EXODUS LESSON 37

     We will begin this lesson in Exodus 21:1 "Now these [are] the
judgments which thou shalt set before them."

     God. here, was going to explain in detail to Moses how each
problem that occured would be handled, and Moses would tell the people.

     Exodus 21:2 "If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall
serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing."  Exodus
21:3 "If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were
married, then his wife shall go out with him."

     Slavery was a way of life. A Hebrew became a slave, because he
could not pay his bills, or perhaps, because he had committed a crime.
It seems that, if a man were married who went into slavery, his wife
was enslaved with him. Here, again, we see the six days of work, and
then the sabbath of rest in practice. the difference was that each day
was one year long. Whether you or I believe in slavery, or not, is not
the issue here. This was the custom, so God gave them fair rules to go
by.

     Exodus 21:4 "If his master have given him a wife, and she have
born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her
master's, and he shall go out by himself."

     The case, here, was that the woman was a slave, also, so she and
the children belonged to the master.

     Exodus 21:5 "And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my
master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:" Exodus 21:6
"Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring
him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his
ear through with an awl; and he shall serve him for ever."

     You See, the owner was obligated to set the slave free at the end
of the six years. The slave was not obligated to go, unless he wanted to.
He could decide to stay with his master and his family. This was the only
chance he had to go. If he decided to stay, his ear was bored through
to show that he was never to leave. It was the servant's decision, not
the owner's.

     Exodus 21:7  "And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant,
she shall not go out as the menservants do."

     This sale of a daughter was very much like a marriage to the man,
who purchased her. Her sale was more of a permanent nature, because,
usually, this sale had to do with the man marrying her.

     Exodus 21:8 If she please not her master, who hath betrothed her
to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a
strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt
deceitfully with her.

     The sale of a daughter was for her marriage. the man who bought her
was obligated to support her, as a wife, the rest of her life. He had no
right to sell her to strangers. Her family could get her back, if the
husband-to-be was displeased with her. The father did not have to
refund the money paid for her.

     Exodus 21:9 "And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall
deal with her after the manner of daughters."

     If he purchased her for a wife for one of his sons, he was not to
sleep with her. She was his daughter, because she was to marry his son.

     Exodus 21:10 "If he take him another [wife]; her food, her
raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish."

     This was just a nice way of saying, even if he stopped loving her
and found another, he had to support her for the rest of her life.
She had the rights of wife until she died.

     Exodus 21:11 "And if he do not these three unto her, then shall
she go out free without money."

     This was just saying, if she desired to leave, and she had not been a
wife to him or his sons, she could leave without having to pay any money
for her freedom.

     We suddenly jump from slavery to punishment for various violent
acts.

     Exodus 21:12  "He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be
surely put to death."

     We see the act of premeditated murder was to be punishable by
death.

     Exodus 21:13 "And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver [him]
into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall
flee."

     Here, we see accidental slaying was not to be punished by death.
God would have a place of refuge for this person to go to for safety.

     Exodus 21:14 "But if a man come presumptuously upon his
neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine
altar, that he may die."

     This was, again, premeditated murder. It was just saying that, God
would not protect him. He could not run to the church for safety. He
deserved to die.

     Exodus 21:15  "And he that smiteth his father, or his mother,
shall be surely put to death."

     "Smiteth" has many meanings. It means to beat, strike, slaughter,
or murder. I don't believe this meant slap, or something like that. I
believe it meant to hit with criminal intent.

     Exodus 21:16  "And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if
he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death."

     We see, here, the crime of kidnapping. God left no doubt in any
of these crimes, what the punishment should be. Our society has gotten
to where the criminal's rights are more important, than the rights of the
victim. We must get back to Bible laws that work.

     Exodus 21:17  "And he that curseth his father, or his mother,
shall surely be put to death."

     Sins committed with the tongue seem to be very serious with God.
Cursing God, or your parents, was punishable by death.

     Exodus 21:18  "And if men strive together, and one smite another
with a stone, or with [his] fist, and he die not, but keepeth [his]
bed:" Exodus 21:19 "If he rise again, and walk abroad upon his staff,
then shall he that smote [him] be quit: only he shall pay [for] the
loss of his time, and shall cause [him] to be thoroughly healed."

     This was just an example of what they should have to pay, if they
had caused bodily injury to anyone. These explanations of the amount
of punishment for each crime was actually what the criminal justice
system, here in the United States, was based on. There really should be
no question about sentencing someone, because the punishment for each
crime was explicitly set by the Lord, Himself.

     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." Exodus
21:21 "Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be
punished: for he [is] his money."

     This was not the same as someone missing money, because they were
disabled. Here, the man who committed the crime was the one that
suffered the loss, because the servant could not work. Nevertheless, no
one has the right to injure anyone else, so the one who committed the
crime would be punished, but not as severely as he would be, if this was
not his slave.

