Exodus 21:28
New International Version
“If a bull gores a man or woman to death, the bull is to be stoned to death, and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the bull will not be held responsible.

New Living Translation
“If an ox gores a man or woman to death, the ox must be stoned, and its flesh may not be eaten. In such a case, however, the owner will not be held liable.

English Standard Version
“When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner of the ox shall not be liable.

Berean Standard Bible
If an ox gores a man or woman to death, the ox must surely be stoned, and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the ox shall not be held responsible.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
“If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, then the ox shall surely be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be acquitted.

New American Standard Bible
“Now if an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall certainly be stoned and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall go unpunished.

NASB 1995
“If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall surely be stoned and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall go unpunished.

NASB 1977
“And if an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall surely be stoned and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall go unpunished.

Legacy Standard Bible
“And if an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall surely be stoned and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall go unpunished.

Amplified Bible
“If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox must be stoned and its meat shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be cleared [of responsibility].

Christian Standard Bible
“When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox must be stoned, and its meat may not be eaten, but the ox’s owner is innocent.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox must be stoned, and its meat may not be eaten, but the ox’s owner is innocent.

American Standard Version
And if an ox gore a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be surely stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And when an ox will gore a man or a woman and someone will die, the ox surely will be stoned and its flesh shall not be eaten and the owner of the ox shall be declared innocent.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And if a bull gore a man or woman and they die, the bull shall be stoned with stones, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the bull shall be clear.

Contemporary English Version
A bull that kills someone with its horns must be killed and its meat destroyed, but the owner of the bull isn't responsible for the death.

Douay-Rheims Bible
If an ox gore a man or a woman, and they die, he shall be stoned: and his flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner of the ox shall be quit.

English Revised Version
And if an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die, the ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Whenever a bull gores a man or a woman to death, the bull must be stoned to death, and its meat may not be eaten. The bull's owner is free from any liability.

Good News Translation
"If a bull gores someone to death, it is to be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but its owner is not to be punished.

International Standard Version
"If an ox gores a man or woman so that they die, the ox is certainly to be stoned and its flesh may not be eaten, but the owner of the ox is free from liability.

JPS Tanakh 1917
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.

Literal Standard Version
And when an ox gores man or woman, and they have died, the ox is certainly stoned, and his flesh is not eaten, and the owner of the ox [is] acquitted;

Majority Standard Bible
If an ox gores a man or woman to death, the ox must surely be stoned, and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the ox shall not be held responsible.

New American Bible
When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox must be stoned; its meat may not be eaten. The owner of the ox, however, shall be free of blame.

NET Bible
"If an ox gores a man or a woman so that either dies, then the ox must surely be stoned and its flesh must not be eaten, but the owner of the ox will be acquitted.

New Revised Standard Version
When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall not be liable.

New Heart English Bible
"If a bull gores a man or a woman to death, the bull shall surely be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the bull shall not be held responsible.

Webster's Bible Translation
If an ox shall 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.

World English Bible
“If a bull gores a man or a woman to death, the bull shall surely be stoned, and its meat shall not be eaten; but the owner of the bull shall not be held responsible.

Young's Literal Translation
And when an ox doth gore man or woman, and they have died, the ox is certainly stoned, and his flesh is not eaten, and the owner of the ox is acquitted;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Personal Injury Laws
27And if he knocks out the tooth of his manservant or maidservant, he must let the servant go free as compensation for the tooth. 28If an ox gores a man or woman to death, the ox must surely be stoned, and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the ox shall not be held responsible. 29But if the ox has a habit of goring, and its owner has been warned yet does not restrain it, and it kills a man or woman, then the ox must be stoned and its owner must also be put to death.…

Cross References
Genesis 9:5
And surely I will require the life of any man or beast by whose hand your lifeblood is shed. I will demand an accounting from anyone who takes the life of his fellow man:

Exodus 21:27
And if he knocks out the tooth of his manservant or maidservant, he must let the servant go free as compensation for the tooth.

Exodus 21:29
But if the ox has a habit of goring, and its owner has been warned yet does not restrain it, and it kills a man or woman, then the ox must be stoned and its owner must also be put to death.

Exodus 21:32
If the ox gores a manservant or maidservant, the owner must pay thirty shekels of silver to the master of that servant, and the ox must be stoned.


Treasury of Scripture

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.

the ox

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.

