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href="/bsb/exodus/21.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/exodus/21.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />&#8220If anyone uncovers a pit or digs one and fails to cover it and an ox or a donkey falls into it,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/exodus/21.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />“Suppose someone digs or uncovers a pit and fails to cover it, and then an ox or a donkey falls into it.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/exodus/21.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />“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,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/exodus/21.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />If a man opens or digs a pit and fails to cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/exodus/21.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />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;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/exodus/21.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />“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,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/exodus/21.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />“Now if someone opens a pit, or digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/exodus/21.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />&#8220If a man opens a pit, or digs a pit and does not cover it over, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/exodus/21.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />“And 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,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/exodus/21.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />“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,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/exodus/21.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />“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,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/exodus/21.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />“When a man uncovers a pit or digs a pit, and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/exodus/21.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />When a man uncovers a pit or digs a pit, and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/exodus/21.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />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,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/exodus/21.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />Suppose someone's ox or donkey is killed by falling into an open pit that you dug or left uncovered on your property. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/exodus/21.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />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,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/exodus/21.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />"Whenever someone opens up a cistern or digs a new one and doesn't cover it and a bull or a donkey falls into it,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/exodus/21.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />"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, <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/exodus/21.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />If a man opens a pit or digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or donkey falls into it,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/exodus/21.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />If a man opens or digs a pit and fails to cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/exodus/21.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />"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,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/exodus/21.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />"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,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/exodus/21.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />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;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/exodus/21.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />“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, <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/exodus/21.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />And when a man opens a pit, or when a man digs a pit, and does not cover it, and an ox or donkey has fallen [in] there—<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/exodus/21.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> '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, -- <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/exodus/21.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />And if a man shall open a pit, or if a man shall dig a pit, and shall not cover it, and an ox fall there, or an ass:<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/exodus/21.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />If a man open a pit, and dig one, and cover it not, and an ox or an ass fall into it, <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/exodus/21.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />If a man digs or opens a cistern, and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/exodus/21.