Exodus 21:30

Easy-to-Read Version

But the family of the dead man may accept money. If they accept money, the man who owned the bull should not be killed. But he must pay as much money as the judge decides.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
If a ransom is laid on him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is laid on him.

King James Version
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.

Lexham English Bible
If a ransom is set on him, he will pay the redemption money for his life according to all that is set on him.

New Century Version
But if the family of the dead person accepts money, the one who owned the bull may buy back his life, but he must pay whatever is demanded.

New English Translation
If a ransom is set for him, then he must pay the redemption for his life according to whatever amount was set for him.

Amplified Bible
"If a ransom is demanded of him [in return for his life], then he shall give whatever is demanded for the redemption of his life.

New American Standard Bible
"If a ransom is demanded of him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is demanded of him.

Geneva Bible (1587)
If there be set to him a summe of mony, then he shal pay the raunsome of his life, whatsoeuer shalbe laied vpon him.

Legacy Standard Bible
If a ransom is demanded of him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is demanded of him.

Contemporary English Version
However, you may save your own life by paying whatever fine is demanded.

Complete Jewish Bible
However, a ransom may be imposed on him; and the death penalty will be commuted if he pays the amount imposed.

Darby Translation
If there be imposed on him a satisfaction, then he shall give the ransom of his life, according to what is imposed on him.

English Standard Version
If a ransom is imposed on him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is imposed on him.

George Lamsa Translation
But if a sum of money is imposed on him, then he shall give for the ransom of his life whatever they ask from him.

Good News Translation
However, if the owner is allowed to pay a fine to save his life, he must pay the full amount required.

Christian Standard Bible®
If instead a ransom is demanded of him, he can pay a redemption price for his life in the full amount demanded from him.

Literal Translation
If a ransom is put on him, he shall give the redemption of his life, according to all which is put on him.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But yf there be money set vpon him, then, loke what is put vpon him, that shall he geue, to delyuer his soule.

American Standard Version
If there be laid on him a ransom, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatsoever is laid upon him.

Bible in Basic English
If a price is put on his life, let him make payment of whatever price is fixed.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
If there be set to hym a sume of money, then he shal geue for the redeeming of his life whatsoeuer is layde vpo him.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
If there be laid on him a ransom, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatsoever is laid upon him.

King James Version (1611)
If there be layed on him a summe of money, then he shall giue for the ransome of his life, whatsoeuer is layd vpon him.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And if a ransom should be imposed on him, he shall pay for the ransom of his soul as much as they shall lay upon him.

English Revised Version
If there be laid on him a ransom, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatsoever is laid upon him.

Berean Standard Bible
If payment is demanded of him instead, he may redeem his life by paying the full amount demanded of him.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
that if prijs is put to the lord, he schal yyue for his lijf what euer he is axide.

Young's Literal Translation
`If atonement is laid upon him, then he hath given the ransom of his life, according to all that is laid upon him;

Update Bible Version
If there be laid on him a ransom, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is laid on him.

Webster's Bible Translation
If there shall be laid on him a sum of money, then he shall give for the ransom of his life whatever is laid upon him.

World English Bible
If a ransom is laid on him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is laid on him.

New King James Version
If there is imposed on him a sum of money, then he shall pay to redeem his life, whatever is imposed on him.

New Living Translation
However, the dead person's relatives may accept payment to compensate for the loss of life. The owner of the ox may redeem his life by paying whatever is demanded.

New Life Bible
But if he is allowed to pay for his life, then he will pay whatever is asked of him.

New Revised Standard
If a ransom is imposed on the owner, then the owner shall pay whatever is imposed for the redemption of the victim's life.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
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:

Douay-Rheims Bible
And if they set a price upon him, he shall give for his life whatsoever is laid upon him.

Revised Standard Version
If a ransom is laid on him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is laid upon him.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"If a ransom is demanded of him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is demanded of him.

