Exodus – Chapter 21

Old Testament • 36 Verses

Chapter Summary

"These are the judgments which thou shalt set before them." — so begins Exodus 21. Across its 36 verses, two threads run through the text: family and covenant relationships and God's protection and deliverance. Taken as a whole, the chapter forms one movement in the account, preparing what follows and completing what came before.

1These are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.

2If thou buy a Hebrew servant, six years shall he serve thee; in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.

3With what raiment he came in, with the like let him go out: if having a wife, his wife also shall go out with him.

4But if his master gave him a wife, and she hath borne sons and daughters; the woman and her children shall be her master's: but he himself shall go out with his raiment.

5And if the servant shall say: I love my master and my wife and children, I will not go out free:

6His master shall bring him to the gods, and he shall be set to the door and the posts, and he shall bore his ear through with an awl: and he shall be his servant for ever.

7If any man sell his daughter to be a servant, she shall not go out as bondwomen are wont to go out.

8If she displease the eyes of her master to whom she was delivered, he shall let her go: but he shall have no power to sell her to a foreign nation, if he despise her.

9But if he have betrothed her to his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.

10And if he take another wife for him, he shall provide her a marriage, and raiment, neither shall he refuse the price of her chastity.

11If he do not these three things, she shall go out free without money.

12He that striketh a man with a will to kill him, shall be put to death.

13But he that did not lie in wait for him, but God delivered him into his hands: I will appoint thee a place to which he must flee.

14If a man kill his neighbour on set purpose, and by lying in wait for him: thou shalt take him away from my altar that he may die.

15He that striketh his father or mother, shall be put to death.

16He that shall steal a man, and sell him, being convicted of the guilt, shall be put to death.

17He that curseth his father or mother, shall die the death.

18If men quarrel, and the one strike his neighbour with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keepeth his bed:

19If he rise again and walk abroad upon his staff, he that struck him shall be quit, yet so that he make restitution for his work, and for his expenses upon the physicians.

20He that striketh his bondman, or bondwoman, with a rod, and they die under his hands, shall be guilty of the crime.

21But if the party remain alive a day or two, he shall not be subject to the punishment, because it is his money.

22If men quarrel, and one strike a woman with child and she miscarry indeed, but live herself: he shall be answerable for so much damage as the woman's husband shall require, and as arbiters shall award.

23But if her death ensue thereupon, he shall render life for life,

24Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

25Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

26If any man strike the eye of his manservant or maidservant, and leave them but one eye, he shall let them go free for the eye which he put out.

27Also if he strike out a tooth of his manservant or maidservant, he shall in like manner make them free.

28If an ox gore a man or a woman, and they die, he shall be stoned: and his flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner of the ox shall be quit.

29But if the ox was wont to push with his horn yesterday, and the day before, and they warned his master, and he did not shut him up, and he shall kill a man or a woman: then the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death.

30And if they set a price upon him, he shall give for his life whatsoever is laid upon him.

31If he have gored a son, or a daughter, he shall fall under the like sentence.

32If he assault a bondman or bondwoman, he shall give thirty sicles of silver to their master, and the ox shall be stoned.

33If a man open a pit, and dig one, and cover it not, and an ox or an ass fall into it,

34The owner of the pit shall pay the price of the beasts: and that which is dead shall be his own.

35If one man's ox gore another man's ox, and he die: they shall sell the live ox, and shall divide the price, and the carcass of that which died they shall part between them:

36But if he knew that his ox was wont to push yesterday, and the day before, and his master did not keep him in; he shall pay ox for ox, and shall take the whole carcass.

Important Verses in Exodus 21

“These are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.”

Exodus 21:1

“And if the servant shall say: I love my master and my wife and children, I will not go out free:”

Exodus 21:5

“But he that did not lie in wait for him, but God delivered him into his hands: I will appoint thee a place to which he must flee.”

Exodus 21:13

“But if her death ensue thereupon, he shall render life for life,”

Exodus 21:23

Historical Context

As a Old Testament book, Exodus was written with israel in every generation, commanded to remember the Passover as a perpetual memorial in view. Chapter 21 of 40 stands in the central portion of the book, where decisive events or teachings take shape. It is a narrative passage recounting concrete events in salvation history with 36 verses in the Douay-Rheims translation. The chapter begins: "These are the judgments which thou shalt set before them." The final verse reads: "But if he knew that his ox was wont to push yesterday, and the day before, and his master did not keep him in; he shall…" The wider setting of Exodus is this: Exodus recounts the defining event of the Old Testament: God's liberation of Israel from slavery in Egypt under Pharaoh, most likely Ramesses II. Scholarly and ecclesial tradition places the composition of Exodus around Describes events of the 13th century BC; reached final written form between the 10th and 5th centuries BC.

Who Wrote It

Traditionally attributed to Moses, with later inspired editing

When It Was Written

Describes events of the 13th century BC; reached final written form between the 10th and 5th centuries BC

Catholic Commentary

The literal sense of Exodus 21 unfolds through 36 verses that carry forward the message of liberation, law, and worship. A pivotal line is verse 1: "These are the judgments which thou shalt set before them." The passage repeatedly touches on family and covenant relationships.

The Church teaches that every passage of Scripture must be read in light of Christ and the Magisterium (CIC 265). Here, the Church sees the Exodus as prefiguring Baptism and the Eucharist (CIC 1221, 1363). The spiritual sense invites believers to recognize family and covenant relationships as part of God's pedagogy of salvation.

The moral and spiritual import remains timely: The family is the first school of faith, where love, obedience, and forgiveness are learned.. St. Jerome insisted that ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ; this chapter offers material for meditation, examination of conscience, and deeper love of God.

Main Teachings

  • ✓The family is the first school of faith, where love, obedience, and forgiveness are learned.
  • ✓The Lord is a refuge and deliverer for all who call upon Him in trouble.
  • ✓Sin has real consequences, but God's judgment always aims at conversion and restoration.

Reflection for Today

When the Church proclaims Exodus Chapter 21 at Mass or in the Liturgy of the Hours, she treats this text as the living voice of God.

In the four senses of Scripture—literal, allegorical, moral, and anagogical—the Church finds rich meaning in Exodus Chapter 21. At the moral level, stewardship of creation challenges us to examine conscience and amend our lives (CIC 1095).

As you continue through Exodus, carry this chapter's lesson into your family, parish, and work. Catholic faith is always ecclesial—God speaks to us as members of Christ's Body, not as isolated individuals.

💡Catholic Reflection • Church Teachings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Exodus Chapter 21 about?

Exodus 21 contains 36 verses. It opens with "These are the judgments which thou shalt set before them." and closes with "But if he knew that his ox was wont to push yesterday, and the day before, and his master did not keep him in; he shall…". The book as a whole is narrative, law, and liturgical instruction.

What is a key verse in Exodus 21?

One of the most significant verses is verse 1: "These are the judgments which thou shalt set before them." It is often cited in Catholic teaching and preaching.

Who wrote Exodus and when?

Traditionally attributed to Moses, with later inspired editing. Describes events of the 13th century BC; reached final written form between the 10th and 5th centuries BC.

Related Chapters

Genesis 32Shares people and themes with this chapterNumbers 26Shares people and themes with this chapterJoshua 20Shares people and themes with this chapter

Prayers Related to This Chapter

🙏Prayer for the Family🙏Novena to the Holy Family🙏Prayers for Protection🙏Prayer to St. Michael

📚 Continue Your Faith Journey

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