Exodus 21:14
in Exodus 21But if a man schemes and acts willfully against his neighbor to kill him, you must take him away from My altar to be put to death.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbor, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.
KJV
But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.
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This verse in Exodus 21
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThou shalt take him from mine altar - Before the cities of refuge were assigned, the altar of God was the common asylum.
This site's exposition
He that smiteth a man, so that he die
on Exodus 21:12-14
The law separates the man who lies in wait from the man into whose hand God delivered another, and it promises the second a place whither he shall flee. That promise becomes the six cities of refuge at Numbers 35:9 to 35:34 and Joshua 20. Verse 14 shuts the other door, since a man who kills with guile is taken from the altar itself to die, which is what Solomon does to Joab at 1 Kings 2:28 to 2:34.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile,....
In this case God provided cities of refuge for the protection of those whose infelicity it was, but not their fault, to occasion the death of another,
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
To slay him. With guile. is to be understood as if written, and slew him with guile.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
11 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְכִֽי־ | vekhi- | and if | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יָזִ֥ד | yazid | he will act presumptuously | H2102 → | |
| אִ֛ישׁ | ʾish | anyone | H376 → | 1663 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| רֵעֵ֖הוּ | reehu | neighbor his | H7453 → | 188 times |
| לְהָרְג֣וֹ | leharego | to kill him | H2026 → | 167 times |
| בְעָרְמָ֑ה | vearemah | with cunning | H6195 → | |
| מֵעִ֣ם | meim | from with | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| מִזְבְּחִ֔י | mizbechi | altar my | H4196 → | 401 times |
| תִּקָּחֶ֖נּוּ | tikachenu | you will take him | H3947 → | 966 times |
| לָמֽוּת׃ ס | lamut | to die | H4191 → | 839 times |
וְכִֽי־and if
vekhi-H3588 →4482 times
יָזִ֥דhe will act presumptuously
yazidH2102 →
אִ֛ישׁanyone
ʾishH376 →1663 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
רֵעֵ֖הוּneighbor his
reehuH7453 →188 times
לְהָרְג֣וֹto kill him
leharegoH2026 →167 times
בְעָרְמָ֑הwith cunning
vearemahH6195 →
מֵעִ֣םfrom with
meimH5973 →1050 times
מִזְבְּחִ֔יaltar my
mizbechiH4196 →401 times
תִּקָּחֶ֖נּוּyou will take him
tikachenuH3947 →966 times
לָמֽוּת׃ סto die
lamutH4191 →839 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Hebrews 10:26If we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins remains,
it leads to
- 2 Peter 2:20–22
If indeed they have escaped the corruption of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, only to be entangled and overcome by it again, their final condition is worse…
- Hebrews 6:4–6
It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit,
- John 9:41
“If you were blind,” Jesus replied, “you would not be guilty of sin. But since you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”
- Luke 12:47
That servant who knows his master’s will but does not get ready or follow his instructions will be beaten with many blows.
- Matthew 12:43–45
When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it passes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it.
- 2 Peter 2:20–22
Through
2 Peter 2:10Such punishment is specially reserved for those who indulge the corrupt desires of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and self-willed, they are unafraid to slander glorious beings.
it leads to
- Jude 1:16
These men are discontented grumblers, following after their own lusts; their mouths spew arrogance; they flatter others for their own advantage.
- Jude 1:10
These men, however, slander what they do not understand, and like irrational animals, they will be destroyed by the things they do instinctively.
- Jude 1:18
when they said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow after their own ungodly desires.”
- Jude 1:16
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Exodus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.