Exodus 21:29

21:29 But if the ox had the habit of goring, and its owner was warned, ¹  and he did not take the necessary precautions, ²  and then it killed a man or a woman, the ox must be stoned and the man must be put to death.

Exodus 31:14

31:14 So you must keep the Sabbath, for it is holy for you. Everyone who defiles it ³  must surely be put to death; indeed, ⁴  if anyone does ⁵  any ⁶  work on it, then that person will be cut off from among his ⁷  people.

---

¹ tn The Hophal perfect has the idea of “attested, testified against.”

² tn Heb “he was not keeping it” or perhaps guarding or watching it (referring to the ox).

³ tn This clause is all from one word, a Piel plural participle with a third, feminine suffix: מְחַלְלֶיהָ (mÿkhalleha, “defilers of it”). This form serves as the subject of the sentence. The word חָלַל (khalal) is the antonym of קָדַשׁ (qadash, “to be holy”). It means “common, profane,” and in the Piel stem “make common, profane” or “defile.” Treating the Sabbath like an ordinary day would profane it, make it common.

⁴ tn This is the asseverative use of כִּי (ki) meaning “surely, indeed,” for it restates the point just made (see R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 73, §449).

⁵ tn Heb “the one who does.”

⁶ tn “any” has been supplied.

⁷ tn Literally “her” (a feminine pronoun agreeing with “soul/life,” which is grammatically feminine).