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Bishop's Bible

Exodus 21:33

If a man open a well, or digge a pitte, and couer it not, and an oxe or an asse fall therein:

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Animals;   Bullock;   Damages and Compensation;   Property;   Restitution;   Trespass;   The Topic Concordance - Livestock;   Recompense/restitution;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Wells and Springs;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Money;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Pit;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Punishments;   Well;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Capital Punishment;   Cattle;   Pit;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Canon of the Old Testament;   Cistern;   Covenant, Book of the;   Ethics;   Hexateuch;   Law;   Leviticus;   Pit;   Priests and Levites;   Sabbatical Year;   Sin;   Ten Commandments;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Ox, Oxen;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Punishments;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Cistern;   Covenant, the Book of the;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Accident;   Commandments, the 613;   Well;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
"If a man opens a pit, or if a man digs a pit and doesn't cover it, and a bull or a donkey falls into it,
King James Version
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;
Lexham English Bible
"‘If a man opens a pit or if a man digs a pit and he does not cover it and an ox or a donkey falls into it,
New Century Version
"If a man takes the cover off a pit, or digs a pit and does not cover it, and another man's ox or donkey comes and falls into it,
New English Translation
"If a man opens a pit or if a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,
Amplified Bible
"If a man leaves a pit open, or digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,
New American Standard Bible
"Now if someone opens a pit, or digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,
Geneva Bible (1587)
And when a man shall open a well, or when he shall dig a pit and couer it not, and an oxe or an asse fall therein,
Legacy Standard Bible
"And if a man opens a pit, or if a man digs a pit and does not cover it over, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,
Contemporary English Version
Suppose someone's ox or donkey is killed by falling into an open pit that you dug or left uncovered on your property.
Complete Jewish Bible
"If someone removes the cover from a cistern or digs one and fails to cover it, and an ox or donkey falls in,
Darby Translation
—And if a man open a pit, or if a man dig a pit, and do not cover it, and an ox or an ass fall into it,
Easy-to-Read Version
"A man might take a cover off a well or dig a hole and not cover it. If another man's animal comes and falls into that hole, the man who owns the hole is guilty.
English Standard Version
"When a man opens a pit, or when a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,
George Lamsa Translation
And if a man shall open a wheat pit or a man shall dig a well, and not cover them, and an ox or an ass fall into it;
Good News Translation
"If someone takes the cover off a pit or if he digs one and does not cover it, and a bull or a donkey falls into it,
Christian Standard Bible®
“When a man uncovers a pit or digs a pit, and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,
Literal Translation
And when a man opens a pit, or when a man digs a pit, and does not cover it, and an ox or an ass falls into it,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Yf a man open a well, or dygge a pytt, and couer it not, and there fall an oxe or Asse therin,
American Standard Version
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,
Bible in Basic English
If a man makes a hole in the earth without covering it up, and an ox or an ass dropping into it comes to its death;
JPS Old Testament (1917)
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,
King James Version (1611)
And if a man shall open a pit, or if a man shall digge a pit, and not couer it, and an oxe or an asse fall therein:
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And if any one open a pit or dig a cavity in stone, and cover it not, and an ox or an ass fall in there,
English Revised Version
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,
Berean Standard Bible
If a man opens or digs a pit and fails to cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
If ony man openeth a cisterne, and diggith, and hilith it not, and an oxe ether asse fallith in to it,
Young's Literal Translation
`And when a man doth open a pit, or when a man doth dig a pit, and doth not cover it, and an ox or ass hath fallen thither, --
Update Bible Version
And if a man shall open a pit, or if a man shall dig a pit and not cover it, and an ox or a donkey fall therein,
Webster's Bible Translation
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 shall fall into it;
World English Bible
"If a man opens a pit, or if a man digs a pit and doesn't cover it, and a bull or a donkey falls into it,
New King James Version
"And if a man opens a pit, or if a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls in it,
New Living Translation
"Suppose someone digs or uncovers a pit and fails to cover it, and then an ox or a donkey falls into it.
New Life Bible
"When a man leaves a deep hole open, or digs a deep hole and does not cover it, and a bull or donkey falls into it,
New Revised Standard
If someone leaves a pit open, or digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And when a man openeth a pit, or when a man diggeth a pit, and doth not cover it, - and there falleth thereinto an ox or an ass,
Douay-Rheims Bible
If a man open a pit, and dig one, and cover it not, and an ox or an ass fall into it,
Revised Standard Version
"When a man leaves a pit open, or when a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or an ass falls into it,
THE MESSAGE
"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.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"If a man opens a pit, or digs a pit and does not cover it over, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,

