Bible Strands
Leviticus 24:21
Whoever kills an animal must make restitution, but whoever kills a man must be put to death.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — God addresses the Israelite community through Moses, establishing judicial standards immediately after regulating Sabbath violation. The text prescribes capital punishment for homicide and financial compensation for animal death within the covenant law.
The words — יוּמָֽת (yu.Mat) = he will be put to death; בְהֵמָ֖ה (behemah) = an animal. These terms anchor the verse’s legal distinction between human life and livestock.
The thread — This ruling echoes Leviticus 24:17, which mandates the same death penalty for taking another person’s life. It also aligns with Exodus 21:33, where opening a pit triggers restitution when livestock falls in.
Why it lands — The text demands readers recognize a strict legal boundary between property loss and human life. It requires applying uniform justice to all residents and acknowledging that divine authority, not human preference, sets the standard.
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
King James Version
And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it: and he that killeth a man, he shall be put to death.
Cross-references
- Leviticus 24:17 And if a man takes the life of anyone else, he must surely be put to death.
- Exodus 21:33 If a man opens or digs a pit and fails to cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,