Discovery BoxExodus 21:35 
Context21:35 If the ox of one man injures the ox of his neighbor so that it dies, then they will sell the live ox and divide its proceeds, 1 and they will also divide the dead ox. 2
Exodus 21:28
Context21:28 3 “If an ox 4 gores a man or a woman so that either dies, 5 then the ox must surely 6 be stoned and its flesh must not be eaten, but the owner of the ox will be acquitted.
Exodus 21:36
Context21:36 Or if it is known that the ox had the habit of goring, and its owner did not take the necessary precautions, he must surely pay 7 ox for ox, and the dead animal will become his. 8
Exodus 21:32
Context21:32 If the ox gores a male servant or a female servant, the owner 9 must pay thirty shekels of silver, 10 and the ox must be stoned. 11
1 tn Literally “its silver” or “silver for it.”
2 tn Heb “divide the dead.” The noun “ox” has been supplied.
3 sn The point that this section of the laws makes is that one must ensure the safety of others by controlling the circumstances.
4 tn Traditionally “ox,” but “bull” would also be suitable. The term may refer to one of any variety of large cattle.
5 tn Heb “and he dies”; KJV “that they die”; NAB, NASB “to death.”
6 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.
7 tn The construction now uses the same Piel imperfect (v. 34) but adds the infinitive absolute to it for emphasis.
8 sn The point of this section (21:28-36) seems to be that one must ensure the safety of others by controlling one’s property and possessions. This section pertained to neglect with animals, but the message would have applied to similar situations. The people of God were to take heed to ensure the well-being of others, and if there was a problem, it had to be made right.
9 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the owner) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
10 sn A shekel was a unit for measure by means of a scale. Both the weight and the value of a shekel of silver are hard to determine. “Though there is no certainty, the shekel is said to weigh about 11,5 grams” (C. Houtman, Exodus, 3:181). Over four hundred years earlier, Joseph was sold into Egypt for 20 shekels. The free Israelite citizen was worth about 50 shekels (Lev 27:3f.).
11 sn See further B. S. Jackson, “The Goring Ox Again [Ex. 21,28-36],” JJP 18 (1974): 55-94.
