KJV ORIGINAL
And if a man smite the eye of his servant, or the eye of his maid, that it perish; he shall let him go free for his eye’s sake.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
If a master strikes his male or female servant in the eye and destroys it, he must set that servant free as compensation for the eye.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
This verse establishes that masters who permanently injure their servants must give them their freedom as payment for the harm done.
📚 Historical Context
This law was given to Israel during their time in the wilderness after leaving Egypt, where they had experienced brutal slavery. God was establishing legal protections for servants and slaves that were remarkably progressive for the ancient world, requiring masters to treat their workers with basic human dignity and face real consequences for abuse.
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