Exodus 21:27

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
If he strikes out his man-servant's tooth, or his maid-servant's tooth, he shall let him go free for his tooth's sake.

King James Version
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.

Lexham English Bible
And if he causes the tooth of his male slave or the tooth of his female slave to fall out, he will release him as free in place of his tooth.

New Century Version
If a master knocks out a tooth of his male or female slave, the man is to free the slave to pay for the tooth.

New English Translation
If he knocks out the tooth of his male servant or his female servant, he will let the servant go free as compensation for the tooth.

Amplified Bible
"And if he knocks out the tooth of his male servant or female servant, he must let the servant go free because of [the loss of] the tooth.

New American Standard Bible
"And if he knocks out a tooth of his male or female slave, he shall let the slave go free on account of the tooth.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Also if he smite out his seruants tooth, or his maides tooth, he shall let him goe out free for his tooth.

Legacy Standard Bible
And if he knocks out a tooth of his male or female slave, he shall let him go free on account of his tooth.

Contemporary English Version
The same law applies if you knock out a slave's tooth—the slave goes free.

Complete Jewish Bible
If he knocks out his male or female slave's tooth, he must let him go free in compensation for his tooth.

Darby Translation
And if he knock out his bondman's tooth or his handmaid's tooth, he shall let him go free for his tooth.

Easy-to-Read Version
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.

English Standard Version
If he knocks out the tooth of his slave, male or female, he shall let the slave go free because of his tooth.

George Lamsa Translation
And if he knocks out the tooth of his manservant or the tooth of his maidservant, he must let him go free for his tooths sake.

Good News Translation
If he knocks out a tooth, he is to free the slave as payment for the tooth.

Christian Standard Bible®
If he knocks out the tooth of his male or female slave, he must let the slave go free in compensation for his tooth.

Literal Translation
And if he causes the tooth of his male slave, or the tooth of his slave-girl, to fall out, he shall send him away free for his tooth.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
In like maner yf he smyte out a tothe of his seruaunt or mayde, he shall let them go fre and lowse for the tothes sake.

American Standard Version
And if he smite out his man-servant's tooth, or his maid-servant's tooth; he shall let him go free for his tooth's sake.

Bible in Basic English
Or if the loss of a tooth is caused by his blow, he will let him go free on account of his tooth.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Also if he smyte out his seruaunt or his maydes tothe, he shall let them go out free for the tothes sake.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And if he smite out his bondman's tooth, or his bondwoman's tooth, he shall let him go free for his tooth's sake.

King James Version (1611)
And if he smite out his man seruants tooth, or his mayde seruants tooth, hee shal let him goe free for his tooths sake.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And if he should smite out the tooth of his man-servant, or the tooth of his maid-servant, he shall send them away free for their tooth’s sake.

English Revised Version
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.

Berean Standard Bible
And if he knocks out the tooth of his manservant or maidservant, he must let the servant go free as compensation for the tooth.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Also if he smytith out a tooth fro his seruaunt, ethir handmaide, in lijk maner he schal delyuere hem fre.

Young's Literal Translation
and if a tooth of his man-servant or a tooth of his handmaid he knock out, as a freeman he doth send him away for his tooth.

Update Bible Version
And if he smites out his male slave's tooth, or his female slave's tooth, he shall let him go free for his tooth's sake.

Webster's Bible Translation
And if he shall smite out his man-servant's tooth, or his maid-servant's tooth; he shall let him go free for his tooth's sake.

World English Bible
If he strikes out his man-servant's tooth, or his maid-servant's tooth, he shall let him go free for his tooth's sake.

New King James Version
And if he knocks out the tooth of his male or female servant, he shall let him go free for the sake of his tooth.

New Living Translation
And if a man knocks out the tooth of his male or female slave, he must let the slave go free to compensate for the tooth.

New Life Bible
If he knocks out a tooth of his man or woman servant, he will let the person go free because of the tooth.

New Revised Standard
If the owner knocks out a tooth of a male or female slave, the slave shall be let go, a free person, to compensate for the tooth.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
or, if, the tooth of his servant or the tooth of his handmaid, he knock out, he shall send him forth, free, for his tooth.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Also if he strike out a tooth of his manservant or maidservant, he shall in like manner make them free.

Revised Standard Version
If he knocks out the tooth of his slave, male or female, he shall let the slave go free for the tooth's sake.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"And if he knocks out a tooth of his male or female slave, he shall let him go free on account of his tooth.

