Exodus 21:17 KJV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 21:12-21

Here is, I. A law concerning murder. He had lately said, Thou shalt not kill; here he provides, 1. For the punishing of wilful murder (Exod. 21:12): He that smiteth a man, whether upon a sudden passion or in malice prepense, so that he die, the government must take care that the murderer be put to death, according to that ancient law (Gen. 9:6), Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed. God, who by his providence gives and maintains life, thus by his law protects it; so that... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 21:17

And he that curseth his father, or his mother ,.... Though he does not smite them with his hand, or with any instrument in it, yet if he smites them with his tongue, reviles and reproaches them, speaks evil of them, wishes dreadful imprecations upon them, curses them by the name explained, as the Targum of Jonathan calls it, by the name Jehovah, wishing the Lord would curse them, or that his curse might light upon them, see Proverbs 20:20 , shall surely be put to death ; or be killed... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 21:2-35

The slave laws. Slave laws belong to all communities, and not to some only, slavery being really a universal and not a partial institution. In the most civilised communities of modern Europe, there are two large classes of slaves—lunatics and criminals. The law openly condemns these last to penal servitude, which may be for life; and this "servitude," as Lord Chief Justice Coleridge has repeatedly pointed out, is simply a form of slavery. Ancient communities differed from modern— 1 .... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 21:12-17

Capital offences. As we look through the penalties specified for wrong-doing in chaps, 21; 22; we notice that they are divisible into two great classes. Some offences are punished by death, and others by some sort of compensation for the injury done. The graduated terms of imprisonment with which we are familiar, were not of course possible to the Israelites, and if possible, perhaps would not have seemed desirable. We notice that in this chapter five capital offences are specified; there... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 21:12-18

Murder and related capital offences. It is characteristic of the law of Moses that its first care, in the practical ordering of the Hebrew theocracy, is for the rights of the slave. These are dealt with in the opening paragraphs. The next laws relate to murder, to man-stealing, and to smiting and cursing of parents. I. MURDER ( Exodus 21:12-15 ). The same spirit of justice which attaches severe penalties to proved crimes, leads to the drawing of a sound line of distinction between... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 21:15-17

Other capital offences . The unsystematic character of the arrangement in this chapter is remarkably shown by this interruption of the consideration of different sorts of homicide, in order to introduce offences of quite a different character, and those not very closely allied to each other— e.g. , 1 . Striking a parent; 2 . Kidnapping; 3 . Cursing a parent . read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 21:15-17

Injuries to parents. The command to honour father and mother ( Exodus 20:12 ), which is enough for the conscience, and which, if obeyed, would render all further laws upon the subject unnecessary, is here reinforced by two important enactments, intended to restrain those who do not scruple to disobey mere moral laws. The penalty of death is affixed to two crimes: 1 . Smiting a parent; 2 . Cursing a parent. I. SMITING A PARENT . When it is considered that our parents... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 21:17

He that curseth his father , etc. Blasphemy against God, and imprecations upon parents, were the only two sins of the tongue which the law expressly required to be punished with death (Le Exodus 24:16 ). In later times analogy was held to require that "cursing the ruler of the people" ( Exodus 22:28 ) should be visited with the same penalty ( 2 Samuel 19:22 ; 1 Kings 2:8 , 1 Kings 2:9 , 1 Kings 2:46 ). The severity of the sentence indicates that in God' s sight such sins are of... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Exodus 21:12-27

Concerning violence and injury (21:12-27)Death was the penalty for wilful murder, violence to parents and kidnapping for slavery. Israelite law did not allow the widespread ancient practice of a murderer trying to escape punishment by clinging to the horns of the altar and pleading for mercy. But cases of manslaughter were different. When the Israelites settled in their new homeland, they were to appoint certain places as cities of refuge, where a person guilty of manslaughter could find safety... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Exodus 21:17

curseth , or revileth. Compare Matthew 15:4 .Mark 7:1 read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 21:12-21

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 21:17

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 21:2-35

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 21:12-17

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 21:12-18

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 21:15-17

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 21:15-17

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 21:17

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Exodus 21:12-27

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Exodus 21:17

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