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Exodus 21:15 Whoever strikes his father or mother must surely be put to death.

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Exodus 21:15 Whoever strikes his father or mother must surely be put to death.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/exodus/21-15.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/6/02_Exo_21_15.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Exodus 21:15 - Personal Injury Laws" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="Whoever strikes his father or mother must surely be put to death." /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script> <script src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/biblehub.js' type='text/javascript'></script></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="/vmenus/exodus/21-15.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmc/exodus/21-15.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="/">Bible</a> > <a href="/exodus/">Exodus</a> > <a href="/exodus/21.htm">Chapter 21</a> > Verse 15</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div><div id="ad1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/ad1.htm" width="100%" height="48" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/exodus/21-14.htm" title="Exodus 21:14">&#9668;</a> Exodus 21:15 <a href="/exodus/21-16.htm" title="Exodus 21:16">&#9658;</a></div></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse"> <a href="#study" class="clickchap2" title="Context and Study Bible">&nbsp;Audio&nbsp;</a> <a href="#crossref" class="clickchap2" title="Cross References">&nbsp;Crossref&nbsp;</a> <a href="#commentary" class="clickchap2" title="Commentary">&nbsp;Comm&nbsp;</a> <a href="#lexicon" class="clickchap2" title="Lexicon">&nbsp;Hebrew&nbsp;</a> </div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv"><b>Verse</b><a href="/bsb/exodus/21.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">&nbsp; (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/exodus/21.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />&#8220Anyone who attacks their father or mother is to be put to death.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/exodus/21.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />&#8220;Anyone who strikes father or mother must be put to death.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/exodus/21.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />&#8220;Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/exodus/21.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />Whoever strikes his father or mother must surely be put to death.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/exodus/21.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/exodus/21.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />&#8220;And he who strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/exodus/21.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />&#8220;And one who strikes his father or his mother shall certainly be put to death.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/exodus/21.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />&#8220He who strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/exodus/21.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />&#8220;And he who strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/exodus/21.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />&#8220;And he who strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/exodus/21.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />&#8220;Whoever strikes his father or his mother must be put to death.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/exodus/21.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />&#8220;Whoever strikes his father or his mother must be put to death.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/exodus/21.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />Whoever strikes his father or his mother must be put to death.&#8221 <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/exodus/21.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/exodus/21.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />Death is the punishment for attacking your father or mother. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/exodus/21.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/exodus/21.htm">GOD'S WORD&reg; Translation</a></span><br />"Whoever hits his father or mother must be put to death.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/exodus/21.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />"Whoever hits his father or his mother is to be put to death. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/exodus/21.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />"Whoever strikes his father or his mother is certainly to be put to death.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/exodus/21.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />Whoever strikes his father or mother must surely be put to death.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/exodus/21.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />"Whoever strikes his father or his mother must surely be put to death. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/exodus/21.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />"Anyone who attacks his father or his mother shall be surely put to death.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/exodus/21.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/exodus/21.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />&#8220;Anyone who attacks his father or his mother shall be surely put to death. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/exodus/21.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />And he who strikes his father or his mother is certainly put to death.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/exodus/21.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> 'And he who smiteth his father or his mother is certainly put to death.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/exodus/21.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />And he striking his father and his mother, dying be shall die.