21:28 6 “If an ox 7 gores a man or a woman so that either dies, 8 then the ox must surely 9 be stoned and its flesh must not be eaten, but the owner of the ox will be acquitted.
1 tn “and then” has been supplied.
2 tn The verb is a Hitpael perfect with vav (ו) consecutive; it follows the sequence of the imperfect before it – “if he gets up and walks about.” This is proof of recovery.
3 tn The imperfect tense carries a nuance of obligatory imperfect because this is binding on the one who hit him.
4 tn Heb “his”; the referent (the injured person) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
5 tn The word appears to be the infinitive from the verb “to sit” with a meaning of “his sitting down”; some suggest it is from the verb “to rest” with a meaning “cease.” In either case the point in the context must mean compensation is due for the time he was down.
6 sn The point that this section of the laws makes is that one must ensure the safety of others by controlling the circumstances.
7 tn Traditionally “ox,” but “bull” would also be suitable. The term may refer to one of any variety of large cattle.
8 tn Heb “and he dies”; KJV “that they die”; NAB, NASB “to death.”
9 tn The text uses סָקוֹל יִסָּקֵל (saqol yissaqel), a Qal infinitive absolute with a Niphal imperfect. The infinitive intensifies the imperfect, which here has an obligatory nuance or is a future of instruction.