Genesis 9:5,6
And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man…

Leviticus 20:15,16
And if a man lie with a beast, he shall surely be put to death: and ye shall slay the beast…

Jump to Previous
Acquitted Bull Cause Clear Death Die Died Eaten Flesh Food Gore Gores Guiltless Held Judged Meat Owner Ox Quit Responsible Stoned Surely Unpunished Used
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Acquitted Bull Cause Clear Death Die Died Eaten Flesh Food Gore Gores Guiltless Held Judged Meat Owner Ox Quit Responsible Stoned Surely Unpunished Used
Exodus 21
1. Laws for men servants
5. For the servant whose ear is bored
7. For women servants
12. For manslaughter
16. For kidnappers
17. For cursers of parents
18. For smiters
22. For a hurt by chance
28. For an ox that gores
33. For him who is an occasion of harm














(28-32) Injuries to the person might arise either from man or from animals. Protection from both was needed. The law given to Noah (Genesis 9:5) had already laid it down that whenever a beast killed a man his life was to be forfeit. This law was now re-enacted, but with a further and very important proviso. If the animal had an owner, and the owner had reason to know that it was dangerous, then not only the beast, but the owner also was to be held guilty. He was to be liable to a process for murder (Exodus 21:29); but, with the consent of the aggrieved family, might pay a sum of money as compensation instead (Exodus 21:30). In the case of a slave, the sum was fixed at what was regarded as the standard price of a slave (Leviticus 25:44-46; Leviticus 27:3), viz., thirty silver shekels.

(28) The ox shall be surely stoned--i.e., he shall die the death of a murderer. . . .

Verses 28-32. - Injuries done by cattle to slaves and freemen. For the purpose of inculcating as strongly as possible the principle of the sanctity of human life, the legislator notices the case where mortal injury is done to a person by a domesticated animal. The ox is taken as the example, being the animal most likely to inflict such an injury. In accordance with the declaration already made to Noah (Genesis 9:6), it is laid down that the destructive beast must be killed. Further, to mark the abhorrence in which murder ought to be held, the provision is made, that none of the creature' s flesh must be eaten. The question then arises, is the owner to suffer any punishment? This is answered in the way that natural equity points out - "If he had reason to know the savage temper of the animal, he is to he held responsible; if otherwise, he is to go free." In the former case, the Hebrew law assigned a higher degree of responsibility than accords with modern notions; but practically the result was not very different. The neglectful Hebrew owner was held to have been guilty of a capital offence, but was allowed to "redeem his life" by a fine. His modern counterpart would be held to have been guilty simply of laches or neglect of duty, and would be punished by fine or imprisonment Verse 28. - The ox shall be surely stoned. He shall suffer the same death that would have been the portion of a human murderer. His flesh shall not be eaten. The animal was regarded as accursed, and therefore, as a matter of course, no Hebrew might eat of it. According to the Rabbinical commentators, it was not even lawful to sell the carcase to Gentiles. The owner shall be quit - i.e., "shall be liable to no punishment."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
If
וְכִֽי־ (wə·ḵî-)
Conjunctive waw | Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

an ox
שׁ֥וֹר (šō·wr)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7794: A head of cattle (bullock, ox, etcetera)

gores
יִגַּ֨ח (yig·gaḥ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5055: To butt with the horns, to war against

a man
אִ֛ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

or
א֥וֹ (’ōw)
Conjunction
Strong's 176: Desire, if

woman
אִשָּׁ֖ה (’iš·šāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

to death,
וָמֵ֑ת (wā·mêṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill

the ox
הַשּׁ֗וֹר (haš·šō·wr)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7794: A head of cattle (bullock, ox, etcetera)

must surely
סָק֨וֹל (sā·qō·wl)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 5619: To stone, put to death by stoning

be stoned,
יִסָּקֵ֜ל (yis·sā·qêl)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5619: To stone, put to death by stoning

and its meat
בְּשָׂר֔וֹ (bə·śā·rōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1320: Flesh, body, person, the pudenda of a, man

must not
וְלֹ֤א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

be eaten.
יֵאָכֵל֙ (yê·’ā·ḵêl)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 398: To eat

But the owner
וּבַ֥עַל (ū·ḇa·‘al)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1167: A master, a husband, owner

of the ox
הַשּׁ֖וֹר (haš·šō·wr)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7794: A head of cattle (bullock, ox, etcetera)

shall not be held responsible.
נָקִֽי׃ (nā·qî)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 5355: Clean, free from, exempt


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OT Law: Exodus 21:28 If a bull gores a man (Exo. Ex)
Exodus 21:27
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