Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 21:32
If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.
32. If the ox killed a slave, however, it was sufficient if its owner paid his master as compensation the ordinary value of a slave, and suffered at the same time the loss of his animal’s services. Another instance of the lower value set upon a slave’s life: he is in this case valued simply as a chattel.
a manservant or a maidservant ] a male or female Slave.
thirty shekels of silver ] doubtless the average price of a slave at the time It seems that the intrinsic value of a shekel of silver was about 2 Samuel 9 d. ( DB. iii. 420 a ), so that the silver of 30 shekels would be worth now about 4. 2 Samuel 6 d, (though its purchasing power would be many times greater: ibid. note, and 431 f.). The free Hebrew was valued at 50 shekels (Lev 27:3 f.). The same sum was offered as his wages to the prophet who, in the allegory of Zechariah 11, represented the rejected ruler of his people ( v. 12: cf. Mat 26:15). Joseph was sold to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver (Gen 37:28 b [J]).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 32. Thirty shekels] Each worth about three shillings English; see Ge 20:16-15. So, counting the shekel at its utmost value, the life of a slave was valued at four pounds ten shillings. And at this price these same vile people valued the life of our blessed Lord; see Zec 11:12-13; Mt 26:15. And in return, the justice of God has ordered it so, that they have been sold for slaves into every country of the universe. And yet, strange to tell, they see not the hand of God in so visible a retribution!
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The half the freemans price. See Poole on “Mat 26:5“.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
If the ox shall push a manservant, or a maidservant,…. Which the Targum of Jonathan and Jarchi interpret of a Canaanitish servant, man or maid; but no doubt the same provision was made for an Hebrew servant, man or maid, as for a Gentile one:
he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver; that is, the owner of the ox shall pay so much to the masters of the servants for the loss they have sustained by his ox goring them; and Maimonides r observes, that
“the ransom of servants, whether great or small, whether male or female, is fixed in the law, thirty shekels of good silver, whether the servant is worth a hundred pounds, or whether he is worth but a penny.”
This was the price our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was sold at,
[See comments on Mt 26:15].
r Hilchot Niske Maimon, c. 11. sect. 1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
32. If the ox shall push a man-servant. It is not unreasonable that the punishment for the death of a slave should now be set at less than for that of a free-man. As regarded the crime of voluntary murder, there was no distinction between slaves and masters; but in a case of mischance ( delicto) the severity might in some degree be mitigated; especially when the stoning of the ox sufficiently availed for bringing murder into detestation. God, therefore, showed admirable moderation in condemning the negligence of the master to be punished by the payment of thirty shekels; whilst He proposed the ox as an example, and reminded all by its death, how very precious in His sight is human blood.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
Exo 21:32 If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.
Ver. 32. Thirty shekels. ] This same was that “goodly price” that our Lord Christ was valued at by the vile Jews. Zec 11:12-13 Mat 26:15
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Gen 37:28, Zec 11:12, Zec 11:13, Mat 26:15, Mat 27:3-9, Phi 2:7
and the ox: Exo 21:28, Exo 21:29
Reciprocal: Lev 20:16 – and the beast Mat 27:9 – thirty
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
21:32 If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give unto their master thirty {x} shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.
(x) Read Gen 23:15.