Contextual Overview

²² "Two men might be fighting and hurt a pregnant woman. This might make the woman give birth to her baby before its time. If the woman was not hurt badly, the man who hurt her must pay a fine. The woman's husband will decide how much the man must pay. The judges will help the man decide how much the fine will be. ²³ But if the woman was hurt badly, then the man who hurt her must be punished. The punishment must fit the crime. You must trade one life for another life. ²⁴ You must trade an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot, ²⁵ a burn for a burn, a bruise for a bruise, a cut for a cut. ²⁶ "If a man hits a slave in the eye, and the slave is blinded in that eye, then the slave will be allowed to go free. His eye is the payment for his freedom. This is the same for a man or a woman slave. ²⁷ If a master hits his slave in the mouth, and the slave loses a tooth, then the slave will be allowed to go free. The slave's tooth is payment for the slave's freedom. This is the same for a man or a woman slave. ²⁸ "If a man's bull kills a man or woman, then you should use stones and kill that bull. You should not eat the bull. The owner of the bull is not guilty. ²⁹ But if the bull had hurt people in the past, and if the owner was warned, then the owner is guilty. That is because he did not keep the bull tied or locked in its place. So if the bull is allowed to be free and kills someone, the owner is guilty. You should kill the bull with stones and also kill the owner. ³⁰ But the family of the dead man may accept money. If they accept money, the man who owned the bull should not be killed. But he must pay as much money as the judge decides. ³¹ "This same law must be followed if the bull kills someone's son or daughter.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

for the ransom: Exodus 21:22, Exodus 30:12, Numbers 35:31-33, Proverbs 13:8

Reciprocal: Exodus 21:34 - General 1 Kings 20:39 - or else

Cross-References

Genesis 21:27
So Abraham and Abimelech made an agreement. Abraham gave Abimelech some sheep and cattle as proof of the agreement.

Genesis 21:28
Abraham also put seven female lambs in front of Abimelech.

Genesis 31:52
This pile of rocks and this one special rock both help us to remember our agreement. I will never go past these rocks to fight against you, and you must never go on my side of these rocks to fight against me.

Joshua 24:27
Then Joshua said to all the people, "This stone will help you remember what we said today. This stone was here when the Lord was speaking to us today. So this stone will be something that helps you remember what happened today. The stone will be a witness against you. It will stop you from turning against your God."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

If there be laid on him a sum of money,.... By the decree of the judges, as Aben Ezra, or which the sanhedrim of Israel have laid upon him; if his sentence of death is commuted for a fine, with the consent of the relations of the deceased, who in such a case are willing to show mercy, and take a fine instead of the person's death; supposing it was through carelessness and negligence, and not with any ill design that he did not keep up his ox from doing damage, after he had notice:

then he shall give for the ransom of his life whatever, is laid upon him; whatever mulct or fine he is amerced with by the court, instead of the sentence of death first pronounced. Of this ransom Maimonides q thus writes:

"the ransom is according as the judges consider what is the price (or value) of him that is slain; (i.e. according to his rank, whether a noble or common man, a free man or a servant) all is according to the estimation of him that is slain.--To whom do they give the ransom? to the heirs of the slain; and if a woman is killed, the ransom is given to the heirs of her father's (family), and not to her husband.''

q Hilchot Niske Mammon, c. 11. sect. 1, 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The animal was slain as a tribute to the sanctity of human life (Compare the marginal references and Genesis 4:11). It was stoned, and its flesh was treated as carrion. Guilty negligence on the part of its owner was reckoned a capital offence, to be commuted for a fine.

In the case of a slave, the payment was the standard price of a slave, thirty shekels of silver. See Leviticus 25:44-46; Leviticus 27:3, and the marginal references for the New Testament application of this fact.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 21:30. If there be laid on him a sum of money - the ransom of his life — So it appears that, though by the law he forfeited his life, yet this might be commuted for a pecuniary mulct, at which the life of the deceased might be valued by the magistrates.