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />When someone uncovers or digs a cistern and does not cover it over again, should an ox or a donkey fall into it,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/exodus/21.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />If someone leaves a pit open, or digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/exodus/21.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />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;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/exodus/21.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />And when a man will open a pit or a man will dig a well and will not cover them and an ox or a donkey will fall there;<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/exodus/21.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />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,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/exodus/21.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />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,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/exodus/21-33.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kVae3PiKqhs?start=5419" 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">Laws about Restitution</a></span><br> <span class="reftext">33</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/3588.htm" title="3588: wə·ḵî- (Conj) -- That, for, when. ">If</a> <a href="/hebrew/376.htm" title="376: ’îš (N-ms) -- Man. Contracted for 'enowsh; a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term.">a man</a> <a href="/hebrew/6605.htm" title="6605: yip̄·taḥ (V-Qal-Imperf-3ms) -- To open wide, to loosen, begin, plough, carve. A primitive root; to open wide; specifically, to loosen, begin, plough, carve.">opens</a> <a href="/hebrew/953.htm" title="953: bō·wr (N-ms) -- A pit, cistern, well. From buwr; a pit hole."></a> <a href="/hebrew/176.htm" title="176: ’ōw (Conj) -- Or. Presumed to be the constructive or genitival form of -av; short for 'avvah; desire; hence or, also if.">or</a> <a href="/hebrew/3588.htm" title="3588: kî- (Conj) -- That, for, when. "></a> <a href="/hebrew/3738.htm" title="3738: yiḵ·reh (V-Qal-Imperf-3ms) -- To dig, to plot, to bore, open. A primitive root; properly, to dig; figuratively, to plot; generally, to bore or open.">digs</a> <a href="/hebrew/376.htm" title="376: ’îš (N-ms) -- Man. Contracted for 'enowsh; a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term."></a> <a href="/hebrew/953.htm" title="953: bōr (N-ms) -- A pit, cistern, well. From buwr; a pit hole.">a pit</a> <a href="/hebrew/3808.htm" title="3808: wə·lō (Conj-w:: Adv-NegPrt) -- Not. Or lowi; or loh; a primitive particle; not; by implication, no; often used with other particles.">and fails</a> <a href="/hebrew/3680.htm" title="3680: yə·ḵas·sen·nū (V-Piel-Imperf-3ms:: 3mse) -- To cover. A primitive root; properly, to plump, i.e. Fill up hollows; by implication, to cover.">to cover it,</a> <a href="/hebrew/7794.htm" title="7794: šō·wr (N-ms) -- A head of cattle (bullock, ox, etc.). From shuwr; a bullock.">and an ox</a> <a href="/hebrew/176.htm" title="176: ’ōw (Conj) -- Or. Presumed to be the constructive or genitival form of -av; short for 'avvah; desire; hence or, also if.">or</a> <a href="/hebrew/2543.htm" title="2543: ḥă·mō·wr (N-ms) -- A male ass. Or chamor; from chamar; a male ass.">a donkey</a> <a href="/hebrew/5307.htm" title="5307: wə·nā·p̄al- (Conj-w:: V-Qal-ConjPerf-3ms) -- To fall, lie. A primitive root; to fall, in a great variety of applications.">falls</a> <a href="/hebrew/8033.htm" title="8033: šām·māh (Adv:: 3fs) -- There, thither. A primitive particle; there then; often thither, or thence.">into it,</a> </span><span class="reftext">34</span>the owner of the pit shall make restitution; he must pay its owner, and the dead animal will be his.…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <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="/deuteronomy/22-8.htm">Deuteronomy 22:8</a></span><br />If you build a new house, you are to construct a railing around your roof, so that you do not bring bloodguilt on your house if someone falls from it.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/5-17.htm">Matthew 5:17-18</a></span><br />Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. / For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/luke/10-25.htm">Luke 10:25-37</a></span><br />One day an expert in the law stood up to test Him. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” / “What is written in the Law?” Jesus replied. “How do you read it?” / He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/romans/13-8.htm">Romans 13:8-10</a></span><br />Be indebted to no one, except to one another in love. For he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. / The commandments “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and any other commandments, are summed up in this one decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” / Love does no wrong to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/leviticus/19-18.htm">Leviticus 19:18</a></span><br />Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/proverbs/28-10.htm">Proverbs 28:10</a></span><br />He who leads the upright along the path of evil will fall into his own pit, but the blameless will inherit what is good.