King James Version

Exodus 21:20

And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished.

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Hebrew

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וְכִֽיvekhiand assuredכִּיconjunction, conjunction — “and assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…יַכֶּה֩yakehstrikeנָכָהverb, hiphil, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “strike”, an unfinished actionH5221to strike (lightly or severely, literally or figuratively)beat, cast forth, clap, give (wounds), [idiom] go forward, [idiom] indeed, kill, make (slaughter), murderer, punish, slaughter, slay(-er, -ing), smite(-r, -ing), strike, be stricken, (give) stripes, [idiom] surely, wound.אִ֨ישׁisha certainאִישׁnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “a certain”, the ordinary formH376a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phra…אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).עַבְדּ֜וֹavdvoservantעֶבֶדnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “servant”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5650a servant[idiom] bondage, bondman, (bond-) servant, (man-) servant.א֤וֹvoalsoאוֹconjunction — “also”H176desire (and so probably in Proverbs 31:4); hence (by way of alternative) or, also ifalso, and, either, if, at the least, [idiom] nor, or, otherwise, then, whether.אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).אֲמָתוֹ֙amatvobondmaidאָמָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “bondmaid”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH519a maidservant or female slave(hand-) bondmaid(-woman), maid(-servant).בַּשֵּׁ֔בֶטbashevetin dartשֵׁבֶטpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “in dart”, the ordinary formH7626a scion, i.e. (literally) a stick (for punishing, writing, fighting, ruling, walking, etc.) or (figuratively) a clan[idiom] correction, dart, rod, sceptre, staff, tribe.וּמֵ֖תumetand dieמוּתconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and die”, a completed action in a sequenceH4191to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill[idiom] at all, [idiom] crying, (be) dead (body, man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to, be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), [idiom] must needs, slay, [idiom] surely, [idiom] very suddenly, [idiom] in (no) w…תַּ֣חַתtachatwithתַּחַתpreposition — “with”H8478the bottom (as depressed); only adverbially, below (often with prepositional prefix underneath), in lieu of, etc.as, beneath, [idiom] flat, in(-stead), (same) place (where...is), room, for...sake, stead of, under, [idiom] unto, [idiom] when...was mine, whereas, (where-) fore, with.יָד֑וֹyadvohandיָדnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “hand”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3027a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),([phrase] be) able, [idiom] about, [phrase] armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, [idiom] bounty, [phrase] broad, (broken-) handed, [idiom] by, charge, coast, [phrase] consecrate, [phrase] creditor, custody, debt, dominion, […נָקֹ֖םnaqomavengeנָקַםverb, qal, infinitive absolute — “avenge”, the verb used for emphasisH5358to grudge, i.e. avenge or punishavenge(-r, self), punish, revenge (self), [idiom] surely, take vengeance.יִנָּקֵֽםyinaqemavengeנָקַםverb, niphal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “avenge”, an unfinished actionH5358to grudge, i.e. avenge or punishavenge(-r, self), punish, revenge (self), [idiom] surely, take vengeance.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And if a man smite his bondman, or his bondwoman, with a rod, and he die under his hand, he shall surely be punished.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall surely be punished.

Young’s Literal Translation

'And when a man smiteth his man-servant or his handmaid, with a rod, and he hath died under his hand — he is certainly avenged;

World English Bible

“If a man strikes his servant or his maid with a rod, and he dies under his hand, the man shall surely be punished.

Darby Translation

And if a man strike his bondman or his handmaid with a staff, and he die under his hand, he shall certainly be avenged.

Douay-Rheims

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

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And if a man smite his bondman, or his bondwoman, with a rod, and he die under his hand, he shall surely be punished.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And if a man smite his man-servant or his maid-servant, with a rod, and the party die under his hands, he shall be surely punished.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἐὰν δέ τις πατάξῃ τὸν παῖδα αὐτοῦ ἢ τὴν παιδίσκην αὐτοῦ ἐν ῥάβδῳ, καὶ ἀποθάνῃ ὑπὸ τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ, δίκῃ ἐκδικηθήσεται.