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/exodus/21.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />He that striketh his father or mother, shall be put to death. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/exodus/21.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />Whoever strikes his father or mother shall die a death.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/exodus/21.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />Whoever strikes father or mother shall be put to death.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/exodus/21.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />Whoever strikes father or mother shall be put to death.<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/exodus/21.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />He who strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/exodus/21.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />He who will strike his father or his mother shall certainly be killed.<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/exodus/21.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/exodus/21.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />Whoever smites his father or his mother, let him be certainly put to death.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/exodus/21-15.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kVae3PiKqhs?start=5262" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/exodus/21.htm">Personal Injury Laws</a></span><br>&#8230;<span class="reftext">14</span>But 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. <span class="reftext">15</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/5221.htm" title="5221: &#363;&#183;mak&#183;k&#234;h (Conj-w:: V-Hifil-Prtcpl-msc) -- To smite. A primitive root; to strike.">Whoever strikes</a> <a href="/hebrew/1.htm" title="1: &#8217;&#257;&#183;&#7687;&#238;w (N-msc:: 3ms) -- Father. A primitive word; father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application).">his father</a> <a href="/hebrew/517.htm" title="517: w&#601;&#183;&#8217;im&#183;m&#333;w (Conj-w:: N-fsc:: 3ms) -- A mother. A primitive word; a mother; in a wide sense (like 'ab).">or mother</a> <a href="/hebrew/4191.htm" title="4191: m&#333;&#183;w&#7791; (V-Qal-InfAbs) -- To die. A primitive root: to die; causatively, to kill.">must surely</a> <a href="/hebrew/4191.htm" title="4191: y&#363;&#183;m&#257;&#7791; (V-Hofal-Imperf-3ms) -- To die. A primitive root: to die; causatively, to kill.">be put to death.</a> </span><span class="reftext">16</span>Whoever kidnaps another man must be put to death, whether he sells him or the man is found in his possession.&#8230;<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> &middot; <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/leviticus/20-9.htm">Leviticus 20:9</a></span><br />If anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death. He has cursed his father or mother; his blood shall be upon him.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/deuteronomy/21-18.htm">Deuteronomy 21:18-21</a></span><br />If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and does not listen to them when disciplined, / his father and mother are to lay hold of him and bring him to the elders of his city, to the gate of his hometown, / and say to the elders, &#8220;This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious; he does not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.&#8221; ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/proverbs/20-20.htm">Proverbs 20:20</a></span><br />Whoever curses his father or mother, his lamp will be extinguished in deepest darkness.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/15-4.htm">Matthew 15:4</a></span><br />For God said, &#8216;Honor your father and mother&#8217; and &#8216;Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.&#8217;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/mark/7-10.htm">Mark 7:10</a></span><br />For Moses said, &#8216;Honor your father and your mother&#8217; and &#8216;Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.&#8217;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/proverbs/30-17.htm">Proverbs 30:17</a></span><br />As for the eye that mocks a father and scorns obedience to a mother, may the ravens of the valley pluck it out and young vultures devour it.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ephesians/6-2.htm">Ephesians 6:2-3</a></span><br />&#8220;Honor your father and mother&#8221; (which is the first commandment with a promise), / &#8220;that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life on the earth.&#8221;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/colossians/3-20.htm">Colossians 3:20</a></span><br />Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/deuteronomy/27-16.htm">Deuteronomy 27:16</a></span><br />&#8216;Cursed is he who dishonors his father or mother.&#8217; And let all the people say, &#8216;Amen!&#8217;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_timothy/1-9.htm">1 Timothy 1:9</a></span><br />We realize that law is not enacted for the righteous, but for the lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinful, for the unholy and profane, for killers of father or mother, for murderers,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/romans/1-30.htm">Romans 1:30</a></span><br />slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, and boastful. They invent new forms of evil; they disobey their parents.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_timothy/3-2.htm">2 Timothy 3:2</a></span><br />For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/exodus/20-12.htm">Exodus 20:12</a></span><br />Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/19-19.htm">Matthew 19:19</a></span><br />honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.&#8217;&#8221;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/luke/18-20.htm">Luke 18:20</a></span><br />You know the commandments: &#8216;Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and mother.