What is the meaning of Exodus 21:26? If a man strikes… • The verse begins by acknowledging that physical discipline or conflict may occur within a household (Proverbs 29:19). • Yet Scripture never condones cruelty; the law immediately sets a limit (Leviticus 19:18). • Authority is real, but it is accountable. Compare Ephesians 6:9, where masters are reminded they too have a Master in heaven. …and blinds the eye… • We move from mere striking to permanent injury—“blinds the eye.” • The principle echoes Genesis 9:6 and Leviticus 24:19–20: life and bodily integrity are sacred because humanity bears God’s image. • This seriousness prevents anyone from dismissing a servant’s suffering as insignificant (Job 31:13). …of his manservant or maidservant… • Servant status never nullifies personhood (Exodus 20:10 includes servants in Sabbath rest). • God’s law always draws the powerless into its protective circle—seen again with the sojourner, orphan, and widow (Deuteronomy 24:17). • Galatians 3:28 later affirms this consistent trajectory toward equal value before God. …he must let the servant go free… • Freedom becomes the mandated remedy; the servant is released from debt‐bondage (Exodus 21:2). • The master’s loss of labor and investment is intentional, ensuring tangible accountability (Colossians 4:1). • It also prevents repeat abuse: liberation removes the victim from further harm (Psalm 82:3–4). …as compensation for the eye. • Rather than retaliatory violence, God prescribes a just, restorative penalty (Proverbs 21:3). • The master’s economic sacrifice balances the servant’s physical loss, illustrating “eye for eye” in equitable—not literal—terms (Matthew 5:38–39 points to the heart behind the law). • The principle safeguards dignity and deters misuse of authority. summary Exodus 21:26 sets a clear guardrail: any permanent injury to a servant demands that the servant be set free. In a society where masters held significant power, God intervenes to uphold the servant’s worth, tie justice to tangible cost, and restrain oppression. The verse reveals a God who values every human life, insists on responsible authority, and weaves mercy and fairness into the fabric of His law. |
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