Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, July 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

Exodus 21:12

"If someone hits another and death results, the penalty is death. But if there was no intent to kill—if it was an accident, an ‘act of God'—I'll set aside a place to which the killer can flee for refuge. But if the murder was premeditated, cunningly plotted, then drag the killer away, even if it's from my Altar, to be put to death.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Homicide;   Thompson Chain Reference - Murder;   The Topic Concordance - Execution;   Violence;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Murder;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Murder;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - City of refuge;   Sanctuary;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Kill, Killing;   Law;   Motives;   Murder;   Punishment;   Easton Bible Dictionary - City;   Murder;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Law;   Murder;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Altar;   Avenger;   Capital Punishment;   Cities of Refuge;   Concubine;   Crimes and Punishments;   Exodus, Book of;   Hammurabi;   Pentateuch;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Canon of the Old Testament;   Covenant, Book of the;   Ethics;   Family;   Hexateuch;   Law;   Leviticus;   Numbers, Book of;   Priests and Levites;   Sabbatical Year;   Sin;   Slave, Slavery;   Ten Commandments;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Trial-At-Law;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Law of Moses;   Murder;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Peculiarities of the Law of Moses;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Assassination;   Die;   Goel;   Homicide;   Law in the Old Testament;   Murder;   Punishments;   Refuge, Cities of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Avenger of Blood;   Capital Punishment;   Homicide;   Mekilta De-Rabbi Shim'on;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
"One who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death,
King James Version
He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.
Lexham English Bible
"‘Whoever strikes someone and he dies will surely be put to death.
New Century Version
"Anyone who hits a person and kills him must be put to death.
New English Translation
"Whoever strikes someone so that he dies must surely be put to death.
Amplified Bible
"Whoever strikes a man so that he dies must be put to death.
New American Standard Bible
"He who strikes someone so that he dies shall certainly be put to death.
Geneva Bible (1587)
He that smiteth a man, and he die, shal dye the death.
Legacy Standard Bible
"He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death.
Contemporary English Version
The Lord said: Death is the punishment for murder.
Complete Jewish Bible
"Whoever attacks a person and causes his death must be put to death.
Darby Translation
He that striketh a man, so that he die, shall certainly be put to death.
Easy-to-Read Version
"Whoever hits and kills someone must be killed too.
English Standard Version
"Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death.
George Lamsa Translation
He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death.
Good News Translation
"Whoever hits someone and kills him is to be put to death.
Christian Standard Bible®
“Whoever strikes a person so that he dies must be put to death.
Literal Translation
He that strikes a man so that he dies, dying he shall die.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
He that smyteth a man that he dye, shall dye the death.
American Standard Version
He that smiteth a man, so that he dieth, shall surely be put to death.
Bible in Basic English
He who gives a man a death-blow is himself to be put to death.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
He that smyteth a man, that he dye, shalbe slayne for it.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
He that smiteth a man, so that he dieth, shall surely be put to death.
King James Version (1611)
He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shalbe surely put to death.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And if any man smite another and he die, let him be certainly put to death.
English Revised Version
He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall surely be put to death.
Berean Standard Bible
Whoever strikes and kills a man must surely be put to death.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
He that smytith a man, and wole sle, die bi deeth;
Young's Literal Translation
`He who smiteth a man so that he hath died, is certainly put to death;
Update Bible Version
He that smites a man, so that he dies, shall surely be put to death.
Webster's Bible Translation
He that smiteth a man, so that he dieth, shall be surely put to death.
World English Bible
"One who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death,
New King James Version
"He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death.
New Living Translation
"Anyone who assaults and kills another person must be put to death.
New Life Bible
"Whoever hits a man so that he dies will be put to death.
New Revised Standard
Whoever strikes a person mortally shall be put to death.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall surely be put to death.
Douay-Rheims Bible
He that striketh a man with a will to kill him, shall be put to death.
Revised Standard Version
"Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death.

Contextual Overview

12"If someone hits another and death results, the penalty is death. But if there was no intent to kill—if it was an accident, an ‘act of God'—I'll set aside a place to which the killer can flee for refuge. But if the murder was premeditated, cunningly plotted, then drag the killer away, even if it's from my Altar, to be put to death. 15 "If someone hits father or mother, the penalty is death. 16 "If someone kidnaps a person, the penalty is death, regardless of whether the person has been sold or is still held in possession. 17 "If someone curses father or mother, the penalty is death. 18"If a quarrel breaks out and one hits the other with a rock or a fist and the injured one doesn't die but is confined to bed and then later gets better and can get about on a crutch, the one who hit him is in the clear, except to pay for the loss of time and make sure of complete recovery. 20"If a slave owner hits a slave, male or female, with a stick and the slave dies on the spot, the slave must be avenged. But if the slave survives a day or two, he's not to be avenged—the slave is the owner's property.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Exodus 20:13, Genesis 9:6, Leviticus 24:17, Numbers 35:16-24, Numbers 35:30, Numbers 35:31, Deuteronomy 19:11-13, 2 Samuel 12:13, Matthew 26:52

Reciprocal: Genesis 9:5 - every Deuteronomy 17:8 - between blood Deuteronomy 27:24 - General 2 Samuel 3:28 - guiltless 2 Samuel 3:39 - I am 2 Samuel 4:11 - require 1 Kings 20:37 - Smite me 2 Kings 14:5 - that he slew Ezekiel 16:38 - shed Ezekiel 18:10 - a shedder Matthew 5:21 - and

Cross-References

Genesis 17:19
But God said, "That's not what I mean. Your wife, Sarah, will have a baby, a son. Name him Isaac (Laughter). I'll establish my covenant with him and his descendants, a covenant that lasts forever.
Genesis 21:7
She also said, Whoever would have suggested to Abraham that Sarah would one day nurse a baby! Yet here I am! I've given the old man a son!
Genesis 21:8
The baby grew and was weaned. Abraham threw a big party on the day Isaac was weaned.
1 Samuel 8:7
God answered Samuel, "Go ahead and do what they're asking. They are not rejecting you. They've rejected me as their King. From the day I brought them out of Egypt until this very day they've been behaving like this, leaving me for other gods. And now they're doing it to you. So let them have their own way. But warn them of what they're in for. Tell them the way kings operate, just what they're likely to get from a king."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

He that smiteth a man, so that he die,.... The Targum of Jonathan is, that smites a man or daughter of Israel with the sword; but there is no need to restrain the words either to persons of any certain nation, nor to any instrument with which a person may be smitten as to die: but any human person, man, woman, or child, of whatsoever nation, and they smitten with anything whatever, that issues in their death:

shall surely be put to death; by the order of the civil magistrate, and by the hand of such as shall be appointed by him; for this is the original law of God, Genesis 9:6.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The case of murder of a free man and of a bondman. See Exodus 21:20 note. The law was afterward expressly declared to relate also to foreigners, Leviticus 24:17, Leviticus 24:21-22; compare the marginal references.


 
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