&#8217;&#8221;</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">And he that smites his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/deuteronomy/21-18.htm">Deuteronomy 21:18-21</a></b></br> If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and <i>that</i>, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: &#8230; </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/deuteronomy/27-24.htm">Deuteronomy 27:24</a></b></br> Cursed <i>be</i> he that smiteth his neighbour secretly. And all the people shall say, Amen.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/proverbs/30-11.htm">Proverbs 30:11,17</a></b></br> <i>There is</i> a generation <i>that</i> curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother&#8230; </p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/exodus/21-14.htm">Attacks</a> <a href="/exodus/17-6.htm">Blow</a> <a href="/exodus/21-12.htm">Death</a> <a href="/exodus/21-12.htm">Gives</a> <a href="/exodus/20-12.htm">Mother</a> <a href="/exodus/21-12.htm">Smiteth</a> <a href="/exodus/21-12.htm">Strikes</a> <a href="/exodus/21-12.htm">Striketh</a> <a href="/exodus/21-12.htm">Surely</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/numbers/10-9.htm">Attacks</a> <a href="/exodus/21-18.htm">Blow</a> <a href="/exodus/21-16.htm">Death</a> <a href="/exodus/21-18.htm">Gives</a> <a href="/exodus/21-17.htm">Mother</a> <a href="/exodus/21-26.htm">Smiteth</a> <a href="/exodus/21-18.htm">Strikes</a> <a href="/judges/3-21.htm">Striketh</a> <a href="/exodus/21-16.htm">Surely</a><div class="vheading2">Exodus 21</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/exodus/21-1.htm">Laws for men servants</a></span><br><span class="reftext">5. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/exodus/21-5.htm">For the servant whose ear is bored</a></span><br><span class="reftext">7. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/exodus/21-7.htm">For women servants</a></span><br><span class="reftext">12. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/exodus/21-12.htm">For manslaughter</a></span><br><span class="reftext">16. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/exodus/21-16.htm">For kidnappers</a></span><br><span class="reftext">17. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/exodus/21-17.htm">For cursers of parents</a></span><br><span class="reftext">18. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/exodus/21-18.htm">For smiters</a></span><br><span class="reftext">22. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/exodus/21-22.htm">For a hurt by chance</a></span><br><span class="reftext">28. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/exodus/21-28.htm">For an ox that gores</a></span><br><span class="reftext">33. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/exodus/21-33.htm">For him who is an occasion of harm</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br /> <!-- /1078254/BH-728x90-ATF --> <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br /> <!-- /1078254/BH-300x250-ATF --> <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br /> <!-- /1078254/BH-728x90-BTF --> <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br /> <!-- /1078254/BH-300x250-BTF --> <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br /> <!-- /1078254/BH-728x90-BTF2 --> <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca-pub-3753401421161123"; /* 200 x 200 Parallel Bible */ google_ad_slot = "7676643937"; google_ad_width = 200; google_ad_height = 200; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading"><a href="/study/exodus/21.htm">Berean Study Bible</a></div><b>Whoever strikes</b><br />The Hebrew word used here for "strikes" is "&#1504;&#1499;&#1492;" (nakah), which implies a violent or forceful blow. In the ancient Near Eastern context, this term indicates not just a physical act but a severe breach of familial respect and order. The act of striking one's parents was seen as a direct challenge to the God-ordained authority structure within the family, which was foundational to Israelite society. This command underscores the gravity of maintaining respect and reverence within the family unit, reflecting the broader biblical principle of honoring one's parents as outlined in the Ten Commandments (<a href="/exodus/20-12.htm">Exodus 20:12</a>).<p><b>his father or mother</b><br />The mention of both "father" and "mother" highlights the equal importance of both parental figures in the biblical family structure. In ancient Israel, the family was the primary social unit, and both parents were to be honored and respected. This dual mention emphasizes that the commandment applies equally to both parents, countering any cultural tendencies to prioritize the authority of the father over the mother. It reflects the biblical view of the family as a sacred institution where both parents are to be revered and obeyed.<p><b>must surely be put to death</b><br />The phrase "must surely be put to death" is a translation of the Hebrew "&#1502;&#1493;&#1514; &#1497;&#1493;&#1502;&#1514;" (mot yumat), which is a legal formula indicating the seriousness of the offense. In the context of ancient Israelite law, this severe penalty underscores the critical importance of maintaining the sanctity and order of the family. The death penalty for such an act serves as a deterrent and a means of preserving the community's moral and social fabric. From a conservative Christian perspective, this commandment reflects the holiness and justice of God, who establishes laws to protect the family and ensure that His people live in harmony and respect. It also points to the broader biblical theme of the consequences of sin and the need for redemption, ultimately fulfilled in the New Testament through Jesus Christ.<div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/exodus/21.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(15-17) <span class= "bld">And he that smiteth his father . . .