God’s Justice and Compassion in Daily Life

What You'll Learn

• God’s standards for servant treatment and freedom
• The value of human life and consequences for harm
• Principles of justice including fair restitution and protection

God’s laws establish justice, mercy, and order within the community.

Bible Translation Note Scripture Verse-by-Verse Study Chapter Synopsis Prayer Personal Application Weekly Actions Chapter Summary

Bible Translation Note: All Scripture on this page is quoted from the King James Version (KJV) and presented in full without alteration.

Exodus 21:1 Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.

Exodus 21:2 If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.

Exodus 21:3 If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him.

Exodus 21:4 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.

Exodus 21:5 And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:

Exodus 21:6 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.

Exodus 21:7 And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do.

Exodus 21:8 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.

Exodus 21:9 And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.

Exodus 21:10 If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.

Exodus 21:11 And if he do not these three unto her, then shall she go out free without money.

Exodus 21:12 He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.

Exodus 21:13 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.

Exodus 21:14 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.

Exodus 21:15 And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.

Exodus 21:16 And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.

Exodus 21:17 And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.

Exodus 21:18 And if men strive together, and one smite another with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keepeth his bed:

Exodus 21:19 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.

Exodus 21:20 And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished.

Exodus 21:21 Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money.

Exodus 21:22 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.

Exodus 21:23 And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,

Exodus 21:24 Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

Exodus 21:25 Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

Exodus 21:26 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.

Exodus 21:27 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.

Exodus 21:28 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.

Exodus 21:29 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.

Exodus 21:30 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.

Exodus 21:31 Whether he have gored a son, or have gored a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done unto him.

Exodus 21:32 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.

Exodus 21:33 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;

Exodus 21:34 The owner of the pit shall make it good, and give money unto the owner of them; and the dead beast shall be his.

Exodus 21:35 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.

Exodus 21:36 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.

Exodus 21:1

Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.

Study: God moves Israel from receiving the Ten Commandments to learning how those commandments should shape daily life. These judgments show that covenant faithfulness was not only about worship, but also about justice, responsibility, family, property, and how people treated one another.

Exodus 21:2

If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.

Study: God places limits on servitude among His covenant people. This law prevented permanent oppression and reminded Israel that freedom mattered because they themselves had been delivered from bondage in Egypt.

Exodus 21:3

If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him.

Study: This judgment protects the family relationships that already existed before a servant entered service. God’s law recognizes that economic hardship should not casually destroy covenant family bonds.

Exodus 21:4

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.

Study: This law reflects the legal structure of ancient Israel while exposing the complexity and cost of servitude. It reminds readers that God was regulating a fallen social system by placing order and boundaries around relationships that could otherwise become abusive or chaotic.

Exodus 21:5

And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:

Study: God allows a servant’s choice to be openly declared rather than assumed or forced. The verse highlights the importance of voluntary commitment, especially when love and family loyalty influence a person’s decision.

Exodus 21:6

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.

Study: The public ceremony protected the servant’s decision from being hidden or manipulated. God required witnesses and a formal act because lifelong commitment was serious and should never be treated casually.

Exodus 21:7

And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do.

Study: This verse introduces special protections for a vulnerable woman in a difficult social arrangement. God’s law does not allow her to be treated as disposable property, but begins placing obligations on those responsible for her care.

Exodus 21:8

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.

Study: God restrains the power of the master and exposes deceit as a serious moral failure. The woman must be allowed redemption, showing that covenant law protected the vulnerable from being trapped by another person’s broken promise.

Exodus 21:9

And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.

Study: Betrothal changed her status and required honorable treatment. God’s law insists that she be received with dignity, not treated as a servant after being promised a place within the family.

Exodus 21:10

If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.

Study: God requires continued provision and protection even when another wife is taken. This law confronts neglect by making clear that changing circumstances do not release a man from his responsibilities.

Exodus 21:11

And if he do not these three unto her, then shall she go out free without money.

Study: God provides a remedy when obligation is violated. The woman is not left powerless; failure to provide what was required results in her freedom, showing that covenant justice included protection from exploitation.

Exodus 21:12

He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.

Study: This command upholds the sanctity of human life. Because people bear the image of God, taking a life through violence is treated as a severe offense against both the victim and the God who gives life.

Exodus 21:13

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.

Study: God distinguishes accidental death from premeditated murder. Justice in Israel was not blind vengeance; it required discernment, context, and mercy where guilt was not deliberate.

Exodus 21:14

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.

Study: God does not allow religious places or outward piety to shield intentional wickedness. The altar was not a hiding place for murder; true justice required that deliberate violence be judged honestly.

Exodus 21:15

And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.

Study: This law reinforces the seriousness of honoring father and mother. Violence against parents was not merely a private family matter; it was rebellion against the order God established within the covenant community.

