Exodus 21:26

If the owner of a slave strikes the eye of his male or female slave and ruins it, he must free that slave because of what he did to the slave’s eye.

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

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.

In Context

27If someone knocks out one of his slave’s teeth, he must free the slave because of what he did to the slave’s tooth.

Read all of Exodus 21

Cross References

Exodus 21:20If someone strikes his male or female slave with a stick, if the slave dies ◄immediately/as a result► [IDM], the one who struck him must be punished.

Deuteronomy 16:19They must not judge unjustly. They must not favor one person more than another. The judges must not accept bribes, because if a judge accepts a bribe, even if he is wise and honest, it will be very difficult for him to judge fairly [IDM]; he will do what the person who gave him the bribe wants him to do and declare that the righteous/innocent people must be punished.

Job 31:13“And, if it were true that I have ever refused to listen to one of my male or female servants when they complained to me about something,

Psalms 10:14But you see the trouble and the distress that they cause. People who are suffering expect that you will help them; and you help orphans, also.

Psalms 72:12They will rescue poor people when they ◄cry out/plead► for help, and help those who are needy and those who have no one to help them.

Ephesians 6:9You masters, just like your slaves should serve you well, you similarly must treat them well. Stop threatening to beat them if they do not do their work well. Do not forget you and they have the same Lord who is in heaven. So he is the one who will say to you and your slaves whether he approves of what you and they have done, and when he judges people, he does not act more favorably toward some than he acts toward others.

Matthew Henry on Exodus 21:23-36

22 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. 26 And if a man smite the eye of his servant, or the eye of his maid, that it perish; he shall… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Exodus 21:26