The Meaning of Exodus 21:15 Explained

Exodus 21:15

KJV: And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.

YLT: 'And he who smiteth his father or his mother is certainly put to death.

Darby: And he that striketh his father, or his mother, shall certainly be put to death.

ASV: And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he that smiteth  his father,  or his mother,  shall be surely  put to death. 

What does Exodus 21:15 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Exodus 21

1  Laws for men servants
5  For the servant whose ear is bored
7  For women servants
12  For manslaughter
16  For kidnappers
17  For cursers of parents
18  For smiters
22  For a hurt by chance
28  For an ox that gores
33  For him who is an occasion of harm

What do the individual words in Exodus 21:15 mean?

And he who strikes his father or his mother surely shall be put to death
וּמַכֵּ֥ה אָבִ֛יו וְאִמּ֖וֹ מ֥וֹת יוּמָֽת

וּמַכֵּ֥ה  And  he  who  strikes 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular construct
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
אָבִ֛יו  his  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
וְאִמּ֖וֹ  or  his  mother 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אֵם  
Sense: mother.
מ֥וֹת  surely 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
יוּמָֽת  shall  be  put  to  death 
Parse: Verb, Hofal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.