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Thursday, July 24th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Exodus 21:12

Whoever strikes and kills a man must surely 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.
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.
THE MESSAGE
"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.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death.

Contextual Overview

12Whoever strikes and kills a man must surely be put to death.13If, however, he did not lie in wait, but God allowed it to happen, then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee. 14But if a man schemes and acts willfully against his neighbor to kill him, you must take him away from My altar to be put to death. 15He who strikes his father or mother must surely be put to death. 16Whoever kidnaps another man must be put to death, whether he sells him or the man is found in his possession. 17Anyone who curses his father or mother must surely be put to death. 18If men are quarreling and one strikes the other with a stone or a fist, and he does not die but is confined to bed, 19then the one who struck him shall go unpunished, as long as the other can get up and walk around outside with his staff. Nevertheless, he must compensate the man for his lost work and see that he is completely healed. 20If a man strikes his manservant or maidservant with a rod, and the servant dies by his hand, he shall surely be punished. 21However, if the servant gets up after a day or two, the owner shall not be punished, since the servant is his 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 replied, "Your wife Sarah will indeed bear you a son, and you are to name him Isaac. I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.
Genesis 17:21
But I will establish My covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this time next year."
Genesis 21:7
She added, "Who would have told Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age."
Genesis 21:8
So the child grew and was weaned, and Abraham held a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned.
1 Samuel 8:7
And the LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you. For it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected Me as their king.
1 Samuel 8:9
Now listen to them, but you must solemnly warn them and show them the manner of the king who will reign over them."
Isaiah 46:10
I declare the end from the beginning, and ancient times from what is still to come, saying: 'My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure.'
Hebrews 11:18
even though God had said to him, "Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned."

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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