The Meaning of Exodus 21:26 Explained

Exodus 21:26

KJV: 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.

YLT: '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;

Darby: And if a man strike the eye of his bondman or the eye of his handmaid, and it be marred, he shall let him go for his eye.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Exodus 21:26 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 21:26 mean?

And if strikes a man - the eye of his manservant or of his maidservant and destroys it free he shall let him go - for the sake of his eye -
וְכִֽי־ יַכֶּ֨ה אִ֜ישׁ אֶת־ עֵ֥ין עַבְדּ֛וֹ אֽוֹ־ אֲמָת֖וֹ וְשִֽׁחֲתָ֑הּ לַֽחָפְשִׁ֥י יְשַׁלְּחֶ֖נּוּ תַּ֥חַת עֵינֽוֹ ס

וְכִֽי־  And  if 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
יַכֶּ֨ה  strikes 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
אִ֜ישׁ  a  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
עֵ֥ין  the  eye 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
עַבְדּ֛וֹ  of  his  manservant 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
אֲמָת֖וֹ  of  his  maidservant 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמָה  
Sense: maid-servant, female slave, maid, handmaid, concubine.
וְשִֽׁחֲתָ֑הּ  and  destroys  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: שָׁחַת  
Sense: to destroy, corrupt, go to ruin, decay.
לַֽחָפְשִׁ֥י  free 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: חָפְשִׁי  
Sense: free.
יְשַׁלְּחֶ֖נּוּ  he  shall  let  him  go 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
תַּ֥חַת  - 
Parse: Preposition
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.
עֵינֽוֹ  for  the  sake  of  his  eye 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation