Laws On Violence, Pt. 2: How Bad A Boss Can You Be (Exodus 21:20-27) Series

Today, we continue working through the laws on violence, in Exodus 21. Last week, we read about a few sins that were punishable by death, and a few that weren't. Let's start by simply rereading verses 12-19:

(12) A striker of a man-- and he dies-- shall surely be put to death,

(13) while if he doesn't hunt/stalk, while God allows it to happen to his hand, I will appoint for you a place

where he shall flee to there.

(14) and when a man seethes/schemes concerning his neighbor to murder him with cunning/cleverness, from my altar you shall take him to die,

(15) while the one striking his father or his mother shall surely be put to death,

(16) while the one kidnapping a man/person,

and he sells him,

and/or he is found in his hand/possession, he shall surely be put to death,

(17) while the one declaring contemptible his brother or his mother shall surely be put to death,

(18) and if men quarrel (Gen. 26:20),

and a man strikes his neighbor with a stone or with a fist,

and he doesn't die,

but he falls to bed [=he's bed-ridden]--

(19) if he stands and he walks around outside on his staff--

(then) the one striking shall go unpunished.

Only, his loss of time he shall pay,

and he surely/fully/actually heals,

In these verses, God assumes that his people will do the wrong thing. They will murder, and kidnap, and curse their parents. On a lesser scale, they will find themselves quarreling with one another. Sometimes, those quarrels will turn into fist fights, which will turn into trips to the hospital. God assumes, seemingly, that even if you put me in a hospital, and I can't work, you won't find yourself regretting what you did. You won't offer make it up to me, by paying my hospital bills, or compensating me for my lost paycheck. So God put laws in place that force people to act compassionately, and be a good Samaritan, even if that's the last thing they want.

God continues today by giving more laws concerning people "striking" others. Where they differ from last week's verses, is that cover two different groups, or classes, of people. In many societies, these groups are viewed as having no rights, or less rights. Sometimes, they are viewed as being not fully human. These two groups are "servants," and the unborn. And so the question is, do the laws on violence work differently for them, than they do for the rest of us? Are slaves like property, to be treated like a donkey or an ox? Are the unborn fully human?

Verse 20:

(20) and if a man strikes his male servant or female servant with the rod,

and he/she dies under his hand, he/she shall surely be avenged.

Let's start by talking about the "rod." The OT assumes that people, at times, need to be physically disciplined when they do something incredibly foolish (Proverbs 26:3), or if they're rebellious. Proverbs encourages parents to not be afraid to take a rod to their kids when necessary (Proverbs 29:15). Doing so will drive folly out them (Proverbs 22:15).

Proverbs 23:13-14:

(13) You shouldn't withhold from a youth, discipline. ["from a youth" is focused, maybe. Or possibly "discipline," being delayed until the end]

If you strike (same verb we've been seeing in Ex. 21) him with the rod, he won't die.

You, with the rod, strike him, [with the rod is focused]

while his inner being/soul, from Sheol you will deliver (it). ["from Sheol" is focused]

Now, let's turn to 2 Samuel 7:12-17 (ESV no reason). Here, God makes a promise to David, for how he will treat David's offspring:

12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him WITH THE ROD of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, 15 but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’ ” 17 In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.

In verse 14, God promises to be a Father to David's son, and to treat David's son, as his own son. And God then unpacks what this means in two ways (the subordinate clause and relationship is clearer in the Hebrew). The first, in verse 14, is that God will discipline his son with the "rod of men." And second, in verse 15, is that God promises that his loyalty won't leave him. God will treat David's descendants better than he treated Saul.