Exodus 21:14

But if a man schemes and acts willfully against his neighbor to kill him, you must take him away from My altar to be put to death.

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — God addresses Moses and the Israelite community, establishing judicial procedure immediately after regulating accidental homicide in Exodus 21:13. The command directs local authorities to handle cases of premeditated murder.

The words — The Hebrew יָזִד (ya.Zid) means he acts presumptuously or willfully, combined with בְּעָרְמָה (be.'a.re.Mah), meaning with cunning or premeditation. These terms legally distinguish deliberate intent from unforeseen tragedy.

The thread — The rule that sanctuary offers no protection for intentional murder surfaces in 1 Kings 2:28 when Joab flees to the tent of the LORD. The category of defiant, premeditated sin parallels the warning in Numbers 15:30 that such a person blasphemes the LORD and shall be cut off.

Why it lands — The text commands the immediate removal of a premeditated murderer from altar grounds to face execution. It requires readers to accept that intentional violence nullifies any claim to sanctuary or judicial leniency.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְכִֽי־ve./khi-and/ if יָזִ֥דya.Zidhe will act presumptuously אִ֛ישׁ'ishanyone עַל־'al-on רֵעֵ֖הוּre.'E./huneighbor/ his לְהָרְג֣וֹle./ha.re.G/oto/ kill/ him בְעָרְמָ֑הve./'a.re.Mahwith/ cunning מֵעִ֣םme./'Imfrom/ with מִזְבְּחִ֔יmiz.be.Ch/ialtar/ my תִּקָּחֶ֖נּוּti.ka.Che./nuyou will take/ him לָמֽוּת׃ סla./Mutto/ die

King James 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.

Cross-references

1 Kings 2:28 When the news reached Joab, who had conspired with Adonijah but not with Absalom, he fled to the tent of the LORD and took hold of the horns of the altar.
Hebrews 10:26 If we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins remains,
Numbers 15:30 But the person who sins defiantly, whether a native or foreigner, blasphemes the LORD. That person shall be cut off from among his people.
Numbers 35:20 Likewise, if anyone maliciously pushes another or intentionally throws an object at him and kills him,
Deuteronomy 1:43 So I spoke to you, but you would not listen. You rebelled against the command of the LORD and presumptuously went up into the hill country.
Deuteronomy 17:12 But the man who acts presumptuously, refusing to listen either to the priest who stands there to serve the LORD your God, or to the judge, must be put to death. You must purge the evil from Israel.
Deuteronomy 18:22 When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD and the message does not come to pass or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.
Deuteronomy 19:11 If, however, a man hates his neighbor and lies in wait, attacks him and kills him, and then flees to one of these cities,
Deuteronomy 27:24 ‘Cursed is he who strikes down his neighbor in secret.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
2 Samuel 3:27 When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab pulled him aside into the gateway, as if to speak to him privately, and there Joab stabbed him in the stomach. So Abner died on account of the blood of Joab’s brother Asahel.