Exodus 21:31 meaning
The regulations found in the Old Testament often reflect God's intent to establish justice and accountability within the community. In the case of an ox goring someone, the verse addresses the principle of responsibility—specifically that the owner must be held accountable for the actions of their animal. This represents the moral obligation to prevent harm through proper care and oversight. If the ox's behavior was known to be aggressive and the owner failed to act, they faced severe consequences, including the death of the ox and potential punishment for themselves, illustrating a robust understanding of justice and the safeguarding of life.
The specific judgments laid out in this scripture thus highlight the seriousness with which God views personal responsibility and the protection of both human and animal life. Just as the laws were crafted to deter negligence, they also underscore the value of each life, reflecting a broader theological perspective of human dignity rooted in divine creation.
This quick synopsis was AI autogenerated utilizing existing TheBibleSays commentaries as the primary source material. To read a related commentary that has been fully developed, see the list below. If there is an issue with this summary please let us know by emailing:[email protected]
Deeper Commentary Covering this Verse:
- Exodus 21:28-36 meaning. This passage is concerned with other things that could cause injury to a person and their livelihood. A violent ox, the loss of livestock by negligence, or one ox killing another.
Other Relevant Commentaries:
- Exodus 38:21-31 meaning. Moses recounted the amount of material that was used to build the tabernacle. The emphasis here is on the amount of precious metals used to make the items for the tabernacle and in the tabernacle.
- Exodus 36:1-7 meaning. The first seven verses of chapter 36 continue the last section of chapter 35 concerning the work of Bezalel and Oholiab. They started to work on the construction of the tabernacle, and all the while the people continued to bring their contributions. They brought so much material to Moses that he finally had to urge the people not to bring any more.
- Matthew 21:33-41 meaning. Jesus tells the parable of a landowner who plants a vineyard on his land. He then hires vine-growers to work His vineyard while He is away. When the harvest comes, the vineyard owner sends some slaves to collect its produce, but instead of paying the landowner what was His, the vine-growers beat and kill them. They do the same to the landowner's son. Jesus asks the priests and elders what will happen to the evil vine-growers when the landowner returns. They reply that he will bring them to a wretched end. In the subsequent section, Jesus applied the parable to the Jewish leaders as being like those evil slaves.
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