22 And if men strive together, and strike a woman with child, so that she be delivered, and no mischief happen, he shall in any case be fined, according as the woman's husband shall impose on him, and shall give it as the judges estimate. 23 But if mischief happen, then thou shalt give life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 branding for branding, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
26 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. 27 And if he knock out his bondman's tooth or his handmaid's tooth, he shall let him go free for his tooth. 28 And if an ox gore a man or a woman, so that they die, then the ox shall certainly be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be guiltless. 29 But if the ox have gored heretofore, and it have been testified to its owner, and he have not kept it in, and it kill a man or a woman,—the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death. 30 If there be imposed on him a satisfaction, then he shall give the ransom of his life, according to what is imposed on him. 31 Whether it gore a son or gore a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done to him. 32 If the ox gore a bondman or a handmaid, he shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned. 33 —And if a man open a pit, or if a man dig a pit, and do not cover it, and an ox or an ass fall into it, 34 the owner of the pit shall make it good, shall give money to the owner of them; and the dead [ox] shall be his. 35 —And if one man's ox gore his neighbour's ox, and it die, then they shall sell the live ox, and divide the money thereof, and divide the dead also. 36 Or if it be known that the ox have gored heretofore, and its owner have not kept him in, he shall in any case restore ox for ox; and the dead shall be his.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Exodus 21:22-36
Commentary on Exodus 21:22-36
(Read Exodus 21:22-36)
The cases here mentioned give rules of justice then, and still in use, for deciding similar matters. We are taught by these laws, that we must be very careful to do no wrong, either directly or indirectly. If we have done wrong, we must be very willing to make it good, and be desirous that nobody may lose by us.