     Exodus 21:22  "If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so
that her fruit depart [from her], and yet no mischief follow: he shall
be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon
him; and he shall pay as the judges [determine]."

     This was when a fight occured and caused the woman to miscarry, but
was not followed by rape. then it would not be punishable by death, but
would be punishable by an amount the husband named and the judge
approved.

     Exodus 21:23 "And if [any] mischief follow, then thou shalt give
life for life,"  Exodus 21:24 "Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for
hand, foot for foot," Exodus 21:25 "Burning for burning, wound for
wound, stripe for stripe."

     Any terrible injury to her would be paid for in equal manner.

     Exodus 21:26  "And if a man smite the eye of his servant, or the
eye of his maid, that it perish; he shall let him go free for his
eye's sake."

     The owner must suffer loss for the crime he had committed.
Setting the slave free costs the owner.

     Exodus 21:27 "And if he smite out his manservant's tooth, or his
maidservant's tooth; he shall let him go free for his tooth's sake."

     This was the very same as before. The owner must suffer loss for
the crime. the loss of the slave costs the owner.

     Exodus 21:28  "If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die:
then the ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten;
but the owner of the ox [shall be] quit."

     If the owner was not aware that the animal was a killer, he would
not be held responsible for the accident. He must lose something for
the crime, so he loses the animal. He could not save the meat. The
animal was to be killed.

     Exodus 21:29 "But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in
time past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not
kept him in, but that he hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be
stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death."

     We see, here, negligent homicide. the owner should have killed
the animal, the first time he heard that it was dangerous, and not taken
a chance on someone's life. His negligence had caused this person's
death. the punishment was death for him and the animal.

     Exodus 21:30 "If there be laid on him a sum of money, then he
shall give for the ransom of his life whatsoever is laid upon him."

     This was not the option of the owner of the animal, but the option
lay with the family of the deceased. If they were willing to settle
for a cash payment, instead of killing him, he was to pay it and not
protest.

     Exodus 21:31 "Whether he have gored a son, or have gored a
daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done unto him."

     In this, there was no male, or female. The punishment is the same.

     Exodus 21:32 "If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant;
he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox
shall be stoned."

     The price of a slave was thirty pieces of silver. The master had
lost his property, so he was the one to receive money to offset his
loss.

     Exodus 21:33  "And if a man shall open a pit, or if a man shall
dig a pit, and not cover it, and an ox or an ass fall therein;" Exodus
21:34 "The owner of the pit shall make [it] good, [and] give money
unto the owner of them; and the dead [beast] shall be his."

     This was just saying that, the animal's owner should be reimbursed
for his loss, because of the carelessness of the one who digged the
pit. The digger had to pay for his carelessness.

     Exodus 21:35  "And if one man's ox hurt another's, that he die;
then they shall sell the live ox, and divide the money of it; and the
dead [ox] also they shall divide."

     There was no way to determine fault here. They divided the money
and ox, so no one loses.

     Exodus 21:36 "Or if it be known that the ox hath used to push in
time past, and his owner hath not kept him in; he shall surely pay ox
for ox; and the dead shall be his own."

     The owner, who was negligent, would have to get the man whose ox
was killed another ox, but the negligent man would get the dead ox.




























                          Exodus 37 Questions

1.  How many years should a Hebrew servant serve, before he was set
    free?
2.  What should he pay for his freedom at that time?
3.  If he brought a wife with him. What happened to her when he was
    freed?
4.  For what two reasons was a Hebrew made a slave?
5.  If the master gave him a wife, after he came and she had children,
    what happened to her and the children, if he left?
6.  What happened, if the servant didn't want to go?
7.  What was the sale of a daughter like?
8.  How did her servitude differ from the man's?
9.  Could he just sell her to anyone?
10. If he had bought her for his son, how should he treat her?
11. If he got another wife, what obligations did he have to the
    purchased female?
12. How could she receive freedom without money?
13. What punishment was for a man, who killed another not accidently?
14. What happened to one who accidently killed someone?
15. Premeditated murder would be punished by what?
16. If a man killed his father, what was the punishment?
17. What would the punishment for kidnapping be?
18. What was the punishment for cursing mother and father?
19. If you crippled a man, what was the punishment?
20. What department of government in the United States was set up by
    these laws in Exodus?
21. If a woman was caused to miscarry, what punishment was in line for
    the person causing it?
22. If she was raped or damaged, what would be the punishment for the
    one who caused it?
23. If a man put his servant's eye out, what would the punishment be
    to the master?
24. What was the punishment if an ox gored a man, and the owner knew he
    was a bad animal?
25. Was the penalty the same if a man or woman was killed?
26. What was the price of a slave?
27. If a man opened a pit, and did not close it, and an ox fell in it, what
    must the man pay?
28. If an animal killed another animal in a fair fight, how did they
    settle it?