Exodus 21:16

And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.

Study: God condemns the theft and sale of human beings as a grave evil. This law protects human dignity by treating kidnapping and human trafficking as offenses worthy of the strongest judgment.

Exodus 21:17

And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.

Study: God treats destructive speech against parents as a serious violation of honor. The command shows that words can reveal rebellion and contempt, not merely momentary frustration.

Exodus 21:18

And if men strive together, and one smite another with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keepeth his bed:

Study: God distinguishes injury from murder while still requiring accountability. Justice does not ignore harm simply because the victim survives; it considers both the damage done and the proper level of responsibility.

Exodus 21:19

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.

Study: Restitution is central to this judgment. God’s law required the offender to address the real consequences of his actions, including lost time and healing, showing that justice seeks repair, not only punishment.

Exodus 21:20

And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished.

Study: God holds masters accountable for violence against servants. Even within an ancient system of servitude, authority did not give someone the right to destroy another person’s life without judgment.

Exodus 21:21

Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money.

Study: This difficult law reflects the legal and economic realities of ancient servitude while still placing limits on violence. It shows that God was regulating a broken human system and beginning to restrain abuse within Israel’s covenant life.

Exodus 21:22

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.

Study: God holds people responsible when their conflict harms the innocent. This judgment shows that reckless violence has consequences beyond the immediate participants and that justice must account for vulnerable lives affected by another person’s actions.

Exodus 21:23

And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,

Study: The law treats serious harm with serious accountability. God’s justice does not minimize injury, especially when vulnerable life is involved, but demands a response proportionate to the damage done.

Exodus 21:24

Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

Study: This principle limited revenge by requiring punishment to match the offense. God’s law restrained personal retaliation and established proportional justice rather than emotional or excessive punishment.

Exodus 21:25

Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

Study: God continues the principle of measured justice. The point is not cruelty, but restraint: punishment must not exceed the harm done, and accountability must be governed by righteousness rather than vengeance.

Exodus 21:26

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.

Study: This law protects servants from unchecked abuse by attaching real consequences to physical harm. Freedom becomes the remedy, showing that the servant’s body and dignity mattered under God’s justice.

Exodus 21:27

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.

Study: God’s law makes even lesser bodily injury significant. The command teaches that authority over another person never removes responsibility to treat that person with care and restraint.

Exodus 21:28

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.

Study: Human life is valued above property. The animal is destroyed because life has been taken, but the owner is not treated as guilty when there was no known negligence, showing that God’s justice considers responsibility carefully.

Exodus 21:29

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.

Study: Negligence changes the moral weight of the case. When danger is known and ignored, the owner becomes accountable for the harm that follows, teaching that responsibility includes acting on warnings.

Exodus 21:30

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.

Study: This judgment shows that justice could include restitution when permitted by lawful authority. Mercy did not erase accountability; the guilty person still had to bear a costly consequence for negligence.

Exodus 21:31

Whether he have gored a son, or have gored a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done unto him.

Study: God applies the same justice whether the victim is a son or daughter. The verse affirms that every child’s life carries value and that justice must not change based on gender.

Exodus 21:32

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.

Study: The law recognizes harm done to servants and requires compensation rather than ignoring their suffering. Though the legal system reflects the ancient world, the judgment still shows that servants were not outside the concern of God’s justice.

Exodus 21:33

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;

Study: God’s law holds people responsible for dangers they create. Negligence is not excused simply because the harm was unintended; love of neighbor includes taking care not to endanger others.

Exodus 21:34

The owner of the pit shall make it good, and give money unto the owner of them; and the dead beast shall be his.

Study: Restitution requires making the loss right in a practical way. God’s justice does not stop at assigning blame; it calls the responsible person to repair the damage caused.

Exodus 21:35

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.

Study: This judgment creates a fair way to share loss when there is no proven negligence. God’s law seeks balance, preventing one party from bearing the full burden when responsibility cannot be assigned unfairly.

Exodus 21:36

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.

Study: Known danger creates clear responsibility. God’s law teaches that ignoring risk is not innocent, and that justice requires restitution when negligence causes another person loss.

Exodus 21 outlines God’s judgments concerning servants, personal injury, and property damage. These laws provide a framework for justice that values human life, protects the vulnerable, and requires accountability. They reveal God's holiness and care in governing His people’s daily lives.

Lord, help us to understand Your righteous laws and to live justly and mercifully toward others. Teach us to value life, honor relationships, and act responsibly in all circumstances. May Your justice guide our hearts and actions each day. Amen.

• Identify one way to show mercy or fairness in your daily interactions and practice it this week.

Exodus 21 reveals God’s desire for justice and mercy in social relationships. His laws protect servants, uphold life’s value, and require accountability for harm and negligence. These statutes guide believers to live in holiness and compassion within community.

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