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/58-6.htm">Isaiah 58:6-7</a></span><br />Isn’t this the fast that I have chosen: to break the chains of wickedness, to untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and tear off every yoke? / Isn’t it to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your home, to clothe the naked when you see him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/galatians/5-14.htm">Galatians 5:14</a></span><br />The entire law is fulfilled in a single decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/james/2-8.htm">James 2:8</a></span><br />If you really fulfill the royal law stated in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_john/3-17.htm">1 John 3:17-18</a></span><br />If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him? / Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_corinthians/10-24.htm">1 Corinthians 10:24</a></span><br />No one should seek his own good, but the good of others.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/philippians/2-4.htm">Philippians 2:4</a></span><br />Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/genesis/9-5.htm">Genesis 9:5-6</a></span><br />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: / Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man his blood will be shed; for in His own image God has made mankind.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/numbers/35-33.htm">Numbers 35:33-34</a></span><br />Do not pollute the land where you live, for bloodshed pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land on which the blood is shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. / Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell. For I, the LORD, dwell among the Israelites.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ezekiel/18-5.htm">Ezekiel 18:5-9</a></span><br />Now suppose a man is righteous and does what is just and right: / He does not eat at the mountain or look to the idols of the house of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor’s wife or approach a woman during her period. / He does not oppress another, but restores the pledge to the debtor. He does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing. ...</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">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;</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/9-15.htm">Psalm 9:15</a></b></br> The heathen are sunk down in the pit <i>that</i> they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/119-85.htm">Psalm 119:85</a></b></br> The proud have digged pits for me, which <i>are</i> not after thy law.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/proverbs/28-10.htm">Proverbs 28:10</a></b></br> Whoso causeth the righteous to go astray in an evil way, he shall fall himself into his own pit: but the upright shall have good <i>things</i> in possession.</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/exodus/20-17.htm">Ass</a> <a href="/exodus/21-32.htm">Bull</a> <a href="/exodus/15-5.htm">Cover</a> <a href="/exodus/21-10.htm">Covering</a> <a href="/exodus/21-32.htm">Death</a> <a href="/genesis/26-25.htm">Dig</a> <a href="/luke/6-49.htm">Digs</a> <a href="/exodus/20-17.htm">Donkey</a> <a href="/revelation/6-13.htm">Dropping</a> <a href="/exodus/20-24.htm">Earth</a> <a href="/genesis/47-15.htm">Fails</a> <a href="/exodus/21-13.htm">Fall</a> <a href="/exodus/21-18.htm">Fallen</a> <a href="/exodus/15-16.htm">Falls</a> <a href="/exodus/21-6.htm">Hole</a> <a href="/genesis/44-22.htm">Leaves</a> <a href="/exodus/21-14.htm">Makes</a> <a href="/exodus/15-12.htm">Open</a> <a href="/exodus/13-15.htm">Opens</a> <a href="/exodus/21-32.htm">Ox</a> <a href="/genesis/41-14.htm">Pit</a> <a href="/exodus/16-33.htm">Therein</a> <a href="/exodus/10-26.htm">Thither</a> <a href="/isaiah/22-6.htm">Uncovers</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/exodus/22-2.htm">Ass</a> <a href="/exodus/21-35.htm">Bull</a> <a href="/exodus/25-17.htm">Cover</a> <a href="/exodus/22-27.htm">Covering</a> <a href="/exodus/21-35.htm">Death</a> <a href="/deuteronomy/6-11.htm">Dig</a> <a href="/psalms/7-15.htm">Digs</a> <a href="/exodus/22-4.htm">Donkey</a> <a href="/deuteronomy/32-2.htm">Dropping</a> <a href="/exodus/23-5.htm">Earth</a> <a href="/numbers/9-13.htm">Fails</a> <a href="/exodus/32-28.htm">Fall</a> <a href="/exodus/23-5.htm">Fallen</a> <a href="/leviticus/11-32.htm">Falls</a> <a href="/exodus/21-34.htm">Hole</a> <a href="/exodus/28-35.htm">Leaves</a> <a href="/exodus/22-5.htm">Makes</a> <a href="/exodus/23-8.htm">Open</a> <a href="/exodus/34-19.htm">Opens</a> <a href="/exodus/21-34.htm">Ox</a> <a href="/exodus/21-34.htm">Pit</a> <a href="/exodus/29-29.htm">Therein</a> <a href="/exodus/26-33.htm">Thither</a> <a href="/leviticus/20-18.htm">Uncovers</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 />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/exodus/21.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/exodus/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/exodus/21.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>If a man opens or digs a pit</b><br>This phrase introduces a scenario involving personal responsibility and negligence. In ancient Israel, pits were often dug for various purposes, such as storing water or trapping animals. The act of opening or digging a pit implies an intentional action that requires foresight and care. The Law given to Moses emphasizes the importance of considering the safety and well-being of others, reflecting the broader biblical principle of loving one's neighbor (<a href="/leviticus/19-18.htm">Leviticus 19:18</a>). This principle is echoed in the New Testament, where believers are called to act with love and consideration (<a href="/romans/13-10.htm">Romans 13:10</a>).