28 'And when an ox doth gore man or woman, and they have died, the ox is certainly stoned, and his flesh is not eaten, and the owner of the ox 'is' acquitted; 29 and if the ox is 'one' accustomed to gore heretofore, and it hath been testified to its owner, and he doth not watch it, and it hath put to death a man or woman, the ox is stoned, and its owner also is put to death. 30 'If atonement is laid upon him, then he hath given the ransom of his life, according to all that is laid upon him; 31 whether it gore a son or gore a daughter, according to this judgment it is done to him. 32 'If the ox gore a man-servant or a handmaid, thirty silver shekels he doth give to their lord, and the ox is stoned. 33 'And when a man doth open a pit, or when a man doth dig a pit, and doth not cover it, and an ox or ass hath fallen thither,— 34 the owner of the pit doth repay, money he doth give back to its owner, and the dead is his. 35 'And when a man's ox doth smite the ox of his neighbour, and it hath died, then they have sold the living ox, and halved its money, and also the dead one they do halve; 36 or, it hath been known that the ox is 'one' accustomed to gore heretofore, and its owner doth not watch it, he certainly repayeth ox for ox, and the dead is his.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Exodus 21:28-36
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.