ris3n's Apologetics Codex

Exodus 21.24


type: passage created: 2026-05-06 updated: 2026-05-06 book: Exodus chapter: 21 verses: "24" translation_default: ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT tags: [scripture] citation_count: 1 enriched: false

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Exodus 21.24

Book: Exodus · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV (ASV)

"22. And if men strive together, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart, and yet no harm follow; he shall be surely fined, according as the woman's husband shall lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. 23. But if any harm follow, then thou shalt give life for life,"

"24. eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,"

"25. burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. 26. And if a man smite the eye of his servant, or the eye of his maid, and destroy it; he shall let him go free for his eye's sake." (Exodus 21:22-26, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"22. “If men fight and hurt a pregnant woman so that she gives birth prematurely, and yet no harm follows, he shall be surely fined as much as the woman’s husband demands and the judges allow. 23. But if any harm follows, then you must take life for life,"

"24. eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,"

"25. burning for burning, wound for wound, and bruise for bruise. 26. “If a man strikes his servant’s eye, or his maid’s eye, and destroys it, he shall let him go free for his eye’s sake." (Exodus 21:22-26, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"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. 23. And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,"

"24. Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,"

"25. Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. 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." (Exodus 21:22-26, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"22. 'And when men strive, and have smitten a pregnant woman, and her children have come out, and there is no mischief, he is certainly fined, as the husband of the woman doth lay upon him, and he hath given through the judges; 23. and if there is mischief, then thou hast given life for life,"

"24. eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,"

"25. burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. 26. 'And when a man smiteth the eye of his man-servant, or the eye of his handmaid, and hath destroyed it, as a freeman he doth send him away for his eye;" (Exodus 21:22-26, YLT)

Setting

  • Speaker: Moses (traditional)
  • Audience: Israelite congregation post-Exodus
  • Location: Egypt → Sinai wilderness
  • Time period: events c. 1446-1445 BC; composed c. 1446-1406 BC

Theological reading

Key words

No Strong's-tagged lexicon matches found in this passage. (Lexicon coverage is curated, ~159 of the most apologetically-loaded Greek/Hebrew terms.)

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

  • ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
  • WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
  • KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
  • YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.