Contextual Overview

²²"When there's a fight and in the fight a pregnant woman is hit so that she miscarries but is not otherwise hurt, the one responsible has to pay whatever the husband demands in compensation. But if there is further damage, then you must give life for life—eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise. ²⁶"If a slave owner hits the eye of a slave or handmaid and ruins it, the owner must let the slave go free because of the eye. If the owner knocks out the tooth of the male or female slave, the slave must be released and go free because of the tooth. ²⁸"If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox must be stoned. The meat cannot be eaten but the owner of the ox is in the clear. But if the ox has a history of goring and the owner knew it and did nothing to guard against it, then if the ox kills a man or a woman, the ox is to be stoned and the owner given the death penalty. If a ransom is agreed upon instead of death, he must pay it in full as a redemption for his life. If a son or daughter is gored, the same judgment holds. If it is a slave or a handmaid the ox gores, thirty shekels of silver is to be paid to the owner and the ox stoned. ³³"If someone uncovers a cistern or digs a pit and leaves it open and an ox or donkey falls into it, the owner of the pit must pay whatever the animal is worth to its owner but can keep the dead animal. ³⁵"If someone's ox injures a neighbor's ox and the ox dies, they must sell the live ox and split the price; they must also split the dead animal. But if the ox had a history of goring and the owner knew it and did nothing to guard against it, the owner must pay an ox for an ox but can keep the dead animal."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

smite: Exodus 21:19

Reciprocal: Exodus 21:20 - smite Exodus 21:24 - General Job 31:13 - the cause

Cross-References

Genesis 21:22
At about that same time, Abimelech and the captain of his troops, Phicol, spoke to Abraham: "No matter what you do, God is on your side. So swear to me that you won't do anything underhanded to me or any of my family. For as long as you live here, swear that you'll treat me and my land as well as I've treated you."

Genesis 21:31
That's how the place got named Beersheba (the Oath-Well), because the two of them swore a covenant oath there. After they had made the covenant at Beersheba, Abimelech and his commander, Phicol, left and went back to Philistine territory.

1 Samuel 18:3
Jonathan, out of his deep love for David, made a covenant with him. He formalized it with solemn gifts: his own royal robe and weapons—armor, sword, bow, and belt.

Proverbs 17:8
Receiving a gift is like getting a rare gemstone; any way you look at it, you see beauty refracted.

Proverbs 18:16
A gift gets attention; it buys the attention of eminent people.

Proverbs 18:24
Friends come and friends go, but a true friend sticks by you like family.

Proverbs 21:14
A quietly given gift soothes an irritable person; a heartfelt present cools a hot temper.

Ezekiel 17:13
The Great Tree Is Made Small and the Small Tree Great God 's Message came to me: "Son of man, make a riddle for the house of Israel. Tell them a story. Say, ‘ God , the Master, says: "‘A great eagle with a huge wingspan and long feathers, In full plumage and bright colors, came to Lebanon And took the top off a cedar, broke off the top branch, Took it to a land of traders, and set it down in a city of shopkeepers. Then he took a cutting from the land and planted it in good, well-watered soil, like a willow on a riverbank. It sprouted into a flourishing vine, low to the ground. Its branches grew toward the eagle and the roots became established— A vine putting out shoots, developing branches. "‘There was another great eagle with a huge wingspan and thickly feathered. This vine sent out its roots toward him from the place where it was planted. Its branches reached out to him so he could water it from a long distance. It had been planted in good, well-watered soil, And it put out branches and bore fruit, and became a noble vine. "‘ God , the Master, says, Will it thrive? Won't he just pull it up by the roots and leave the grapes to rot And the branches to shrivel up, a withered, dead vine? It won't take much strength or many hands to pull it up. Even if it's transplanted, will it thrive? When the hot east wind strikes it, won't it shrivel up? Won't it dry up and blow away from the place where it was planted?'" God 's Message came to me: "Tell this house of rebels, ‘Do you get it? Do you know what this means?' "Tell them, ‘The king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and took its king and its leaders back to Babylon. He took one of the royal family and made a covenant with him, making him swear his loyalty. The king of Babylon took all the top leaders into exile to make sure that this kingdom stayed weak—didn't get any big ideas of itself—and kept the covenant with him so that it would have a future. "‘But he rebelled and sent emissaries to Egypt to recruit horses and a big army. Do you think that's going to work? Are they going to get by with this? Does anyone break a covenant and get off scot-free? "‘As sure as I am the living God, this king who broke his pledge of loyalty and his covenant will die in that country, in Babylon. Pharaoh with his big army—all those soldiers!—won't lift a finger to fight for him when Babylon sets siege to the city and kills everyone inside. Because he broke his word and broke the covenant, even though he gave his solemn promise, because he went ahead and did all these things anyway, he won't escape. "‘Therefore, God , the Master, says, As sure as I am the living God, because the king despised my oath and broke my covenant, I'll bring the consequences crashing down on his head. I'll send out a search party and catch him. I'll take him to Babylon and have him brought to trial because of his total disregard for me. All his elite soldiers, along with the rest of the army, will be killed in battle, and whoever is left will be scattered to the four winds. Then you'll realize that I, God , have spoken. "‘ God , the Master, says, I personally will take a shoot from the top of the towering cedar, a cutting from the crown of the tree, and plant it on a high and towering mountain, on the high mountain of Israel. It will grow, putting out branches and fruit—a majestic cedar. Birds of every sort and kind will live under it. They'll build nests in the shade of its branches. All the trees of the field will recognize that I, God , made the great tree small and the small tree great, made the green tree turn dry and the dry tree sprout green branches. I, God , said it—and I did it.'"