<p><b>and fails to cover it</b><br>The failure to cover the pit signifies negligence. In the cultural and historical context of ancient Israel, community living meant that one's actions could directly impact others. The law here underscores the importance of taking responsibility for one's actions to prevent harm to others. This concept of accountability is seen throughout Scripture, where individuals are called to be stewards of their actions and their environment (<a href="/genesis/2-15.htm">Genesis 2:15</a>). The failure to cover the pit can be seen as a metaphor for spiritual negligence, where failing to address sin or temptation can lead to harm.<p><b>and an ox or a donkey falls into it</b><br>Oxen and donkeys were valuable assets in ancient agrarian societies, used for labor and transportation. The loss of such an animal would have significant economic implications for the owner. This part of the verse highlights the tangible consequences of negligence. The law provides a framework for restitution, ensuring that the injured party is compensated (<a href="/exodus/21-34.htm">Exodus 21:34</a>). This reflects God's justice and care for the vulnerable, as animals were essential for survival and prosperity. The principle of restitution is further developed in the teachings of Jesus, who emphasizes reconciliation and making amends (<a href="/matthew/5-23.htm">Matthew 5:23-24</a>).<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/m/man.htm">Man</a></b><br>Refers to any individual responsible for creating a hazard, emphasizing personal responsibility.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/p/pit.htm">Pit</a></b><br>A hole or excavation in the ground, representing potential danger or negligence.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/o/ox.htm">Ox</a></b><br>A domesticated animal used for labor, symbolizing property and livelihood.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/d/donkey.htm">Donkey</a></b><br>Another domesticated animal, often used for transportation, also representing property.<br><br>5. <b><a href="/topical/e/event.htm">Event</a></b><br>The scenario of an animal falling into an uncovered pit, highlighting the consequences of negligence.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/p/personal_responsibility.htm">Personal Responsibility</a></b><br>This passage teaches the importance of being responsible for our actions and the environments we create. We must ensure that our actions do not inadvertently cause harm to others.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/p/preventive_measures.htm">Preventive Measures</a></b><br>Just as the man is expected to cover the pit, we are called to take preventive measures in our lives to protect others from potential harm, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/v/value_of_property_and_livelihood.htm">Value of Property and Livelihood</a></b><br>The mention of oxen and donkeys underscores the value of property and livelihood. We should respect and protect the resources and possessions of others.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/c/consequences_of_negligence.htm">Consequences of Negligence</a></b><br>The passage highlights that negligence can lead to unintended consequences. We must be diligent and mindful in our actions to avoid causing harm.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/m/moral_and_ethical_living.htm">Moral and Ethical Living</a></b><br>This scripture encourages us to live morally and ethically, considering the impact of our actions on others and striving to live in a way that honors God and respects our neighbors.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_exodus_21.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Exodus 21</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/what_types_of_laws_are_in_the_bible.htm">What types of laws are in the Bible?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/can_you_be_trusted_with_all_things.htm">Is it right to desire what others possess?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/who_was_albertus_magnus.htm">What does the Bible teach about covetousness?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/what_are_the_laws_in_the_covenant_code.htm">What are the laws in the Covenant Code?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/exodus/21.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>LAWS CONCERNING THE RIGHTS OF PROPERTY.</span><p>(33-36) The legislation slides from rights of persons to rights of property easily and without effort, by passing from the injuries which cattle cause to those which they suffer. They are injured (1) by the culpable <span class= "ital">laches </span>of persons leaving their pits uncovered; (2) by hurts which one man's cattle inflict upon another's. Both kinds of loss have to be made good.<p>(33) <span class= "bld">If a man shall open a pit.</span>--Rather, <span class= "ital">uncover a well. </span>The wells in the East commonly have covers, which are removed when water is drawn, and then replaced. If a man neglected to replace a cover, he was rightly answerable for any damage that might ensue. The case was the same if he dug a new well, and neglected to cover it over.<p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/exodus/21.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 33.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">If a man shall open a pit.