But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in time past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not kept him in, but that he hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death.
But if the ox had a habit of attacking people with its horns in the past, and people had warned the owner about it, and the owner didn't keep it locked up, and then it killed a man or woman, then the ox must be killed by stoning, and the owner must also be put to death.
This verse establishes that if someone ignores repeated warnings about their dangerous animal and it kills someone, both the animal and the negligent owner face the death penalty.
📚 Historical Context
This law was part of the detailed civil code God gave to the Israelites after they left Egypt, addressing how to handle dangerous animals in their agricultural society. Oxen were valuable work animals but could be deadly if aggressive, so owners had serious responsibility to protect others. These laws established the principle that negligence resulting in death carried severe consequences.
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