Exodus 21:36
in Exodus 21But if it was known that the ox had a habit of goring, yet its owner failed to restrain it, he shall pay full compensation, ox for ox, and the dead animal will be his.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Or if it be known that the ox was wont to gore in time past, and its owner hath not kept it in; he shall surely pay ox for ox, and the dead beast shall be his own.
KJV
Or if it be known that the ox hath used to push in time past, and his owner hath not kept him in; he shall surely pay ox for ox; and the dead shall be his own.
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This verse in Exodus 21
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
If a man’s ox injures his neighbor’s ox
on Exodus 21:35-36
When one ox kills another and neither owner knew of danger, the two blameless men divide the loss. If the ox had “a habit of goring,” its owner pays “ox for ox”, so knowledge is what the chapter measures.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Or if it be known that the ox hath used to push in time past,....
These laws are called judgments, because they are framed in infinite wisdom and equity, and because their magistrates were to give judgment according to the people.
That which we are taught by these laws is that we should be very careful to do no wrong, either directly or indirectly; and that, if we have done wrong, we must be very willing to make satisfaction, and desirous that nobody may lose by us.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die--For the purpose of sanctifying human blood, and representing all injuries affecting life in a serious light, an animal that occasioned death was to be killed or suffer punishment proportioned to the degree of damage it had caused.
The words behind it
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| א֣וֹ | ʾo | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| נוֹדַ֗ע | noda' | it is known | H3045 → | 945 times |
| כִּ֠י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| שׁ֣וֹר | shor | [is] an ox | H7794 → | 79 times |
| נַגָּ֥ח | nagach | prone to gore | H5056 → | |
| הוּא֙ | hu' | it | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| מִתְּמ֣וֹל | mitemol | from yesterday | H8543 → | 23 times |
| שִׁלְשֹׁ֔ם | shilshom | three days ago | H8032 → | 24 times |
| וְלֹ֥א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִשְׁמְרֶ֖נּוּ | yishmerenu | he guarded it | H8104 → | 468 times |
| בְּעָלָ֑יו | bealav | owner<s> its | H1167 → | 84 times |
| שַׁלֵּ֨ם | shalem | certainly <make compensation> | H7999 → | 116 times |
| יְשַׁלֵּ֥ם | yeshalem | he will make compensation | H7999 → | 116 times |
| שׁוֹר֙ | shor | an ox | H7794 → | 79 times |
| תַּ֣חַת | tachat | in place of | H8478 → | 505 times |
| הַשּׁ֔וֹר | hashor | the ox | H7794 → | 79 times |
| וְהַמֵּ֖ת | vehamet | and the dead [animal] | H4191 → | 839 times |
| יִֽהְיֶה־ | yihyeh- | it will be[long] | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לּֽוֹ׃ ס | lo | to <the> him |
א֣וֹor
ʾoH176 →321 times
נוֹדַ֗עit is known
noda'H3045 →945 times
כִּ֠יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
שׁ֣וֹר[is] an ox
shorH7794 →79 times
נַגָּ֥חprone to gore
nagachH5056 →
הוּא֙it
hu'H1931 →1879 times
מִתְּמ֣וֹלfrom yesterday
mitemolH8543 →23 times
שִׁלְשֹׁ֔םthree days ago
shilshomH8032 →24 times
וְלֹ֥אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
יִשְׁמְרֶ֖נּוּhe guarded it
yishmerenuH8104 →468 times
בְּעָלָ֑יוowner<s> its
bealavH1167 →84 times
שַׁלֵּ֨םcertainly <make compensation>
shalemH7999 →116 times
יְשַׁלֵּ֥םhe will make compensation
yeshalemH7999 →116 times
שׁוֹר֙an ox
shorH7794 →79 times
תַּ֣חַתin place of
tachatH8478 →505 times
הַשּׁ֔וֹרthe ox
hashorH7794 →79 times
וְהַמֵּ֖תand the dead [animal]
vehametH4191 →839 times
יִֽהְיֶה־it will be[long]
yihyeh-H1961 →3559 times
לּֽוֹ׃ סto <the> him
lo
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
About Exodus

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