</span> Rather, "If a man shall uncover a cistern." Cisterns, very necessary in Palestine, were usually closed by a flat-stone, or a number of planks. To obtain water from them, they had to be uncovered; but it was the duty of the man who uncovered them, to replace the covering when his wants were satisfied. <span class="cmt_word">Or dig a pit and not cover it</span>. A man who was making a cistern might neglect to cover it while it was in course of construction, or even afterwards, if he thought his own cattle would take no hurt. But in the unfenced fields of Palestine it was always possible that a neighbour' s cattle might go astray and suffer injury through such a piece of negligence. An ox, or an ass, falling into a cistern, would be unable to extricate itself, and might be drowned. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/exodus/21-33.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">If</span><br /><span class="heb">וְכִֽי־</span> <span class="translit">(wə·ḵî-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Conjunction<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3588.htm">Strong's 3588: </a> </span><span class="str2">A relative conjunction</span><br /><br /><span class="word">a man</span><br /><span class="heb">אִ֜ישׁ</span> <span class="translit">(’îš)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_376.htm">Strong's 376: </a> </span><span class="str2">A man as an individual, a male person</span><br /><br /><span class="word">opens</span><br /><span class="heb">יִפְתַּ֨ח</span> <span class="translit">(yip̄·taḥ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6605.htm">Strong's 6605: </a> </span><span class="str2">To open wide, to loosen, begin, plough, carve</span><br /><br /><span class="word">or</span><br /><span class="heb">א֠וֹ</span> <span class="translit">(’ōw)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunction<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_176.htm">Strong's 176: </a> </span><span class="str2">Desire, if</span><br /><br /><span class="word">digs</span><br /><span class="heb">יִכְרֶ֥ה</span> <span class="translit">(yiḵ·reh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3738.htm">Strong's 3738: </a> </span><span class="str2">To dig, to plot, to bore, open</span><br /><br /><span class="word">a pit</span><br /><span class="heb">בֹּ֖ר</span> <span class="translit">(bōr)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_953.htm">Strong's 953: </a> </span><span class="str2">A pit, cistern, well</span><br /><br /><span class="word">and fails</span><br /><span class="heb">וְלֹ֣א</span> <span class="translit">(wə·lō)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3808.htm">Strong's 3808: </a> </span><span class="str2">Not, no</span><br /><br /><span class="word">to cover it,</span><br /><span class="heb">יְכַסֶּ֑נּוּ</span> <span class="translit">(yə·ḵas·sen·nū)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3680.htm">Strong's 3680: </a> </span><span class="str2">To plump, fill up hollows, to cover</span><br /><br /><span class="word">and an ox</span><br /><span class="heb">שּׁ֖וֹר</span> <span class="translit">(šō·wr)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7794.htm">Strong's 7794: </a> </span><span class="str2">A head of cattle (bullock, ox, etcetera)</span><br /><br /><span class="word">or</span><br /><span class="heb">א֥וֹ</span> <span class="translit">(’ōw)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunction<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_176.htm">Strong's 176: </a> </span><span class="str2">Desire, if</span><br /><br /><span class="word">a donkey</span><br /><span class="heb">חֲמֽוֹר׃</span> <span class="translit">(ḥă·mō·wr)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2543.htm">Strong's 2543: </a> </span><span class="str2">A male ass</span><br /><br /><span class="word">falls</span><br /><span class="heb">וְנָֽפַל־</span> <span class="translit">(wə·nā·p̄al-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5307.htm">Strong's 5307: </a> </span><span class="str2">To fall, lie</span><br /><br /><span class="word">into it,</span><br /><span class="heb">שָׁ֥מָּה</span> <span class="translit">(šām·māh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adverb | third person feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_8033.htm">Strong's 8033: </a> </span><span class="str2">There, then, thither</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/exodus/21-33.htm">Exodus 21:33 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/exodus/21-33.htm">Exodus 21:33 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/exodus/21-33.htm">Exodus 21:33 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/exodus/21-33.htm">Exodus 21:33 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/exodus/21-33.htm">Exodus 21:33 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/exodus/21-33.htm">Exodus 21:33 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/exodus/21-33.htm">Exodus 21:33 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/exodus/21-33.htm">Exodus 21:33 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/exodus/21-33.htm">Exodus 21:33 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/exodus/21-33.htm">Exodus 21:33 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/exodus/21-33.htm">OT Law: Exodus 21:33 If a man opens a pit (Exo. Ex) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/exodus/21-32.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Exodus 21:32"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Exodus 21:32" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/exodus/21-34.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Exodus 21:34"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Exodus 21:34" /></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>