exodus 21 and 22

Read Exodus 21 and 22 at Bible Gateway.

The Hebrew paragraph divisions for these chapters are:

Exo 21:1-6 {s} Conditions for a Hebrew male slave to go out free
Exo 21:7-11 {s} Conditions for a Hebrew female slave to go out free
Exo 21:12-13 {s} Manslaughter is not murder
Exo 21:14 {s} Murder receives the death penalty
Exo 21:15 {s} Striking father or mother receives the death penalty
Exo 21:16 {s} Kidnapping receives the death penalty
Exo 21:17 {s} Cursing father or mother receives the death penalty
Exo 21:18-19 {s} Assault of a neighbor when he does not die
Exo 21:20-21 {s} Assault of a male or female slave when he does or does not die
Exo 21: 22-25 {s} Assault of a woman with child when the child does or does not die
Exo 21:26-27 {p} Conditions for male or female slaves to go out free
Exo 21:28-32 {s} Restitution when an ox gores a person to death
Exo 21:33-34 {s} Restitution when a pit causes the death of an animal
Exo 21:35-36 {s} Restitution when an ox causes the death of an animal
Exo 22:1-4 {s} Restitution when a theft is discovered
Exo 22:5 {s} Restitution when an animal feeds in another man’s field
Exo 22:6 {s} Restitution when fire destroys a harvest
Exo 22:7-9 {s} Restitution when goods are lost from a neighbor’s safe- keeping
Exo 22:10-13 {p} Restitution when goods are destroyed from a neighbor’s safe- keeping
Exo 22:14-15 {s} Restitution when goods are borrowed
Exo 22:16-17 {s} Restitution when a virgin is seduced
Exo 22:18-19 {s} Sorceress = death penalty + lying with animals = death penalty
Exo 22:20-24 {p} Idolaters + afflicters of strangers, widows, orphans = utterly destroyed
Exo 22:25-27 {s} Not coveting interest or collateral from your neighbor
Exo 22:28-31 {s} Not coveting what belongs to God

Today begins a list of what are often thought of as additional commandments other than the Ten Commandments. If we note God’s paragraph divisions and strong themes in these chapters, something interesting comes to light, however.

The first strong theme is from Exo 21:1-27:

Exo 21:1-6 {s} Conditions for a Hebrew male slave to go out free
Exo 21:7-11 {s} Conditions for a Hebrew female slave to go out free
Exo 21:12-13 {s} Manslaughter is not murder
Exo 21:14 {s} Murder receives the death penalty
Exo 21:15 {s} Striking father or mother receives the death penalty
Exo 21:16 {s} Kidnapping receives the death penalty
Exo 21:17 {s} Cursing father or mother receives the death penalty
Exo 21:18-19 {s} Assault of a neighbor when he does not die
Exo 21:20-21 {s} Assault of a male or female slave when he does or does not die
Exo 21: 22-25 {s} Assault of a woman with child when the child does or does not die
Exo 21:26-27 {p} Conditions for male or female slaves to go out free

The vast majority of these commands explain either assaults that may or may not lead to death, or, when the death penalty is to be applied. Death is the common theme. There is a commandment in the Ten Commandments that deals with death: You shall not commit murder.

This series of commandments, therefore, teaches both the people and the judges, what is or is not murder. Manslaughter, or non-premeditated killing, is not murder. Pre-meditated killing is murder. Capital punishment is not murder. Causing the death of an unborn child is murder (Scriptural proof that God considers the unborn persons in the legal sense with all its associated rights and privileges).

The next strong theme is from Exo 21:28-22:13:

Exo 21:28-32 {s} Restitution when an ox gores a person to death
Exo 21:33-34 {s} Restitution when a pit causes the death of an animal
Exo 21:35-36 {s} Restitution when an ox causes the death of an animal
Exo 22:1-4 {s} Restitution when a theft is discovered
Exo 22:5 {s} Restitution when an animal feeds in another man’s field
Exo 22:6 {s} Restitution when fire destroys a harvest
Exo 22:7-9 {s} Restitution when goods are lost from a neighbor’s safe- keeping
Exo 22:10-13 {p} Restitution when goods are destroyed from a neighbor’s safe- keeping

The vast majority of these commandments explain what is to be done when a loss of property occurs. There is a commandment in the Ten Commandments that deals with property: You shall not steal. This series of commandments teaches both the people and the judges, what is or is not theft.

The next strong theme is from Exo 22:14-24:

Exo 22:14-15 {s} Restitution when goods are borrowed
Exo 22:16-17 {s} Restitution when a virgin is seduced
Exo 22:18-19 {s} Sorceress = death penalty + lying with animals = death penalty
Exo 22:20-24 {p} Idolaters + afflicters of strangers, widows, orphans = utterly destroyed

This seems a puzzle, because what does borrowing goods have to do with sorcery or idolatry? But the reason these are together in a single strong theme, is that this theme is teaching both the people and the judges, when restitution is or is not to be made. If a man seduces a virgin, he doesn’t get out of it by paying a fine, he marries the girl and she becomes his wife! If a sorceress is discovered, she doesn’t get out of it by paying a fine, she receives the capital punishment for sorcery. Many of these commandments also explain what ‘You shall not commit adultery’ means: you shall not be unfaithful, even unto God.

We tend to think of the Ten Commandments as binding, but all of these ‘extra’ commandments as superfluous. However, these judgments are not separate commandments from the Ten Commandments; rather they explain what keeping the Ten Commandments mean.

For further reading:
Exo 21:1-24:18, These are the judgments (Restoration of Torah pdf)
Ten commandments study index