The Meaning of Exodus 21:18 Explained

Exodus 21:18

KJV: And if men strive together, and one smite another with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keepeth his bed:

YLT: 'And when men contend, and a man hath smitten his neighbour with a stone, or with the fist, and he die not, but hath fallen on the bed;

Darby: And if men dispute, and one strike the other with a stone, or with the fist, and he die not, but take to his bed,

ASV: And if men contend, and one smite the other with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keep his bed;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And if men  strive  together, and one  smite  another  with a stone,  or  with [his] fist,  and he die  not, but keepeth  [his] bed: 

What does Exodus 21:18 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Exodus 21

1  Laws for men servants
5  For the servant whose ear is bored
7  For women servants
12  For manslaughter
16  For kidnappers
17  For cursers of parents
18  For smiters
22  For a hurt by chance
28  For an ox that gores
33  For him who is an occasion of harm

What do the individual words in Exodus 21:18 mean?

And if contend with each other men and strikes one - the other with a stone or with [his] fist and not he does die but is confined to [his] bed
וְכִֽי־ יְרִיבֻ֣ן אֲנָשִׁ֔ים וְהִכָּה־ אִישׁ֙ אֶת־ רֵעֵ֔הוּ בְּאֶ֖בֶן א֣וֹ בְאֶגְרֹ֑ף וְלֹ֥א יָמ֖וּת וְנָפַ֥ל לְמִשְׁכָּֽב

וְכִֽי־  And  if 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
יְרִיבֻ֣ן  contend  with  each  other 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural, Paragogic nun
Root: רִיב  
Sense: to strive, contend.
אֲנָשִׁ֔ים  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
וְהִכָּה־  and  strikes 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
אִישׁ֙  one 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
רֵעֵ֔הוּ  the  other 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: רֵעַ  
Sense: friend, companion, fellow, another person.
בְּאֶ֖בֶן  with  a  stone 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶבֶן  
Sense: stone (large or small).
בְאֶגְרֹ֑ף  with  [his]  fist 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֶגְרֹף  
Sense: fist.
וְלֹ֥א  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יָמ֖וּת  he  does  die 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
וְנָפַ֥ל  but  is  confined 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
לְמִשְׁכָּֽב  to  [his]  bed 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁכָּב  
Sense: a lying down, couch, bier, act of lying.