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JPS Old Testament

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,

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;
Bishop's Bible (1568)
If a man open a well, or digge a pitte, and couer it not, and an oxe or an asse 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 And if men strive together, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart, and yet no harm follow, he shall be surely fined, according as the woman's husband shall lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. 23 But if any harm follow, then thou shalt give life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. 26 And if a man smite the eye of his bondman, or the eye of his bondwoman, and destroy it, he shall let him go free for his eye's sake. 27 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. 28 And if an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die, the ox shall be surely stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit. 29 But if the ox was wont to gore in time past, and warning hath been given to its owner, and he hath not kept it in, but it hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death. 30 If there be laid on him a ransom, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatsoever is laid upon him. 31 Whether it have gored a son, or have gored a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done unto 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 to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enosh; then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.
Genesis 12:8
And he removed from thence unto the mountain on the east of Beth-el, and pitched his tent, having Beth-el on the west, and Ai on the east; and he builded there an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.
Genesis 26:23
And he went up from thence to Beer-sheba.
Genesis 26:25
And he builded an altar there, and called upon the name of the LORD, and pitched his tent there; and there Isaac's servants digged a well.
Genesis 26:33
And he called it Shibah. Therefore the name of the city is Beer-sheba unto this day.
Deuteronomy 16:21
Thou shalt not plant thee an Asherah of any kind of tree beside the altar of the LORD thy God, which thou shalt make thee.
Deuteronomy 33:27
The eternal God is a dwelling-place, and underneath are the everlasting arms; and He thrust out the enemy from before thee, and said: 'Destroy.'
Judges 3:7
And the children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgot the LORD their God, and served the Baalim and the Asheroth.
Psalms 90:2
Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever Thou hadst formed the earth and the world,
Isaiah 40:28
Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? His discernment is past searching out.

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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