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Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
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Commentary & Explanation
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Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
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CHAPTER 21
The Lord reveals his laws pertaining to servants; plural marriage; the
death penalty for divers offenses; the giving of an eye for an eye, and a
tooth for a tooth; the regulations governing damage done by oxen.
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The Penal Code of Israel
While the nature and make of times and civilizations within those times may
differ somewhat as to the customs and the norms of the peoples and the
surrounding peoples within which they live, the concept of 'justice' and
making a decission based upon the principle of justice, is universal to all
civilizations. If there is not 'Penal Code' of 'justice', then there is no
civilization and chaos does but reign and rule. Some of the times and customs
of the people of a differeing time, a more ancient time, may seem strange to
today's civilized environment with its unique situations and customs. But in
either case there must be an appreciation for and an applied system of justice
and equity established for the rule and governing of the people that the
people may walk and act according to such applied rules of judgement and know
how to act in compliance with the nature and circumstance of that civilization
within which they exist.
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1 NOW these are
the ajudgments which thou shalt set before them.
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3a
Lev. 1:1;
Moses 1:17
b
Ex. 3:12;
Moses 1:1-3
4a
Deut. 327:11;
D&C 124:18 (18,99)
5a
TG
Obedience
b
TG
Abrahamic Covenant
TG
Covenants
c
TG
Israel, Twelve Tribes
TG
Peculiar People
d
TG
Israel, Blessing of
TG
Treasure
6a
TG
Election
b
TG
Israel, Mission of;
TG;
Priesthood;
TG
Priesthood, History of
c
Ex. 22:31;
1 Pet. 2:9 (5-9);
TG
Holiness
d
TG
Separation
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The Law Concerning Servants
Making no moral judgement concerning the keeping of servants and the
nature of servant processes, in a world which keeps 'servants' there must
be a code of rule and government concerning them.
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Concerning Man Servants
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2 If thou buy an Hebrew aservant,
six years he shall serve: and in the bseventh he shall go
out cfreea for
nothing.
3 If he came in aby himself, he shall
go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with
him.
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.
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2a an Hebrew servant, six years he shall
serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free This particular
Law of the Law of Moses has a particular significance. Whether all parts of
the Law of Moses was a part of the Temple Covenant, in covenanting to keep
the Law of God or not is perhaps a debatable point. But in particular, it is
known that this Law, the Law of Hebrew servants, was a part of the Temple
Covenant, the covenant to keep the Law of God, the Law of Moses. It is upon
this law that the prophet of God, Jeremiah, condems Jerusalem to destruction
and enslavement unto Babylon. It that particular case the Jews were wicked
in many other matters as well, but it was this particular Law which they
could not hypocritically deny as all knew themselves and publically so to be
guilty of (See Commentary Jeremiah 34).
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3a
Lev. 1:1;
Moses 1:17
b
Ex. 3:12;
Moses 1:1-3
4a
Deut. 327:11;
D&C 124:18 (18,99)
5a
TG
Obedience
b
TG
Abrahamic Covenant
TG
Covenants
c
TG
Israel, Twelve Tribes
TG
Peculiar People
d
TG
Israel, Blessing of
TG
Treasure
6a
TG
Election
b
TG
Israel, Mission of;
TG;
Priesthood;
TG
Priesthood, History of
c
Ex. 22:31;
1 Pet. 2:9 (5-9);
TG
Holiness
d
TG
Separation
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5 And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:
6 Then his master shall bring him
aunto the bjudges; he shall also bring
him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his
cear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for
ever.
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3a
Lev. 1:1;
Moses 1:17
b
Ex. 3:12;
Moses 1:1-3
4a
Deut. 327:11;
D&C 124:18 (18,99)
5a
TG
Obedience
b
TG
Abrahamic Covenant
TG
Covenants
c
TG
Israel, Twelve Tribes
TG
Peculiar People
d
TG
Israel, Blessing of
TG
Treasure
6a
TG
Election
b
TG
Israel, Mission of;
TG;
Priesthood;
TG
Priesthood, History of
c
Ex. 22:31;
1 Pet. 2:9 (5-9);
TG
Holiness
d
TG
Separation
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Concerning a Maidservant
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7 ¶ And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do.
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.
9 And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.
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10 If he take him another wife; her food, her
raiment, and her aduty of marriage, shall he not
diminish.
11 And if he do not these three unto her, then shall she go out free without money.
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Murder and Manslaughter
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12 ¶ He that asmiteth a man, so
that he die, shall be surely put to bdeath.
13 And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver
him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a aplace
whither he shall bflee.
14 But if a man come presumptuously upon his
neighbour, to aslay him with bguile; thou
shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.
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15 ¶ And he that smiteth his father, or his
mother, shall be surely put to adeath.
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Illegal Slave Trading
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16 ¶ And he that astealeth a
man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put
to death.
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Cursings
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17 ¶ And he that acurseth his
father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.
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Injury from Violence
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18 ¶ And if men strive together, and one smite
another with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but
akeepeth his bed:
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 atime, and shall cause him to be
thoroughly healed.
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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.
21 Notwithstanding, if he acontinue
a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money.
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22 ¶ If men strive, and hurt a woman with
achild, so that bher fruit depart
from her, and yet no cmischief 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.
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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.
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.
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Ox Goring and Pitting
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28 ¶ If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they
adie: then the ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh
shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be
bquit.
29 But if the ox were awont 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 bdeath.
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.
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31 Whether he have gored a son, or have gored a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done unto him.
32 If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant;
he shall give unto their master athirty shekels of silver,
and the ox shall be stoned.
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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;
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.
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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.
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.
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