And he that killeth a beast shall make it good ,.... Pay for it, give the value of it, or another as good as that instead of it, as follows: beast for beast ; or "soul for soul"; life for life, that is, a living one for that the life of which is taken away, and one every way as good as that. read more
And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour ,.... Does him any hurt or mischief, causes any mutilation or deformity in him by striking him: as he hath done, so shall it be done unto him : not that a like damage or hurt should be done to him, but that he should make satisfaction for it in a pecuniary way; pay for the cure of him, and for loss of time, and in consideration of the pain he has endured, and the shame or disgrace brought on him by the deformity or mutilation, or for whatever... read more
Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth ,.... Which is not to be taken strictly or literally, but for the price or value of those, which is to be given in a pecuniary way; See Gill on Exodus 21:24 , Exodus 21:25 , as he hath caused a blemish in a man, shall it be done to him ; unless he gives satisfaction, and pays a valuable consideration for it. read more
Breach for breach - This is a repetition of the lex talionis , which See explained Exodus 21:24 ; (note). read more
Verse 18 God here prescribes, that whosoever has inflicted a loss upon another shall make satisfaction for it, although he may not have turned it to his own profit; for in respect to a theft, its profit is not to be considered, but the intention to injure, or other cause of guilt; for it might happen that he who has killed another’s ox should not deliberately desire to do him an injury, but in a fit of passion, or from unpremeditated impulse, should nevertheless have inflicted loss upon him. In... read more
Verse 19 19.And if man cause a blemish in his neighbor, he now also subjects to punishment those who shall have mutilated the body of their neighbor by blows; and this was necessary, because otherwise every very great villain, who might be accomplished in the art of inflicting injury, would have broken his brother’s leg or arm, and then would not only have laughed at the poor man himself, but also at God and His Law. If, therefore, a person had injured a member of another, the law of... read more
Shelomith's son. Here a narrative is introduced into the midst of a code of laws; but this is done as a preamble to enactments of whose publication the case was the occasion. We notice— I. THE CRIME OF THIS SON OF SHELOMITH . 1 . It was blaspheming the God of Israel. 2 . Strife was its occasion. 3 . Race was the origin of the strife. II. THE IMPEACHMENT OF THE BLASPHEMER . 1 . His witnesses arrested him. 2 . They kept him in ward... read more
A suggestive episode. We have an affecting illustration in these verses of the truth that "The Law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient,… for unholy and profane" ( 1 Timothy 1:9 ). The announcement of the Law is broken by the account of this transgression, and the transgression itself gives occasion for the enactment of other statutes ( Leviticus 24:15-22 ). The story and the statutes suggest— I. WHAT LASTING EVIL MAY ACCRUE FROM AN ... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Leviticus 24:10-23
Evil manners, we say, beget good laws. We have here an account of the evil manners of a certain nameless mongrel Israelite, and the good laws occasioned thereby. I. The offender was the son of an Egyptian father and an Israelitish mother (Lev. 24:10); his mother was of the tribe of Dan, Lev. 24:11. Neither he nor his father is named, but his mother only, who was an Israelite. This notice is taken of his parentage either, 1. To intimate what occasioned the quarrel he was engaged in. The Jews... read more