The Meaning of Exodus 21:24 Explained

Exodus 21:24

KJV: Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

YLT: eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

Darby: eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

ASV: eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Eye  for eye,  tooth  for tooth,  hand  for hand,  foot  for foot, 

What does Exodus 21:24 Mean?

Study Notes

Eye for eye
Leviticus 24:20 ; Deuteronomy 19:21 ; Matthew 5:38-44 ; 1 Peter 2:19-21 . The provision in Exodus is law, and righteous; the N.T. passages, grace, and merciful.

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 21:24 mean?

eye for eye tooth tooth hand hand foot foot
עַ֚יִן תַּ֣חַת עַ֔יִן שֵׁ֖ן שֵׁ֑ן יָ֚ד יָ֔ד רֶ֖גֶל רָֽגֶל

עַ֚יִן  eye 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
עַ֔יִן  eye 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
שֵׁ֖ן  tooth 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: שֵׁן  
Sense: tooth, ivory.
שֵׁ֑ן  tooth 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: שֵׁן  
Sense: tooth, ivory.
יָ֚ד  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
יָ֔ד  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
רֶ֖גֶל  foot 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: רֶגֶל  
Sense: foot.
רָֽגֶל  foot 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: רֶגֶל  
Sense: foot.