Exodus 21:30 kjv

If there be laid on him a sum of money, then he shall give for the ransom of his life whatsoever is laid upon him.

Exodus 21:30 nkjv

If there is imposed on him a sum of money, then he shall pay to redeem his life, whatever is imposed on him.

Exodus 21:30 niv

However, if payment is demanded, the owner may redeem his life by the payment of whatever is demanded.

Exodus 21:30 esv

If a ransom is imposed on him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is imposed on him.

Exodus 21:30 nlt

However, the dead person's relatives may accept payment to compensate for the loss of life. The owner of the ox may redeem his life by paying whatever is demanded.

Exodus 21 verses

Exodus 21 30 Meaning

Exodus 21:30 details a specific legal provision within the Mosaic Law concerning accidental death resulting from an owner's negligence. If an ox, previously known to be dangerous, fatally gored someone, and the owner had been negligent in restraining it, the owner was ordinarily liable for capital punishment (Exod 21:29). However, this verse provides an alternative: if a ransom (כֹּפֶר, kopher) was imposed by the judges, the guilty owner could pay this amount for the "redemption of his life," thereby escaping the death penalty. It illustrates a balance of justice and mercy in cases of serious negligence.

Exodus 21 30 Context

Exodus 21:30 is found within the "Book of the Covenant" (Exod 20:22-23:33), a collection of specific case laws God delivered to the newly formed nation of Israel, immediately after the Ten Commandments. These laws established the legal and moral framework for their society, covering areas from slavery to property rights and personal injury.

This verse specifically addresses the consequence of a dangerous animal causing a fatality, building upon the preceding verses (Exod 21:28-29). If an ox gored a person to death, the ox was to be stoned, but its owner was held liable only if he knew the ox had a history of goring and failed to control it. In such a case of gross negligence, the owner was initially deemed worthy of death (Exod 21:29). Verse 21:30, however, introduces a compassionate allowance: if a monetary ransom was required by the legal authorities, the owner could pay it to "redeem" his life, thus escaping execution. This distinguished between negligent homicide and intentional murder, for which no ransom was permitted (Num 35:31), highlighting the law's intricate balance of justice, life's value, and the allowance for mercy in certain circumstances.

Exodus 21 30 Word Analysis

• If there is laid on him: The Hebrew construction, particularly with the opening vĕ’im (and if), establishes this as a conditional clause, signifying a possibility rather than an automatic right. This implies that the imposition of a ransom (כֹּפֶר, kopher) was a judicial decision, determined by judges or elders based on the specific circumstances of the case, rather than an automatic alternative available to the negligent party. It reveals judicial discretion within the law.
• a ransom: (כֹּפֶר, kopher). Derived from the verb kaphar, meaning "to cover," "to make atonement," or "to pacify." In this legal context, kopher signifies a substitutionary payment that "covers" the offense, or the guilt associated with it, thereby averting the prescribed penalty—in this instance, the death sentence. It highlights the concept of a valuable substitute that appeases justice, setting a legal precedent that foreshadows the theological understanding of atonement for sin.
• then he shall give: (וְנָתַן, vĕnatthan). This phrase conveys a mandatory obligation. Once the kopher is imposed by the legal authority, the guilty party is bound to pay it. This underlines the seriousness of the judicial ruling and the non-negotiable nature of the requirement if the life-sparing option is to be exercised.
• for the redemption: (לִפְדּוּת, liphdut). Stemming from the root padah, meaning "to ransom," "to redeem," or "to deliver." This term signifies the act of purchasing freedom or liberation from a penalty, servitude, or an endangered state. Here, it denotes the process by which the payment secures the release of the negligent party from the just decree of death, pointing to the broader biblical concept of deliverance from bondage or judgment.
• of his life: (נַפְשׁוֹ, nap̄šō). From נֶפֶשׁ (nephesh), a multifaceted Hebrew term often translated as "soul," "life," "person," or "self." In this context, nephesh refers to the individual's entire being or his very existence. The ransom is thus paid specifically for the preservation of the offender's physical life and identity from capital punishment, underscoring the high value the Law placed on human life.
• whatever is laid on him: (כָּל־אֲשֶׁר יוּשַׁת עָלָיו, kol-ʾăšer yūšat ‘ālāyw). This clause clarifies that the precise amount of the ransom is not fixed by the text of the law itself (unlike the explicit 30 shekels for a gored slave in Exod 21:32). Instead, it is left to the discretion of the presiding judges or magistrates to determine an appropriate sum. This flexibility allowed for the ransom amount to be adjusted based on factors such as the victim's standing, the offender's wealth, and the specific circumstances of negligence, ensuring a fair but punitive measure.

Exodus 21 30 Bonus Section

• Judicial Flexibility: The phrasing "whatever is laid on him" highlights a significant aspect of biblical law: the provision for judicial discretion. Unlike other offenses where a specific amount or consequence is outlined (e.g., Exod 21:32 specifying 30 shekels for a gored slave), the exact amount for a free person's life was left to the judges. This implies they would assess various factors like the victim's social standing, the degree of negligence, and the financial capacity of the responsible party to determine a fair yet burdensome ransom.
• Contrast with Intentional Murder: It is vital to distinguish Exodus 21:30 from cases of premeditated murder. Numbers 35:31 explicitly forbids taking "no ransom for the life of a murderer, who is guilty of death." This absolute prohibition for intentional killing underscores the sanctity of human life and the gravity of malicious intent, making such offenses irredeemable by monetary means under the Law, in contrast to cases of negligence.
• Mercy and Social Order: This provision reflects a practical and merciful aspect of Israelite law. It allowed for restitution and a means of restoring communal harmony following an accidental death due to negligence, without invariably leading to an irreversible death sentence. Such a system could help prevent blood feuds and maintain societal stability by offering an alternative to strict retribution in certain cases.

Exodus 21 30 Commentary

Exodus 21:30 presents a crucial legal and theological principle within the Mosaic Law, demonstrating God's justice tempered with a provision for mercy. While an individual found gravely negligent for a death deserved the death penalty (as in the case of the owner of a known dangerous ox), this verse offers an alternative path through the acceptance of a kopher (ransom). This demonstrates that not all forms of causing death resulted in mandatory capital punishment, highlighting the Law's careful distinctions between intentional malice and culpable negligence. The imposition of a ransom allowed justice to be served, the sanctity of life upheld, and society to receive appropriate restitution without always demanding life for life.

Theologically, this verse is profound. The concept of a kopher, a substitute payment or "covering" that atones for an offense and frees one from due penalty, clearly points forward. It is a foreshadowing of the ultimate ransom: Jesus Christ. His giving of "his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45) is the perfect, divinely appointed kopher for humanity's sin, which incurs the penalty of eternal death (Rom 6:23). Unlike human ransoms that can only address legal guilt, Christ's perfect sacrifice entirely redeems and reconciles, freeing believers from the condemnation and power of sin (Col 1:14; 1 Pet 1:18-19). This Mosaic legal principle thus serves as a powerful pointer to God's grand plan of salvation, revealing that God himself would provide the sufficient and ultimate covering for the gravest of all offenses.