Exodus 21:34 Made Simple

KJV ORIGINAL

The owner of the pit shall make it good, and give money unto the owner of them; and the dead beast shall be his.

Close to the original. Clear modern English.

✦ MADE SIMPLE

The owner of the pit must pay full compensation to the owner of the animals, and he gets to keep the dead animal.

⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE

This verse establishes that if someone creates a dangerous situation that harms another person's property, they must take full financial responsibility for the damage.

📚 Historical Context

This law comes from the civil code God gave to Israel after their exodus from Egypt, dealing with practical matters of community life. In ancient agricultural societies, open pits were common hazards - used for water storage, grain storage, or mining - and livestock falling into them was a real concern. These laws helped establish fair compensation principles in a society transitioning from slavery to self-governance.

Explore Similar Verses

Leviticus 24:18

And whoever kills someone's animal must replace it with another animal of equal value.

Exodus 22:5

If someone lets their animals loose to graze in another person's field or vineyard and the animals eat the crops, the owner must pay back the damaged person with the best produce from their own field and vineyard.

Leviticus 24:21

Whoever kills an animal must replace it, but whoever kills a person must be put to death.

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