Galatians 3:15
Friends, let me give you an example from everyday affairs of the free life I am talking about. Once a person's will has been ratified, no one else can annul it or add to it. Now, the promises were made to Abraham and to his descendant. You will observe that Scripture, in the careful language of a legal document, does not say "to descendants," referring to everybody in general, but "to your descendant" (the noun, note, is singular), referring to Christ. This is the way I interpret this: A will, earlier ratified by God, is not annulled by an addendum attached 430 years later, thereby negating the promise of the will. No, this addendum, with its instructions and regulations, has nothing to do with the promised inheritance in the will. What is the point, then, of the law, the attached addendum? It was a thoughtful addition to the original covenant promises made to Abraham. The purpose of the law was to keep a sinful people in the way of salvation until Christ (the descendant) came, inheriting the promises and distributing them to us. Obviously this law was not a firsthand encounter with God. It was arranged by angelic messengers through a middleman, Moses. But if there is a middleman as there was at Sinai, then the people are not dealing directly with God, are they? But the original promise is the direct blessing of God, received by faith. If such is the case, is the law, then, an anti-promise, a negation of God's will for us? Not at all. Its purpose was to make obvious to everyone that we are, in ourselves, out of right relationship with God, and therefore to show us the futility of devising some religious system for getting by our own efforts what we can only get by waiting in faith for God to complete his promise. For if any kind of rule-keeping had power to create life in us, we would certainly have gotten it by this time. Until the time when we were mature enough to respond freely in faith to the living God, we were carefully surrounded and protected by the Mosaic law. The law was like those Greek tutors, with which you are familiar, who escort children to school and protect them from danger or distraction, making sure the children will really get to the place they set out for. But now you have arrived at your destination: By faith in Christ you are in direct relationship with God. Your baptism in Christ was not just washing you up for a fresh start. It also involved dressing you in an adult faith wardrobe—Christ's life, the fulfillment of God's original promise. In Christ's family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ. Also, since you are Christ's family, then you are Abraham's famous "descendant," heirs according to the covenant promises.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And if he smite out his manservant's tooth, or his maidservant's tooth,.... Give them such a slap on the face, or a blow on the mouth, as to strike out one of their teeth; this also the Targum of Jonathan and Jarchi restrain to a Canaanitish servant or maid;

he shall let him go free for his tooth's sake; both him and her, the servant and the maid; this, though of lesser consequence than the loss of an eye, was punished in the same manner with the loss of the servant man or maid, to make masters careful how they abused their servants in any degree. And though only these parts are expressed, yet Jarchi and Aben Ezra observe, that all other principal members of the body, which they reckon to be twenty four, are included, as the fingers, toes, &c.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Freedom was the proper equivalent for permanent injury.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 21:27. If he smite out his - tooth — It was a noble law that obliged the unmerciful slaveholder to set the slave at liberty whose eye or tooth he had knocked out. If this did not teach them humanity, it taught them caution, as one rash blow might have deprived them of all right to the future services of the slave; and thus self-interest obliged them to be cautious and circumspect.