Exodus 21:14

KJV1611 – Modern English

But if a man acts presumptuously against his neighbor, to kill him with guile, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וְכִי־יָזִד אִישׁ עַל־רֵעֵהוּ לְהָרְגוֹ בְעָרְמָה מֵעִם מִזְבְּחִי תִּקָּחֶנּוּ לָמוּת

Transliteration

wə-kî-yāzid ʾîsh ʿal-rēʿēhû lə-horgô bə-ʿormāh mē-ʿim mizbəchî tiqqāchennû lāmût

Grammar Details

• *wə-kî*: conjunction + conjunction - and if
• *yāzid*: hiphil imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular - he acts presumptuously
• *ʾîsh*: masculine singular noun - a man
• *ʿal-rēʿēhû*: preposition + masculine singular noun with 3rd person masculine singular suffix - against his neighbor
• *lə-horgô*: preposition *lə* + qal infinitive construct with 3rd person masculine singular suffix - to kill him
• *bə-ʿormāh*: preposition *bə* + feminine singular noun - with premeditation/cunning
• *mē-ʿim*: compound preposition - from
• *mizbəchî*: masculine singular noun with 1st person singular suffix - my altar
• *tiqqāchennû*: qal imperfect, 2nd person masculine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix - you shall take him
• *lāmût*: preposition *lə* + qal infinitive construct - to die

Word Meanings

• *yāzid*: acts presumptuously/acts with premeditation/schemes
• *rēʿēhû*: his neighbor/his fellow/his friend
• *bə-ʿormāh*: with premeditation/with cunning/willfully/with deception
• *tiqqāchennû*: you shall take him/remove him/bring him
• *lāmût*: to die/to be executed/to be put to death

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  However, if someone schemes and acts deliberately to kill his neighbor, you shall take him even from my altar to be put to death.

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And if a man{H376} come presumptuously{H2102} upon his neighbor,{H7453} to slay{H2026} him with guile;{H6195} thou shalt take{H3947} him from mine altar,{H4196} that he may die.{H4191}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  But if a man{H376} come presumptuously{H2102}{(H8686)} upon his neighbour{H7453}, to slay{H2026}{(H8800)} him with guile{H6195}; thou shalt take{H3947}{(H8799)} him from mine altar{H4196}, that he may die{H4191}{(H8800)}.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  Yf a man come presumptuously vppon his neyghboure ad slee him with gile, thou shalt take him fro myne alter that he dye.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  But yf a man presume vpon his neghboure, and slaye him with disceate, then shalt thou take the same fro myne altare, that he maye be slayne.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  But if a man come presumptuously vpon his neighbour to slay him with guile, thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  If a man come presumpteously vpon his neyghbour to slay hym with guyle, thou shalt take him from myne aulter that he dye.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  If a man schemes and comes presumptuously on his neighbor to kill him, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  `And when a man doth presume against his neighbour to slay him with subtilty, from Mine altar thou dost take him to die.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbor, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbor, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  But if a man makes an attack on his neighbour on purpose, to put him to death by deceit, you are to take him from my altar and put him to death.

• World English Bible (2000)

  If a man schemes and comes presumptuously on his neighbor to kill him, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  But if a man willfully attacks his neighbor to kill him cunningly, you will take him even from my altar that he may die.

Referenced Verses

• 1 Kgs 2:28-34 : 28 Then news came to Joab, for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he did not turn after Absalom. And Joab fled to the tabernacle of the Lord, and took hold of the horns of the altar. 29 And it was told King Solomon that Joab had fled to the tabernacle of the Lord; and behold, he is by the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, strike him down. 30 And Benaiah came to the tabernacle of the Lord, and said to him, Thus says the king, Come forth. And he said, No; but I will die here. And Benaiah told the king this, saying, Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me. 31 And the king said unto him, Do as he has said, and strike him down and bury him, that you may take away the innocent blood which Joab shed, from me and from the house of my father. 32 And the Lord will return his blood upon his own head, who struck down two men more righteous and better than he, and killed them with the sword, my father David not knowing of it: namely, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the army of Judah. 33 Their blood shall return upon the head of Joab and upon the head of his descendants forever; but upon David, and his descendants, and upon his house, and upon his throne, there shall be peace forever from the Lord. 34 So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up and struck and killed him, and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.
• Heb 10:26 : 26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins,
• 2 Pet 2:10 : 10 And especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed, and not afraid to speak evil of dignities.
• 2 Kgs 11:15 : 15 Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of the hundreds, the officers of the army, and said to them, 'Take her outside under guard, and kill anyone who follows her with the sword.' For the priest had said, 'Do not let her be slain in the house of the LORD.'.
• Ps 19:13 : 13 Keep your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me. Then shall I be upright, and shall be innocent from the great transgression.
• Num 15:30-31 : 30 But the soul who does anything presumptuously, whether he is native or a stranger, that soul reproaches the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 31 Because he has despised the word of the LORD, and has broken His commandment, that soul shall be completely cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him.
• Num 35:20-21 : 20 But if he pushes him out of hatred, or hurls at him by lying in wait so that he dies; 21 Or in enmity strikes him with his hand, so that he dies, he who struck him shall surely be put to death; for he is a murderer: the avenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meets him.
• Deut 1:43 : 43 So I spoke to you; and you would not listen, but rebelled against the command of the LORD, and presumptuously went up into the hill.
• Deut 17:12-13 : 12 The man who acts presumptuously and will not listen to the priest who stands to minister there before the LORD your God, or to the judge, that man shall die; so you shall put away the evil from Israel. 13 And all the people shall hear and fear, and no longer act presumptuously.
• Deut 18:22 : 22 When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not follow or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken, but the prophet has spoken it presumptuously: you shall not be afraid of him.
• Deut 19:11-13 : 11 But if any man hates his neighbor, and lies in wait for him, and rises against him, and strikes him mortally so that he dies, and flees into one of these cities; 12 Then the elders of his city shall send and take him from there, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, so that he may die. 13 Your eye shall not pity him, but you shall remove the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with you.
• Deut 27:24 : 24 Cursed be he who strikes his neighbor secretly. And all the people shall say, Amen.
• 2 Sam 3:27 : 27 And when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside at the gate to speak with him quietly, and struck him there under the fifth rib, so that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.
• 2 Sam 20:9-9 : 9 And Joab said to Amasa, Are you well, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. 10 But Amasa did not notice the sword in Joab’s hand, so Joab struck him in the stomach, spilling his intestines to the ground. He did not strike him again, and Amasa died. Joab and his brother Abishai then pursued Sheba the son of Bichri.
• 1 Kgs 1:50-51 : 50 And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and grasped the horns of the altar. 51 And it was reported to Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonijah fears King Solomon, for lo, he has grasped the horns of the altar, saying, Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not slay his servant with the sword.