</span>-With homicide are conjoined some other offences, regarded as of a heinous character, and made punishable by death: viz. (1), striking a parent; (2) kidnapping; and (3) cursing a parent. The immediate sequence of these crimes upon murder, and their punishment by the same penalty, marks strongly God's abhorrence of them. The parent is viewed as God's representative, and to smite him is to offer God an insult in his person. To curse him implies, if possible, a greater want of reverence; and, since curses can only be effectual as appeals to God, it is an attempt to enlist God on our side against His representative. Kidnapping is a crime against the person only a very little short of murder, since it is to deprive a man of that which gives life its chief value--liberty. Many a man would prefer death to slavery; and to almost all the passing into the slave condition would be a calamity of the most terrible kind, Involving life-long misery. Its suddenness and unexpectedness, when the result of kidnapping, would augment its grievousness, and render it the most crushing of all misfortunes. Joseph's history shows us how easy it was to sell a free man as a slave, and obtain his immediate removal into a distant country (<a href="/context/genesis/37-25.htm" title="And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spices and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.">Genesis 37:25-28</a>). The Egyptian annals tell us of bloody wars carried on for kidnapping purposes (Lenormant, <span class= "ital">Histoire Ancienne, </span>vol. i., pp. 423, 424). In the classical times and countries, the slaves offered for sale in the markets had usually been obtained in this way. The stringent law of the Mosaic code (<a href="/exodus/21-16.htm" title="And he that steals a man, and sells him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.">Exodus 21:16</a>) was greatly needed to check an atrocious crime very widely committed.<p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/exodus/21.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verses 15-17.</span> - <span class="accented">Other capital offences</span>. The unsystematic character of the arrangement in this chapter is remarkably shown by this interruption of the consideration of different sorts of homicide, in order to introduce offences of quite a different character, and those not very closely allied to each other - <span class="accented">e.g.</span>, <p><span class="Text_Heading">1.</span> Striking a parent; <p><span class="Text_Heading">2.</span> Kidnapping; <p><span class="Text_Heading">3.</span> Cursing a parent<span class="cmt_word">.</span> <span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 15.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">He that smiteth his father</span>, etc. To "smite" here is simply to "strike" - to offer the indignity of a blow - not to kill, which had already been made capital (ver. 12), not in the case of parents only, but in every case. The severity of the law is very remarkable, and strongly emphasises the dignity and authority of parents. There is no parallel to it in any other known code, though of course the <span class="accented">patria potestas</span> of the Roman father gave him the power of punishing a son who had struck him, capitally. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/exodus/21-15.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">He who strikes</span><br /><span class="heb">&#1493;&#1468;&#1502;&#1463;&#1499;&#1468;&#1461;&#1445;&#1492;</span> <span class="translit">(&#363;&#183;mak&#183;k&#234;h)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw &#124; Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5221.htm">Strong's 5221: </a> </span><span class="str2">To strike</span><br /><br /><span class="word">his father</span><br /><span class="heb">&#1488;&#1464;&#1489;&#1460;&#1435;&#1497;&#1493;</span> <span class="translit">(&#8217;&#257;&#183;&#7687;&#238;w)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular construct &#124; third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1.htm">Strong's 1: </a> </span><span class="str2">Father</span><br /><br /><span class="word">or mother</span><br /><span class="heb">&#1493;&#1456;&#1488;&#1460;&#1502;&#1468;&#1430;&#1493;&#1465;</span> <span class="translit">(w&#601;&#183;&#8217;im&#183;m&#333;w)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw &#124; Noun - feminine singular construct &#124; third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_517.htm">Strong's 517: </a> </span><span class="str2">A mother, )</span><br /><br /><span class="word">must surely</span><br /><span class="heb">&#1502;&#1445;&#1493;&#1465;&#1514;</span> <span class="translit">(m&#333;&#183;w&#7791;)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_4191.htm">Strong's 4191: </a> </span><span class="str2">To die, to kill</span><br /><br /><span class="word">be put to death.</span><br /><span class="heb">&#1497;&#1493;&#1468;&#1502;&#1464;&#1469;&#1514;&#1475;</span> <span class="translit">(y&#363;&#183;m&#257;&#7791;)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Hofal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_4191.htm">Strong's 4191: </a> </span><span class="str2">To die, to kill</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/exodus/21-15.htm">Exodus 21:15 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/exodus/21-15.htm">Exodus 21:15 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/exodus/21-15.htm">Exodus 21:15 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/exodus/21-15.htm">Exodus 21:15 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/exodus/21-15.htm">Exodus 21:15 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/exodus/21-15.htm">Exodus 21:15 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/exodus/21-15.htm">Exodus 21:15 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/exodus/21-15.htm">Exodus 21:15 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/exodus/21-15.htm">Exodus 21:15 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/exodus/21-15.htm">Exodus 21:15 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/exodus/21-15.htm">OT Law: Exodus 21:15 Anyone who attacks his father or his (Exo. Ex) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/exodus/21-14.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Exodus 21:14"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Exodus 21:14" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/exodus/21-16.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Exodus 21:16"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Exodus 21:16" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>

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