Exodus 21:21

Contemporary English Version

However, if the slave lives a few days after the beating, you are not to be punished. After all, you have already lost the services of that slave who was your property.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Notwithstanding, if he gets up after a day or two, he shall not be punished, for he is his property.

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

Lexham English Bible
Yet if he survives a day or two days, he will not be avenged, because he is his money.

New Century Version
But if the slave gets well after a day or two, the owner will not be punished since the slave belongs to him.

New English Translation
However, if the injured servant survives one or two days, the owner will not be punished, for he has suffered the loss.

Amplified Bible
"If, however, the servant survives for a day or two, the offender shall not be punished, for the [injured] servant is his own property.

New American Standard Bible
"If, however, the slave survives a day or two, no vengeance shall be taken; for the slave is his property.

Geneva Bible (1587)
But if he continue a day, or two dayes, hee shall not be punished: for he is his money.

Legacy Standard Bible
But if for a day or two he is able to stand, no punishment shall be taken; for he is his property.

Complete Jewish Bible
except that if the slave lives for a day or two, he is not to be punished, since the slave is his property.

Darby Translation
Only, if he continue [to live] a day or two days, he shall not be avenged; for he is his money.

Easy-to-Read Version
But if the slave gets up after a few days, then the master will not be punished. That is because someone paid their money for the slave, and the slave belongs to them.

English Standard Version
But if the slave survives a day or two, he is not to be avenged, for the slave is his money.

George Lamsa Translation
But if the victim is well after a day or two, he shall not be punished; for he is his property.

Good News Translation
But if the slave does not die for a day or two, the master is not to be punished. The loss of his property is punishment enough.

Christian Standard Bible®
However, if the slave can stand up after a day or two, the owner should not be punished because he is his owner’s property.

Literal Translation
But if he continues a day or two, he shall not be avenged, for he is his silver.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But yf he endure a daye or two, then shall he suffre no vegeaunce therfore, for it is his money.

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

Bible in Basic English
But, at the same time, if the servant goes on living for a day or two, the master is not to get punishment, for the servant is his property.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And if he continue a day or two, it shal not be reueged, for he is his money.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Notwithstanding if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished; for he is his money.

King James Version (1611)
Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, hee shall not be punished, for he is his money.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
But if the servant continue to live a day or two, let not the master be punished; for he is his money.

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

Berean Standard Bible
However, if the servant gets up after a day or two, the owner shall not be punished, since the servant is his property.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Sotheli if the seruaunt ouerlyueth o dai, ether tweyne, he schal not be suget to peyne, `that is of deeth, for the seruaunt is his catel.

Young's Literal Translation
only if he remain a day, or two days, he is not avenged, for he [is] his money.

Update Bible Version
Notwithstanding, if he continues a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money.

Webster's Bible Translation
Notwithstanding, if he shall continue a day or two, he shall not be punished; for he [is] his money.

World English Bible
Notwithstanding, if he gets up after a day or two, he shall not be punished, for he is his property.

New King James Version
Notwithstanding, if he remains alive a day or two, he shall not be punished; for he is his property.

New Living Translation
But if the slave recovers within a day or two, then the owner shall not be punished, since the slave is his property.

New Life Bible
But if he or she lives a day or two, he will not be punished, for his servant belongs to him.

New Revised Standard
But if the slave survives a day or two, there is no punishment; for the slave is the owner's property.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
nevertheless if, for a day or for two days, he continue, he shall not be avenged, for, his silver, he is.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But if the party remain alive a day or two, he shall not be subject to the punishment, because it is his money.

Revised Standard Version
But if the slave survives a day or two, he is not to be punished; for the slave is his money.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"If, however, he survives a day or two, no vengeance shall be taken; for he is his property.

Contextual Overview

¹² The Lord said: Death is the punishment for murder. ¹³ But if you did not intend to kill someone, and I, the Lord , let it happen anyway, you may run for safety to a place that I have set aside. ¹⁴ If you plan in advance to murder someone, there's no escape, not even by holding on to my altar. You will be dragged off and killed. ¹⁵ Death is the punishment for attacking your father or mother. ¹⁶ Death is the punishment for kidnapping. If you sell the person you kidnapped, or if you are caught with that person, the penalty is death. ¹⁷ Death is the punishment for cursing your father or mother. ¹⁸ Suppose two of you are arguing, and you hit the other with either a rock or your fist, without causing a fatal injury. If the victim has to stay in bed, ¹⁹ and later has to use a stick when walking outside, you must pay for the loss of time and do what you can to help until the injury is completely healed. That's your only responsibility. ²⁰ Death is the punishment for beating to death any of your slaves. ²¹ However, if the slave lives a few days after the beating, you are not to be punished. After all, you have already lost the services of that slave who was your property.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Leviticus 25:45, Leviticus 25:46

Reciprocal: Genesis 37:27 - sell him Exodus 23:9 - thou shalt not Leviticus 19:20 - she shall be scourged Job 31:13 - the cause

Cross-References

Genesis 21:3
Abraham named his son Isaac,

Genesis 21:4
and when the boy was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, just as the Lord had commanded.

Genesis 21:34
Then Abraham lived a long time as a foreigner in the land of the Philistines.

Numbers 10:12
So the Israelites broke camp and left the Sinai Desert. And some time later, the cloud stopped in the Paran Desert.

Numbers 12:16
Then they left Hazeroth and set up camp in the Paran Desert.

Numbers 13:3
So Moses sent twelve tribal leaders from Israel's camp in the Paran Desert

Numbers 13:26
the twelve men returned to Kadesh in the Paran Desert and told Moses, Aaron, and the people what they had seen. They showed them the fruit

Judges 14:2
When he got back home, he told his parents, "I saw a Philistine woman in Timnah, and I want to marry her. Get her for me!"

1 Samuel 25:1
Samuel died, and people from all over Israel gathered to mourn for him when he was buried at his home in Ramah. Meanwhile, David moved his camp to Paran Desert.

1 Corinthians 7:38
It is perfectly all right to marry, but it is better not to get married at all.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two,.... And does not die immediately, or the same day, but lives twenty four hours, as the Jewish writers interpret it; so Abendana x explains the phrase, "a day or two";

"a day which is as two days, and they are twenty four hours from time to time,''

that is, from the time he was smitten to the time of his continuance; and so it is elsewhere explained y by a day we understand a day, which is like two days, that is, from time to time, the meaning of which is, from a certain time in one day to the same in another:

he shall not be punished; that is, with death;

for he [is] his money; is bought with his money, and is good as money, and therefore it is a loss sufficient to him to lose him; and it may be reasonably thought he did not smite his servant with an intention to kill him, since he himself is the loser by it.

x Not. in Miclol Yophi in loc. y Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Zabim, c. 2. sect. 3.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The Jewish authorities appear to be right in referring this law, like those in Exodus 21:26-27, Exodus 21:32, to foreign slaves (see Leviticus 25:44-46). The protection here afforded to the life of a slave may seem to us but a slight one; but it is the very earliest trace of such protection in legislation, and it stands in strong and favorable contrast with the old laws of Greece, Rome, and other nations. If the slave survived the castigation a day or two, the master did not become amenable to the law, because the loss of the slave was accounted, under the circumstances, as a punishment.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 21:21. If the slave who had been beaten by his master died under his hand, the master was punished with death; see Genesis 9:5-6. But if he survived the beating a day or two the master was not punished, because it might be presumed that the man died through some other cause. And all penal laws should be construed as favourably as possible to the accused.