KJV ORIGINAL
And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
If a man strikes his male or female servant with a rod and the servant dies from the beating, the master must definitely be punished.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
This verse establishes that masters who kill their servants through beating must face punishment, showing that even servants' lives have value and protection under the law.
📚 Historical Context
This law was given to the Israelites as part of the civil code after their exodus from Egypt, where they had experienced brutal slavery. In the ancient Near East, servants and slaves were often considered property with no legal protection, but God's law provided unprecedented safeguards for their welfare and lives.
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