of these entities. But when a person becomes a believer, like the Hebrew servant being freed in the seventh year, the person is free from the human masters of sin and the flesh, the temptations of the world, and the schemes of the Devil. Only in the LORD can an individual be truly free. But like the Hebrew servant, an individual can refuse the freedom offered by God and choose to remain in bondage as an unbeliever.
Verses 7-11 And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do. 8 If she please not her master, who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her. 9 And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters. 10 If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish. 11 And if he do not these three unto her, then shall she go out free without money.
The Hebrew word for “maidservant” used here is “amah” and it can mean a female slave, a maid, a handmaid or a concubine. Judging by the context of the verses above, it would seem that the word should be interpreted as concubine as the daughter sold is not to have her position of marriage diminished if another wife is taken. Women who were not virgins were not treated very well if they were rejected by their husbands or masters. Unlike society today which promotes sexual entanglements outside of marriage, the Hebrew culture did not allow for this behavior. The whole purpose of this judgement from God was to protect the Hebrew women from sexual slavery and to provide for them financially and physically. If the master failed in his responsibilities, the woman was to receive her freedom. Communities were small enough for members of the community to be aware of the woman’s status as a rejected wife and therefore, hopefully, she would not be viewed as a prostitute
Verses 12-14 He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death. 13 And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee. 14 But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.
Premeditated murder was to be treated with the death penalty. Why? Because prisons were not a part of early Hebrew existence and because only God has the right to end a person’s life. All life is because of Creator God and all life belongs to Him.
Verse 15 And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.
The Hebrew word used here for “smiteth” is “nakah” and it means to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay or kill. In the KJV Bible verbs ending in “eth” indicate ongoing action. To loveth is to continue to love and by adding an “s” in place of the eth ending, the verb becomes as it is used in the English language today – loves. So a man that smiteths or “smites” either of his parents is to be killed for this act. It did not matter whether he hit his parents and did not cause physical harm or if he killed them, the punishment was the same. Why? These actions break the commandment to honor parents. God is the Father of mankind and He established the family and the roles of each individual within the family unit. The family is important to God and important to the survival of humankind. God did not want to allow for disrespect towards parents by children. In God’s economy, parents rule and children obey. Raising a hand or weapon against a parent by a child was not to be tolerated. In this way, Hebrew society would thrive and survive.
Application: Today the family is under attack by demonic forces who are using media such as television, movies, and internet with its social media platforms to convince people that the family is obsolete and a thing of the past. Teenage sex and its resultant pregnancies and often abortions is presented as a teenager’s right to choose. Same sex marriage is all the rage and protected by man made laws that do not have God’s blessing upon them and which are totally contrary to Biblical teaching. Pre-born babies are killed and their body parts sold to pharmaceutical companies, research facilities and foreign entities at great financial gain. Baby parts end up in cosmetics, food and beverage flavorings, and vaccines. The sanctity of life is mocked and people believing in the Biblical standard of one man and one woman living and loving together and producing children are viewed as mentally ill. However, without the family, mankind cannot continue on this Earth. Same sex marriage does not produce the next generation. Abortion and birth control does not produce the next generation. Think about it.
Verse 16 And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.
Kidnapping was to result in the perpetrator receiving the death penalty. Making money by stealing and selling human beings or by exacting a ransom was not to be tolerated in the Hebrew nation. Again, all living entities belong to God. Kidnapping was and is stealing from God.
Verse 17 And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.
Once again parents and the treatment of parents by their children is the topic of this judgement. Cursing parents is not honoring them as commanded by God in His ten commandments. Cursing provides a portal for evil spirits to enter into the life of the person being cursed. Placing a curse on a person is an automatice invitation to evil spirits to harass and/or harm the person.
Verses 18-19 And if men strive together, and one smite another with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keepeth his bed: 19 If he rise again, and walk abroad upon his staff, then shall he that smote him be quit: only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall cause him to be thoroughly healed.
Fighting with each other that could lead to physical harm to one or both fighters was to have real consequences. If injured enough so that a person could not work, the one that caused the injuries had to financially support the person until he was healed of his injuries. If the fight resulted in death to one of the fighters, the judgment above in verses 12-14 was to be followed.
Verses 20-21 And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished. 21 Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money.
Killing a servant also resulted in the death penalty. This could only be avoided if the servant did not die right away.
Verses 22-25 If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. 23 And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, 24 Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
The Hebrew word used here for “mischief” is “acown” and it means evil, mischief, harm or hurt. Causing a miscarriage and then further harming a woman was to result in the death of the perpetrator. Causing a miscarriage but not causing further harm prevented the death penalty from being enforced but punishment was to be determined by the husband as it was his child that was killed.
These verses clearly show that God does not allow for abortion. Causing a woman to abort her unborn child was to result in punishment of some kind, depending on the intent of the perpetrator, including the punishment of death.
Verse 26 And 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.
Violence against servants was not to be tolerated and the master inflicting the violence was to lose his investment as a punishment for his actions. The servant was to receive his/her freedom.
Verse 27 And if he smite out his manservant’s tooth, or his maidservant’s tooth; he shall let him go free for his tooth’s sake.
Again, violence against a servant was to be punished and the servant was to be freed. Hopefully, if a master who tended to lose his temper and to strike his servants experienced a financial loss when he did so, he would stop his behavior.
Verses 28-29 If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die: then the ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit. 29 But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in time past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not kept him in, but that he hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death.
Serious accountability for the owner of an animal who failed to monitor and control that animal was important in an agricultural society. God expects His people to be responsible animal owners.
Verses 30-32 If there be laid on him a sum of money, then he shall give for the ransom of his life whatsoever is laid upon him. 31 Whether he have gored a son, or have gored a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done unto him. 32 If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.
However, there would always be extenuating circumstances, and the allowance of payment for injuries or death caused by an animal was provided by God as a way for the owner to avoid the death penalty.
Verses 33-34 And if a man shall open a pit, or if a man shall dig a pit, and not cover it, and an ox or an ass fall therein; 34 The owner of the pit shall make it good, and give money unto the owner of them; and the dead beast shall be his.
Irresponsibility leading to the death of someone else’s animal led to the irresponsible person owning a dead animal. This could be expensive and so this judgement encouraged diggers of pits to cover dangerous holes or to not leave them unattended.
Verses 35-36 And if one man’s ox hurt another’s, that he die; then they shall sell the live ox, and divide the money of it; and the dead ox also they shall divide. 36 Or if it be known that the ox hath used to push in time past, and his owner hath not kept him in; he shall surely pay ox for ox; and the dead shall be his own.
Again, irresponsible animal owners had to be accountable for what their uncontrolled animal did, and financial loss would ocurr.