Contextual Overview

22 If men striue, & hurt a woman with chylde, so that her fruite depart from her, and yet no destruction folow: then he shalbe sore punished according as the womans husbande wyll laye to his charge, and he shall pay as the dayes men wyll appoynt hym. 23 And if any destruction folowe, then he shall geue life for life, 24 Eye for eye, tothe for tothe, hande for hande, foote for foote, 25 Burnyng for burnyng, wounde for wounde, strype for strype. 26 And if a man smyte his seruaunt or his mayde in the eye, that it perishe, he shall let them go free for the eyes sake. 27 Also if he smyte out his seruaunt or his maydes tothe, he shall let them go out free for the tothes sake. 28 If an oxe gore a man or a woman, that they dye, then the oxe shalbe stoned, and his fleshe shall not be eaten: but the owner of the oxe shall go quite. 29 If the oxe were wont to pushe with his horne in time past, and it hath ben tolde his maister, and he hath not kept him, but that he hath killed a man or a woman: then the oxe shalbe stoned, and his owner shall dye also. 30 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. 31 And whether he haue gored a sonne or a daughter, accordyng to the same iudgement shall it be done vnto him.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Psalms 9:15, Psalms 119:85, Proverbs 28:10, Ecclesiastes 10:8, Jeremiah 18:20, Jeremiah 18:22

Reciprocal: Exodus 22:6 - he that kindled the fire Leviticus 24:21 - a beast

Cross-References

Genesis 4:26
And vnto the same Seth also there was borne a sonne, and he called his name Enos: then began men to make inuocation in the name of the Lorde.
Genesis 12:8
And remouyng thence vnto a mountayne that was eastwarde from Bethel, he pitched his tent, hauyng Bethel on the west syde, & Hai on the east: and there he buyldyng an aulter vnto the Lorde, dyd call vpon the name of the Lorde.
Genesis 26:23
And he went vp thence to Beer-seba.
Genesis 26:25
And he builded an aulter there, and called vpon the name of the Lorde, and pitched his tent: and there Isahacs seruauntes dygged a well.
Genesis 26:33
And he called it Sebah: and the name of the citie is called Beer-seba vnto this day.
Deuteronomy 16:21
Thou shalt plant no groue of any trees neare vnto the aulter of the Lord thy God, which thou shalt make thee.
Deuteronomy 33:27
The eternall God is thy refuge, and vnder the armes of the euerlastyng God shalt thou lyue: He shall cast out the enemie before thee, and say, destroy them.
Judges 3:7
And the children of Israel did wickedly in the sight of the Lorde, and forgat the Lorde their God, and serued Baalim and Astheroth.
Psalms 90:2
Before the moutaynes were brought foorth, or euer the earth & the worlde were made: thou art God both from euerlastyng, and also vntyll euerlastyng.
Isaiah 40:28
Knowest thou not, or hast thou not hearde that the euerlasting God, the Lorde whiche made all the corners of the earth, is neither weerie nor fainte? and that his wysdome can not be comprehended?

Gill's Notes on the Bible

If a man shall open a pit,.... That has been dug in time past, and filled up again, or take the covering from it, and leave it uncovered: "or if a man shall dig a pit, and not cover it": a new one, in the street, as the Targum of Jonathan; or in a public place, as Jarchi and Aben Ezra; otherwise a man might dig one for water, in his own fields, in enclosed places, where there was no danger of cattle coming thither, and falling therein:

and an ox or an ass fall therein; or any other beast, as Jarchi observes; for these are mentioned only as instances, and are put for all others. Maimonides s says,

"if a man digs a pit in a public place, and an ox or ass fall into it and die, though the pit is full of shorn wool, and the like, the owner of the pit is bound to pay the whole damage; and this pit (he says) must be ten hands deep; if it is less than that, and an ox, or any other beast or fowl fall into it and die, he is free,''

s Hilchot Niske Maimon. c. 12. sect, 1, 10. so Bartenora in Misn. Bava Kama, c. 1. sect. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The usual mode of protecting a well in the East was probably then, as now, by building round it a low circular wall.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 21:33. And if a man shall open a pit, or - dig a pit — That is, if a man shall open a well or cistern that had been before closed up, or dig a new one; for these two cases are plainly intimated: and if he did this in some public place where there was danger that men or cattle might fall into it; for a man might do as he pleased in his own grounds, as those were his private right. In the above case, if he had neglected to cover the pit, and his neighbour's ox or ass was killed by falling into it, he was to pay its value in money. Exodus 21:33 and Exodus 21:34 seem to be out of their places. They probably should conclude the chapters, as, where they are, they interrupt the statutes concerning the goring ox, which begin at Exodus 21:28.

THESE different regulations are as remarkable for their justice and prudence as for their humanity. Their great tendency is to show the valuableness of human life, and the necessity of having peace and good understanding in every neighbourhood; and they possess that quality which should be the object of all good and wholesome laws - the prevention of crimes. Most criminal codes of jurisprudence seem more intent on the punishment of crimes than on preventing the commission of them. The law of God always teaches and warns, that his creatures may not fall into condemnation; for judgment is his strange work, i.e., one reluctantly and seldom executed, as this text is frequently understood.


 
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